FamilyMart rolls out of “No Bag Stores” campaign

By THE NATION

 

 

Central FamilyMart is joining the push to cut down on plastic waste by reducing the number of plastic bags given out by its convenience stores.

 

The move is in line with the company’s policy to build environmental sustainability and support the government’s policy to reduce plastic bag consumption.

 

Ruedee Euachongprasit, vice president for marketing, said that so far this year, the company has introduced the policy at 10 stores in Bangkok.

 

“We are determined to reduce the volume of plastic bags by 30 per cent this year,” she said, adding that with its “No Bag” stores, the company was aiming to persuade customers to change their behaviour and stop using plastic bags in their everyday lives. No Bag stores are also planned for tourist destinations.

 

 

“Our research shows that Thais consume three plastic bags per head per day on average or about 7 billion bags in total every year while the country’s capability to eliminate plastic bags is just 25 per cent of total consumption. FamilyMart has a network of convenience stores covering many areas and our aim is to introduce measures to reduce plastic bag consumption as much as possible. They include the company’s campaign to stop giving out plastic bags at all branches of FamilyMart stores on the fourth of every month, as well as encouraging individual customers not to accept plastic bags when buying only a few items,” she said.

 

“In the first six months of this year, we are able to reduce 17 million plastic bags at our stores, which is down by more than 20 per cent compared to last year. But we cannot do it alone. We need to get cooperation from all stakeholders in changing to cloth bags. The best way to do that is to do stop giving out plastic bags and provide them other alternatives, such as cloth and paper bags at special prices, the income from which will be donated to a local foundation for sea animal preservation,” she added.

 

FamilyMart’s No Bag stores can be found at Mahidol University, Sripatum University, Centric Tiwanon, Central Chaengwattana, Suvarnabhumi Cargo, Department of Consular Affairs, Parking Building at G Tower, LPN Building, Lumpini Park Pinklao, and Department of Health.

 

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/biz-moves/30374419

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-08-08

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Cloth and paper bags at special prices?
Looks to me that they are trying to squeeze out more money out of their customers.
At least paper bags should be handed out free of charge.
 

the use of paper while an improvement is not ideal either

 

it really bothers me every time I go to immigration and I am forced to make copies of everything, ending up with a huge pile of wasted paper so that someone can make money from the copying printing business conveniently located just beside the IO

 

trees play a critical roll in reducing carbon - they have a very important roll to play in saving the planet

The addition of the word "of" in the headline has made it the exact opposite meaning to the article below. 

Back in the UK for a few weeks, most people take their own bags shopping from what I can see.

27 minutes ago, Spamhead said:

The addition of the word "of" in the headline has made it the exact opposite meaning to the article below. 

Damn those non native English speakers and their horrendous attempts to offer accurate headlines in languages other than their native tongues.

 

Good on Family Mart. I see Tops have started no plastic bag days, too. Everything must start somewhere.

 

18 minutes ago, sungod said:

Back in the UK for a few weeks, most people take their own bags shopping from what I can see.

Agreed. I am there as well and keep having to buy bags every time I shop as I forget to bring any with me. Spent over £100 in a Boots store and still had to pay 7p for a paper (not plastic) bag. 

why don't they allow hemp bags?  after shopping, you can smoke them

1 hour ago, Spamhead said:

The addition of the word "of" in the headline has made it the exact opposite meaning to the article below. 

Yes, that is how I read it - backing out of "no plastic bags" and continuing to use them.

Loads of Bags in Family mart

2 hours ago, topt said:

Agreed. I am there as well and keep having to buy bags every time I shop as I forget to bring any with me. Spent over £100 in a Boots store and still had to pay 7p for a paper (not plastic) bag. 

Bought a couple of reusable ones in Tesco, going to use them from now on when I get back in Thailand.

I just wonder why these signs are mainly in English, with only a couple of lines of small print in Thai...is that a sign of how ambivalent their staff are going to be about this campaign ?

Stop TODAY in every shop giving plastic bags problem solved 

I thought 7-11 was meant to be doing this as well? im sure I read a article this year that they would be charging 5bt for plastic bags

5 hours ago, Farangwithaplan said:

 

Good on Family Mart. I see Tops have started no plastic bag days, too. Everything must start somewhere.

 

Tesco lotus also have the no plastic bag day. 4th every month.

Take a walk through any village market and see the the number of bags being used and the Styrofoam food boxes handed out. Our local crowded market with its stalls in the road is about 150 meters long and is set up 3 times a week. Each shopper is carrying 4 or 5 bags as he or she buys even more items , all in plastic bags. I've yet to see a study made of the bag use at these markets.

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

Tesco lotus also have the no plastic bag day. 4th every month.

Yes! And how their customer numbers have dropped!!!!

 

This Family Mart nonsense will soon stop. Their takings will drop by half and they will forget they ever thought of it.

 

I shop in BigC, and if they stopped giving plastic bags, I wouldn't go there.

2 hours ago, paulikens said:

I thought 7-11 was meant to be doing this as well? im sure I read a article this year that they would be charging 5bt for plastic bags

Fine.

Am interested whether the bag money is extra profit or is donated to green causes.

Why not stop right away to give plastic bags for their custumers....you buy an icecream to eat just after you paid for. And they give it to you in a plastic bag and everybody just take it instead to refuse.....

The consumers also can start to do something,  especially i expect it from western foreigners!!!!

10 hours ago, greeneking said:

Fine.

Am interested whether the bag money is extra profit or is donated to green causes.

try reading the OP. 

Someone or some company did tests on cloth bags that were used by customers in the supermarkets here in the United States.  The tester may have been the U.S. National Institute of Health but I am not sure. 

The cloth, reusable, bags were found to be contaminated by human feces.  Shopping carts were also found to be contaminated with human feces. 

It is suspected that the feces came from leaking baby diapers when diaper wearing babies were placed in the shopping carts.  

I never noticed if any babies were in the shopping carts of Thai supermarkets so not sure if any cloth bags would be contaminated.  

It was suggested that those who use cloth bags for grocery shopping, need to wash those bags regularly.  



 

On 8/8/2019 at 4:56 PM, sungod said:

Back in the UK for a few weeks, most people take their own bags shopping from what I can see.

I prefer to leave her at home

22 hours ago, manhood said:

Why not stop right away to give plastic bags for their custumers....you buy an icecream to eat just after you paid for. And they give it to you in a plastic bag and everybody just take it instead to refuse.....

The consumers also can start to do something,  especially i expect it from western foreigners!!!!

This discussion has been around for some time. For me it's no different to the gun control arguments in the US.

 

Plastic has been a wonderful advancement for humans. Perhaps some humans need education rather than simply demonising the innocent, plastic bag.

6 hours ago, Reigntax said:

I prefer to leave her at home

Get your eyes tested, I said own, not old...... ????

On 8/8/2019 at 12:52 PM, Peterbilt said:

Cloth and paper bags at special prices?
Looks to me that they are trying to squeeze out more money out of their customers.
At least paper bags should be handed out free of charge.
 

True. Shops can do it, for example, in Vietnam, so why not in Thailand?