I went to Rim Ping today and was surprised to see that they were offering plastic bags at the checkout, a reversal of the policy they implemented in August.

 

So for all those who fought the good fight to get this misguided policy changed, pat yourself on the back.  It's a small victory, but a significant one.

 

 

1 hour ago, Kelsall said:

So for all those who fought the good fight to get this misguided policy changed, pat yourself on the back.  It's a small victory, but a significant one.

A victory for who?

Are you supporting the use of totally unnecessary plastic?

 

Carry a little bag in your pocket when shopping.  If doing such a large shopping that you need more than one standard size bag the chances are you are using transport and can easily use the boxes on offer.

 

I assume you have no kids and grandkids that you want to leave the planet to.

I was at Rimping at the river this afternoon, and all the cashiers were using boxes... unless someone begged and pleaded, generally making an ass of themselves, for a plastic bag. It was very crowded and most folks had their own bags. It's no effort at all to carry a small nylon shopping bag. They fold up to the size of a cigarette pack. but hold as much as two of the large plastic bags.  Scottiejohn mentioned leaving the planet to our kids and grandkids, but the problem is far more severe and immediate. Go to just about any beach today and you'll be swimming with somebody's plastic bag, some baby's dirty diaper, and the wrapper from a bag of chips.

6 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

I was at Rimping at the river this afternoon, and all the cashiers were using boxes... unless someone begged and pleaded, generally making an ass of themselves, for a plastic bag. It was very crowded and most folks had their own bags. It's no effort at all to carry a small nylon shopping bag. They fold up to the size of a cigarette pack. but hold as much as two of the large plastic bags.  Scottiejohn mentioned leaving the planet to our kids and grandkids, but the problem is far more severe and immediate. Go to just about any beach today and you'll be swimming with somebody's plastic bag, some baby's dirty diaper, and the wrapper from a bag of chips.

Nim City had only plastic bags.

2 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

Nim City had only plastic bags.

 

Did you bring your own shopping bag? And if not, why not?

Quote

It's no effort at all to carry a small nylon shopping bag.

Hopefully, they would have these sitting on the checkout counter, as your first purchase. I would be happy to purchase these in exchange for plastic bags. But, I hate to think someday I'm caught unawares that I missed the news about it being a "green" day.

Rimping prices are more expensive than others. Unless there is something that you can't find there, go elsewhere to shop

18 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Hopefully, they would have these sitting on the checkout counter, as your first purchase. I would be happy to purchase these in exchange for plastic bags. But, I hate to think someday I'm caught unawares that I missed the news about it being a "green" day.

 

That would be a great idea. Rimping and Tops do sell their own canvas bags, but those aren't as convenient as the nylon ones as they don't fold up as small. However, if you are a car person, they do hold more than the nylon ones, and small enough to fit in the glove box.

 

As I understand it, nationally, the 4th of each month will be a 'green day' all over the Kingdom, as is Wednesdays now at all Rimpings. Tops at Kad Suan Kaew has set up a Green Lane for people with their own bags. Tends to move a lot faster than the other isles.

 

For those who want to make a difference, you can buy these nylon shopping bags at all 'Daiso' shops. There is one in Nim City just west of the toilets, and also in Airport Plaza, Maya, Central Festival They have all sizes and designs, from plain to fancy.

54 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

I was at Rimping at the river this afternoon, and all the cashiers were using boxes... unless someone begged and pleaded, generally making an ass of themselves, for a plastic bag. It was very crowded and most folks had their own bags. It's no effort at all to carry a small nylon shopping bag. They fold up to the size of a cigarette pack. but hold as much as two of the large plastic bags.  Scottiejohn mentioned leaving the planet to our kids and grandkids, but the problem is far more severe and immediate. Go to just about any beach today and you'll be swimming with somebody's plastic bag, some baby's dirty diaper, and the wrapper from a bag of chips.

I was at Meechok branch today. Cardboard boxes were used. We normally carry canvas bags in the car for shopping but today we bought a number of heavy items so we needed boxes. I for one hope that eventually plastic bags will not be available there at all, just like when I lived in Europe. Everyone carries their own bags. Part of life.

China and USA industry pumping out billions of cubic meters of carbon each year and we worry about plastic bags. If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

I agree. 

The "Don't use plastic straws" campaign and the carry-your-own-bag idea are just feel good tactics. I understand it for what it is; a personal protest. The fact remains, however, that plastics are in just about everything we use these days. If you said you would stop using products with plastics, then you'd be nearly a hermit. Look around you: spray bottles, phones, TVs, speakers, containers, lighters, clocks, drinking glasses...the list is nearly endless. And let's not forget package packing and Styrofoam. 

I understand the, "Every little bit helps," notion, but the usages of plastic are on an industrial scale and the efforts of individuals will not change anything. 

 

Leave the planet planet to your kids and grand kids? If that's a real concern, then you shouldn't bring a child into this modern world of ours. I'm not being facetious. The next generation will figure it out. If not, then not. You won't be around to worry about it anyway. If you want to give your offspring, and their offspring a better shot in the future, YOU need to make as much money as possible so that you can give it all to them after you croak. Wealthy people will always fare better than others below them. That's the legacy you need to shoot for, not avoiding a few plastic bags (which were already produced and will be used by the next guy anyway). 

1 hour ago, Loaded said:

China and USA industry pumping out billions of cubic meters of carbon each year and we worry about plastic bags. If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

If you can't fix everything, why fix anything?  Is that the idea? 

Without plastic bags we wouldn’t have Tree Ghosts...

 

 

4 hours ago, Loaded said:

 If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

 

Nobody... except people who spend time around the oceans and have seen for themselves huge rafts of plastic garbage as far as the eye can see.

 

There are places we don't scuba dive any longer because we'd have to dive down through a layer of trash to get down to the corals... which these days have snagged their own plastic trophies.  Fortunately, there are plenty of people who DO care enough to do their part to reduce the global garbage. So, if it suits you to stay loaded and pretend that it's not a problem, so be it. You're in good company. Trump doesn't think it's a problem either.

GREAT NEWS!!!

 

Absolutely hated it when stuck at Rim Ping on a Wednesday.  I actually walked away once when they pulled the no-bags scam.   

 

Customer is king again!

I don't think Trump's radar is even attuned to plastic waste management. 

 

I've lived on a beach in Thailand for years. Most of the waste is from ships that dump their rubbish at sea. Some times of the year are pretty intense with the currents forcing the debris onto shore. Some interesting finds too. I once found a TV set floating on the water's edge. Didn't work, though, for some reason. 

 

To change the big picture, big moves are needed. I've written previously somewhere about Taiwan's prohibition on plastic bags by charging for them, and more recently, their intention to disallow handing them out at all in a few years' time. This (enforced) measure reduced the output of plastic bag waste significantly. That's where you need to focus -- getting the government to step in and make rules and then enforce them. Hardly likely in Thailand, but who knows? 

My guess is that some big-wig has a finger in the plastics industry here and so it's hands off. 

 

Don't get me wrong; I think these one-time use plastic bags are a problem, but just not one I can solve by carrying a nylon one around (which is impractical for me at any rate). 

It's like saying there is a particular religion I'd like to see expunged from the face of the earth, but any act I could possibly do would have no effect on bringing about this outcome. 

 

Having said that, I do wash and re-use sandwich Ziploc bags and re-use grocery plastic bags for trash. Not because I think this makes the world a better place, but because I think it's stupid to throw them away when they are still quite usable. 

1 hour ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Nobody... except people who spend time around the oceans and have seen for themselves huge rafts of plastic garbage as far as the eye can see.

 

There are places we don't scuba dive any longer because we'd have to dive down through a layer of trash to get down to the corals... which these days have snagged their own plastic trophies.  Fortunately, there are plenty of people who DO care enough to do their part to reduce the global garbage. So, if it suits you to stay loaded and pretend that it's not a problem, so be it. You're in good company. Trump doesn't think it's a problem either.

Where was this?

8 hours ago, Loaded said:

China and USA industry pumping out billions of cubic meters of carbon each year and we worry about plastic bags. If that photo of a turtle with a pen up its nose hadn't gone viral, nobody would care about plastic.

You belong here.

 

It all matters. 

5 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

GREAT NEWS!!!

 

Absolutely hated it when stuck at Rim Ping on a Wednesday.  I actually walked away once when they pulled the no-bags scam.   

 

Customer is king again!

How is that a scam?

How hard is it to keep a bag in your car or bike?

 

Maybe you walk everywhere and never know when you might want to do some grocery shopping? 

Rimping at Mae Hia market was using boxes on Wednesday as well (they're now stacked up in a more convenient location and you can choose your own, where before they'd grab one for you).

8 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

GREAT NEWS!!!

 

Absolutely hated it when stuck at Rim Ping on a Wednesday.  I actually walked away once when they pulled the no-bags scam.  

Customer is king again!

 

Scam?  What scam?  You aren't being force to purchase something. They still give you, for free, something to carry your groceries home, enabling you to do your part in global ecology. They are re-purposing paper products, doing their part in global ecology. It's a win-win situation. Hardly a scam.

 

7 hours ago, sharktooth said:

Where was this?

 

Dive sites along the western side of Palau Tioman, Malaysia.  25 years ago this was a pristine location, with just the north-west corner catching the debris. Today, the entire west side is a floating garbage dump.

Anyone else remember when your shopping went into Brown Paper bags ?

 

john

15 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

mentioned leaving the planet to our kids and grandkids, but the problem is far more severe and immediate

I totally agree with you that the problem is urgent.  My comment regarding kids and the future was to try and get people with their heads stuck in the sand, assuming they can get their head in the sand in the first place after moving all the plastic etc out of the way, is to at least think of the future even if they don't care about today.

16 hours ago, JimGant said:

Hopefully, they would have these sitting on the checkout counter, as your first purchase. I would be happy to purchase these in exchange for plastic bags. But, I hate to think someday I'm caught unawares that I missed the news about it being a "green" day.

Just treat every day as a green day and you won't be caught out.

 

David

 

12 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Nobody... except people who spend time around the oceans and have seen for themselves huge rafts of plastic garbage as far as the eye can see.

 

There are places we don't scuba dive any longer because we'd have to dive down through a layer of trash to get down to the corals... which these days have snagged their own plastic trophies.  Fortunately, there are plenty of people who DO care enough to do their part to reduce the global garbage. So, if it suits you to stay loaded and pretend that it's not a problem, so be it. You're in good company. Trump doesn't think it's a problem either.

Ditto, there are fewer and fewer places where we enjoy diving now. A lot of the water around the islands we went to are now full of rubbish. There are things that look like giant schools of fish but are really huge clouds of tattered plastic bags in the water. We heard that people called them witch's britches which seemed appropriate.

Agree with need to end use of plastic bags. But to only offer boxes as the only alternative is not a solution. Boxes are fine if you have a car, but it shows they don't understand their customer base  - many who come on motorbikes - and an elitist attitude by only offering boxes. They should be offering reusable large cloth bags for sale - at the checkout. I walked out and left my 2000 baht at the checkout when I was told there were no bags. Give a real solution to plastic bags and it would work. 

Agree with need to end use of plastic bags. But to only offer boxes as the only alternative is not a solution. Boxes are fine if you have a car, but it shows they don't understand their customer base  - many who come on motorbikes - and an elitist attitude by only offering boxes. They should be offering reusable large cloth bags for sale - at the checkout. I walked out and left my 2000 baht at the checkout when I was told there were no bags. Give a real solution to plastic bags and it would work. 

I have seen them near checkout many times.

Plan ahead, buy some wherever and bring them.

Too much to ask?


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10 hours ago, amexpat said:

How is that a scam?

How hard is it to keep a bag in your car or bike?

 

Maybe you walk everywhere and never know when you might want to do some grocery shopping? 

 

I'm not good at planning.  And besides I like getting free bags; I used them again as garbage bags.

 

If people are required to plan their daily lives it feels like some Thainess is lost.

22 minutes ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

it feels like some Thainess is lost.

I have no idea what "Thainess" is in this context but I would rather we loose that than loose the ecology and wellbeing of the planet.  There is NO justifiable use for plastic bags from shops.  Look at the results from the countries (over 30) who have placed restrictions on their use!

 

Just buy a few reusable bags and carry them.

 

How much unplanned/impulse buying does anyone do that will not fit into a small nylon bag that you can carry at all times during the day and is so small it would fit inside a cigarette packet.  

 

PS;  If people who smoke do not have room in their pockets for an extra cigarette sized little bag then stop smoking, ditch the fag packet, help save yourselves, the rest of us and the planet all at the same time.

 

That would be a great idea. Rimping and Tops do sell their own canvas bags, but those aren't as convenient as the nylon ones as they don't fold up as small. However, if you are a car person, they do hold more than the nylon ones, and small enough to fit in the glove box.

 

As I understand it, nationally, the 4th of each month will be a 'green day' all over the Kingdom, as is Wednesdays now at all Rimpings. Tops at Kad Suan Kaew has set up a Green Lane for people with their own bags. Tends to move a lot faster than the other isles.

 

For those who want to make a difference, you can buy these nylon shopping bags at all 'Daiso' shops. There is one in Nim City just west of the toilets, and also in Airport Plaza, Maya, Central Festival They have all sizes and designs, from plain to fancy.

Daiso Airport Plaza had only small ones, about 8"x12" today. I want some about twice the size of Rimping's big plastic ones. Any recent sightings?

Thanks

 

 

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