Time to bring your own shopping bags. Thailand appears serious now.

[elektrified]

Just got back from shopping at Tops and Tesco Lotus this evening. Tops no longer offers plastic bags but does offer paper bags. They are small; about 1/3 the size of paper bags offered in American supermarkets. O.K. for a few items, but if you are making a large shopping run, BYO because there are no paper handles and carrying many small bags would be difficult. Tesco Lotus did not offer cardboard boxes like Rimping. So bring your own bags.

 

This is not a problem for us, in fact we were delighted to see some real effort being put into helping save the environment. We always keep canvas bags in the car. Time to do like in Europe and keeps bags handy.

Edited January 4, 2019 by elektrified

[impulse]

3 hours ago, elektrified said:

This is not a problem for us, in fact we were delighted to see some real effort being put into helping save the environment. We always keep canvas bags in the car. Time to do like in Europe and keeps bags handy.

 

The issue being, of course, that the vast majority of the Thai population doesn't have a car to haul their empty bags around...

 

Not to mention how nice it is to not have to buy kitchen trash bags.  The ones from BigC and TESCO are the perfect size for a day's worth of kitchen scraps.  Any bigger and it would be tempting to let it go an extra day and risk the scraps going off in the heat and humidity.

 

[direction BANGKOK]

I would love to see some landfill numbers to see if this is even effective. From what I saw in the states, people were buying much heavier reusable plastic bags and discarding them. Isn't this doing the opposite of the desired effect already?

 

People have to buy more trashbags now and things they used grocery gags for! This is the irony. People are great about reusing the old plastic bags; isn't that the whole point? 

 

I am all for it if it works, I just want to see the numbers. I personally am not at all into the omnipresent lipstick on a pig solutions that make people feel good but do nothing. 

[balo]

Yesterday was a plastic free day in most shops all over Thailand.  I went to Central and had to carry the towels I bought in my hands!  

 

Also at Friendship they offered me 2% discount if I did not use a plastic bag, I could still get a plastic bag but had to pay for it. 

Not sure if this is only on Fridays or if they will start doing this daily . 

 

[amexpat]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

The issue being, of course, that the vast majority of the Thai population doesn't have a car to haul their empty bags around...

Neither do I but I somehow manage to fold up an empty canvas bag and put it in my bike.

 

Now about those who can't haul empty bags, how would they carry full plastic bags? 

[Dante99]

11 minutes ago, amexpat said:

Neither do I but I somehow manage to fold up an empty canvas bag and put it in my bike.

 

Now about those who can't haul empty bags, how would they carry full plastic bags? 

Come on, you have been around for a long time and know that using logic is not fair.

[johnoko]

The issue being, of course, that the vast majority of the Thai population doesn't have a car to haul their empty bags around...

 

Most people in European countries do their shopping on foot or on bicycle and they manage to bring their own bags for almost a decade. So it is possible if the will is there or people are forced to. And as mentioned before if you can carry a full bag of shopping on a motorbike from the shop why would it be impossible to carry an empty one under the saddle of your bike. Believe me you can do it 

Edited January 5, 2019 by johnoko

[FolkGuitar]

Great to see it happening. It's no effort at all to carry one or two nylon shopping bags.

[Sparkles]

Had 4 canvas bags in the back of the car for years,plus a cooler bag with 2 small,frozen bottles of water out of our fridge freezer to keep items like meat,milk etc if we decide to go and have lunch somewhere, We bought it at Tesco for 99 baht.

 

We compost all left over foodstuff,veg/fruit peelings etc and realise that can't be done if you live iive an apartment but every little bit helps.

 

We've helped in some beach clean ups with the "Trash Hero " groups which are now over the country,even CM.

The amount of plastic and other waste ,a lot from fishing boats ,is staggering.The fact that fisherman dont realise they are affecting their own livelehood shows the depth of ignorance. Between 100-200 kg at Hua Hin is a normal days collection

 

Its going to take years, starting at Thai schools, to educate the seriousness of the problem but surely we as foreigners can show some sort of leadership.I read Korea recently will stop issuing plasic bags, another small step.

 

The world will never be as clean as when we entered it but at least lets make an effort for coming generations

 

 

 

 

 

[sharktooth]

7 hours ago, impulse said:

 

The issue being, of course, that the vast majority of the Thai population doesn't have a car to haul their empty bags around...

 

 

 

Doesn’t seem to stop them hauling additional four passengers, dogs, chickens, pigs, gas bottles etc on their bikes...

[lopburi3]

11 hours ago, elektrified said:

Just got back from shopping at Tops and Tesco Lotus this evening. Tops no longer offers plastic bags but does offer paper bags.

In the case of Tops - this is one day a month.  The 4th.  Yesterday was the 4th.  

[FolkGuitar]

40 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

In the case of Tops - this is one day a month.  The 4th.  Yesterday was the 4th.  

 

Tops at Kad Suan Kaew is now offering a 'Green Line' at the check-outs. Bring your own bags Only. Tends to be much shorter line than the others.

[sharktooth]

21 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

 

Tops at Kad Suan Kaew is now offering a 'Green Line' at the check-outs. Bring your own bags Only. Tends to be much shorter line than the others.

That is actually a very good idea, which is quite surprising here. Compare it to Tesco which has around 20 checkouts, but only operate three at a time.

[Lizard2010]

I did my weekly shopping at Tesco Lotus on Friday morning

They did not have the plastic shopping bags

Im lucky i use my backpacks, as i also use my motor bike

I think this might be starting to be a regular thing

Maybe they are getting us prepared for no more plastic bags

only time will tell IMHO

[gmac]

2 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

In the case of Tops - this is one day a month.  The 4th.  Yesterday was the 4th.  

Saw a sign saying the same in Tesco. 

[lopburi3]

7 minutes ago, Lizard2010 said:

I did my weekly shopping at Tesco Lotus on Friday morning

They did not have the plastic shopping bags

Tesco has discontinued use of plastic bags - but others have not.

[elektrified]

7 hours ago, balo said:

Yesterday was a plastic free day in most shops all over Thailand.  I went to Central and had to carry the towels I bought in my hands!  

 

Also at Friendship they offered me 2% discount if I did not use a plastic bag, I could still get a plastic bag but had to pay for it. 

Not sure if this is only on Fridays or if they will start doing this daily . 

 

I thought Wednesday was plastic bag-free day? Or is that Rimping only?

[MikeN]

11 minutes ago, elektrified said:

I thought Wednesday was plastic bag-free day? Or is that Rimping only?

The 4th day of each month is supposed to be “plastic bag free” in all the major chains ... whether that edict filters down to Somchai at your local 7/11 checkout may be debatable, and for how long it lasts is also to be seen.

Edited January 5, 2019 by MikeN

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

We do a lot of Tops home delivery in BKK for groceries.

 

With every online order, I keep asking them to NOT bring the groceries in plastic bags. And with every ensuing order, they continue to bring them in MANY plastic bags, far more than probably are even needed.

 

They're hopeless....

[dcnx]

My single banana that comes in a wrapper was given to me yet again in a large plastic bag. It’s a daily thing with the same dummy who puts it in a bag after I tell him in Thai that I don’t want a bag. 

 

How many Thais shop at Tops and Rimping compared to local markets, Big-C, Lotus, and 7-11? Those stores need to get on board in order to make a real difference here. They will eventually. 

[HAKAPALITA]

I married mine.????[emoji481]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[wombat]

when my plastic bag milkshake stops being a plastic bag milkshake i will believe it

[Burma Bill]

Have just returned from Tesco in an Isaan Province - many people carrying their shopping in plastic bags. In my opinion, Thailand will never ditch the plastic bag - too widely used.

[alien365]

I got given my first ever paper bag at Tesco yesterday. I wasn't sure how strong it would be but it held my six bottles of beer easily enough. It didn't have a handle so I just scrunched the top.

[mfd101]

Change is coming to a store near you. For YOUR good. Get used to it!

[BritManToo]

4 hours ago, elektrified said:

I thought Wednesday was plastic bag-free day? Or is that Rimping only?

I called into Rimping today and customer information handed me a free Nestle carrier bag

[oldrunner]

"The world will be as clean as we entered it" What in the devil does that mean? Vaginal canal, blankets, crib, diapers, nurses. You "we are the world" creeps make me sick. So self bleating. Walk on Market St. in

San Francisco and give me your spiel again.

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Change is coming to a store near you. For YOUR good. Get used to it!

IS coming? Perhaps will be coming? Do you have any details about it?

I really hope it is. In Udon 7-Elevens they all still want to put single-item purchases in a plastic bag - until told not to.

 

[wgdanson]

12 hours ago, balo said:

Yesterday was a plastic free day in most shops all over Thailand.  I went to Central and had to carry the towels I bought in my hands!  

 

Also at Friendship they offered me 2% discount if I did not use a plastic bag, I could still get a plastic bag but had to pay for it. 

Not sure if this is only on Fridays or if they will start doing this daily . 

 

Is it not the 4th of every month? Was in Tesco yesterday, no plastic, paper or re-useable ones to buy. Shambles. Must put it in my calendar.....do not shop on 4th's.

[mfd101]

15 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

IS coming? Perhaps will be coming? Do you have any details about it?

I really hope it is. In Udon 7-Elevens they all still want to put single-item purchases in a plastic bag - until told not to.

 

TIT. It doesn't all happen overnight or everywhere at the same time. Slow, shambolic, messy, but come back in a couple of years and.