The Mall Group claims lead in bid to cut use of plastic bags

[snoop1130]

The Mall Group claims lead in bid to cut use of plastic bags

By THE NATION

 

 

The Mall Group’s “Go Green Every Day” campaign receives a strong show of support.

 

The Mall Group is pushing its green credentials as the first department store and supermarket operator in Thailand to stop providing plastic bags for free.

 

The initiative coincided with International Plastic Bag Free Day, held on Wednesday. The retailer is promoting the move under the concept of “Go Green Every Day”.

 

The Mall Group is encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags. If needed, customers can donate Bt1 for each plastic shopping bag they request; the money goes towards WWF Thailand’s efforts to curb the use of disposable plastic. The initiative has been rolled out at every branch of The Mall, The Emporium, The EmQuartier, Paragon Department Store, BluPort Hua Hin, Gourmet Market and Home Fresh Mart.

 

Voralak Tulaphorn, chief marketing officer of The Mall Group Co., Ltd. said: “Due to the plastic waste crisis in Thailand, which sees over 2 million tons of plastic waste and half of that in the ocean, Thailand is ranked sixth in the world for releasing the most trash into the ocean. This impacts the marine ecosystem and humans directly and indirectly. As reported by the journal of Environmental Science and Technology, there are plastic particles in food, water and air, so over 102,000 pieces of 250 grams of micro plastic enter the human body - an average of 5 grams per week or the size of a credit card.”

 

The Mall Group is the first retailer in Thailand to join the UNEP’s Climate Neutral Network.

 

“The Green Every Day project is a measure to reduce plastic bag usage in Thailand and within the retail industry in Thailand. The campaign started on July 3 to coincide with International Plastic Bag Free Day,” Voralak said.

 

“Customers who do not require plastic bags will receive extra loyalty scheme points, with up to 100 points at Gourmet Market, Home Fresh Mart and department stores.”

 

Source: http://www.nationthailand.com/business/30372283

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-04

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[nausea]

25 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The Mall Group is encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags. If needed, customers can donate Bt1 for each plastic shopping bag they request

So this is voluntary (i.e. useless). Just feel-good PR for them, with some nice soundbites and visuals. I did live in hope that it might have made some small impact but I was at The Mall, Ngam Won Wan, yesterday, and nothing has changed - plastic bags galore.

[RickFarang]

Can't see why the government doesn't step in and give incentives to improve management of plastic waste. Just giving lip service, as nausea points out does little if any good, and seems to divert attention from the real problem. Getting rid of plastic cups, straws, and bags may not be successful, and besides although they are highly visible signs of plastic in the waste stream, or worse not in the waste stream, they may not be the worst contributors to pollution.

 

Plastics improve out daily lives but mismanagement of the waste seems to be the crux of the problem.

[connda]

If any retailer is really serious about ending single use plastics bags -- then they would completely stop purchasing them to hand out to customers.  Anything less in not only disingenuous, but it's simply 'feel-good' Eco-advertising that attempts to show that the retailer is a 'ecologically minded' corporation as they target the subset of consumers who actually give a damn about the plastic problem.

If a retailer banned plastic altogether - then I'd believe they are walking their talk.  The trouble is that they'd loss business.  These 'don't use plastic; bring your own bag' campaigns one day a week won't hurt the retailer's business as most retailers are on board.  One grocer that I go to uses the opportunity to get rid of their cardboard boxes by dumping them on their eco-minded consumers who probably burn them when they get home. 

Is it a 'step in the right direction?'  Imho, not really.  A full ban is a step in the right direction.  But no retailer is going to risk that.  So - it's mostly nonsense. 

[rickudon]

It requires government legislation. Full stop.