Thailand saying "NO!" to plastic bags: End in sight as January 1st "D-Day" looms

 

 

Sanook reported that the government has given its approval to ministerial proposals to end the use of three kinds of single use plastic bags by the end of the year. 

 

They called January 1st 2020 "D-Day" in their headline - then didn't tell the public what those three kinds of plastic actually are. 

 

But they said that four more kinds - also not specified - would also be banned from 2022. 

 

Spokeswoman Nareumol Pinyosinnawat gave the green light news after proposals made by the Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment were forwarded for consideration. 

 

That ministry and the Interior Ministry will work with the private sector until the end of the year to make the required progress. 

 

They published a picture of a man brazenly crossing the road with four "Big C" plastic bags by a sign advising the public to "say no to plastic bags". 

 

Source: Sanook

 

 

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7 minutes ago, webfact said:

They published a picture of a man brazenly crossing the road with four "Big C" plastic bags

...and I'll bet that 90% of the items inside those bags are prepacked with plastic.

No more rubber condoms either. The ecologically friendly prophylactic is now a hollowed out aubergine or cucumber.

 

Soon to be on sale in green supermarkets.

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

then didn't tell the public what those three kinds of plastic actually are. 

The public here are used to being kept in the dark, so no great surprise there.

I would hazard a guess that a very significant amount of plastic bags are used more by the market or talat sellers, with your average somtam getting one bag for the food and another to carry that one in. Big stores will help, but the small trader will need to step in line to have any hope of solving the problem.

5 minutes ago, Denim said:

No more rubber condoms either. The ecologically friendly prophylactic is now a hollowed out aubergine or cucumber.

 

Soon to be on sale in green supermarkets.

How about those kids in Isarn that like to use 7-Eleven bags instead of condoms?

So starting then ... we will all become proverbial "bag ladies".

 

Good for the environment will just have to remember to tote some carry all bags all the time.

5 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

The public here are used to being kept in the dark, so no great surprise there.

I think the public everywhere is kept in the dark... not just here

 

Unfortunately

Pic alien

18 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

...and I'll bet that 90% of the items inside those bags are prepacked with plastic.

This is what gets me.  I am always on my motorbike, so I always have my backpack on. I haven't used store bags for a couple years. When I empty my backpack out at home I am dismayed by all the plastic on the table. 

 Plastic bags are a start but we need to get the manufacturers cutting out the packaging or using plastic alternatives. 

Nice sentiment, won't happen when they say. The days Tesco is supposed to be bag free? They try to put my things in the bag without a second's hesitation. I have to tell them "Mae ow, kahp" cuz I always bring my own bags.

The wife is very waste aware ,always uses her own bags 

11 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

So starting then ... we will all become proverbial "bag ladies".

 

Good for the environment will just have to remember to tote some carry all bags all the time.

You can get real small bags from nylon that fit in the palm of your hand or pocket of jeans shorts. I have one in my car and one under the saddle of my motorcycle. Sometimes I even take one with me in my pants. Its a small thing to do that will help nature. 

 

I guess thinking ahead is hard for some people but in time most people will change. It happened in the Netherlands already and I am sure in other parts of Europe. You will still be able to buy bags that are not one time use and the price will make many people make them not forget. Also I often get paper bags.

 

Now for instance Thaiwatsadu does not give bags but cartboard boxes and many other shops already limit bag use. I for one am real happy about this.

44 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

...and I'll bet that 90% of the items inside those bags are prepacked with plastic.

And that 90% of the shoppers cannot read English!   LOL

1 hour ago, Denim said:

No more rubber condoms either. The ecologically friendly prophylactic is now a hollowed out aubergine or cucumber.

 

Soon to be on sale in green supermarkets.

Some might be content with a hollowed-out gherkin.

As step no. 2, we can then teach all citizens to not throw their garbage from pick-up trucks and motorbikes on the side of the road.

7 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

Some might be content with a hollowed-out gherkin.

Yes, but the most desireable option would be the much loved papaya. Get a greater feeling with "The rippled Malaco"

4 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Yes, but the most desireable option would be the much loved papaya. Get a greater feeling with "The rippled Malaco"

papaya got a brand new bag!!!!!

 

4 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Yes, but the most desireable option would be the much loved papaya. Get a greater feeling with "The rippled Malaco"

 

48 minutes ago, marcusb said:

This is what gets me.  I am always on my motorbike, so I always have my backpack on. I haven't used store bags for a couple years. When I empty my backpack out at home I am dismayed by all the plastic on the table. 

 Plastic bags are a start but we need to get the manufacturers cutting out the packaging or using plastic alternatives. 

 

Alternatives like?

Paper? 

Will cutting out more trees really save the environment?

Banana leafs?

Doesn't seem to be practical, not to mention they are so water hungry plants

Leather wrap?

Animals some part of the world has human rights lately

Textile wrap?

And who is going to pick the cotton?

 

Joke aside, 

Sure, save the world.

Stores and markets cut easily cut 20-30% current use just not put 2 bottle drinks in double bag, or don't put a bag of food into another bigger bag, etc.

Alternative, get deeper in research of real recycling. Cos even the supposed, selectively collected recyclables aren't, best case scenario that about 80% of those still end up in landfills....

57 minutes ago, robblok said:

You can get real small bags from nylon

is nylon bio degradable ?

 

I thought it was synthetic and just as bad as plastic, but I get the point it is reusable

 

It is going to become very smelly in Thailand without plastic bags for rubbish 

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

How about those kids in Isarn that like to use 7-Eleven bags instead of condoms?

You mean those who hit target in seven out of eleven tries ?

 

They should get educated.

58 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

And that 90% of the shoppers cannot read English!   LOL

Yes, just looked at the photo, u r right!

Just recently I saw a report that huge amounts of plastic bags in the ocean come from India and here especially from the Ganges. I swear - I never threw a plastic bag in the Ganges or any other river. But for sure I will reduce my shopping. Especially spontaneous buying will be reduced. And I still don't know how I will carry the long Baguettes that I always buy in Big C (always about 10 pieces a time) in the future. And this might not be the only problem.

 

I really understand the problem with plastic bags. But I also ask myself why I don't see much recycling. All the garbage is put into one garbage bin. I always collect my empty beer bottles and bring them to one of the garbage bins on the Beach Road in Pattaya. Here people are collecting such things to have an income. I always do this in the evening when the garbage bins are pretty full so that the bottles are located at the top. And often I meet the people collecting such things and I give the bottles to them directly and they are happy. Plastic bottles are given by my girlfriend to a guy in her neighborhood (and I have many from softdrinks). He doesn't collect glas bottles. Plastic bags I need myself mainly for the garbage.

They called January 1st 2020 "D-Day" in their headline - then didn't tell the public what those three kinds of plastic actually are.

But they said that four more kinds - also not specified - would also be banned from 2022

 

WHAT KIND OF PLASTIC WILL BE BANNED?........Sorry we cant tell you its a secret.......

 

Folks if this does not get you questioning the ban nothing will....

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Sometimes I even take one with me in my pants. Its a small thing to do that will help nature. 

Help nature? Oh, you mean that small thing in your pants....

The Government should have had a Longer Gradual Phase In  only several months is not long enough

They could not learn anything from there mistakes

it has taken then 4 1/2 to think about this

I'm sure the petroleum industry (who do you think makes plastic and with what) will be very happy to hear this great news. 

 

I love the single use bags and get as many as I can when I shop.  I take extra.  One shopping trip sometimes can net me 10 bag.

 

I love using them.

3 hours ago, LazySlipper said:

So starting then ... we will all become proverbial "bag ladies".

 

Good for the environment will just have to remember to tote some carry all bags all the time.

Does not need to -- the west has implemented it badly.  What is needed is reusable bags that you buy/pay deposit on, but can return for a refund...  all the bags are uniform.   No more plastic bags, but also a level of convenience.

Technically the supermarket bags are not for single use as most of us use them for trash bags too.  I think the stores really need to effectively display and promote bags we can safely use for trash in the future. Throwing loose garbage and trash in our building bins is not a good option. 

Don’t you wander why they've used a westerner’s photo instead of a thai person to highlight their downfalls and misinformation they give to their own people ? ????

Thai people love plastics ( plastic faces, noses and the rest of it but that’s another story ) They can’t live without plastic bags, they accept/take a bag for each item they buy whether from 7/11 Tesco and many other places out there ! They simply don’t care, don’t listen until they will be eating plastic fish or whatever else they eat  ! 

Fyi if you haven’t noticed, the plastic bags given out are clearly marked both in Thai and English language with regard to recycling and saving the world, whatever is left of it.

When I point it out to them, I often get that dumb look with a smile whilst continuing to give tons of bags to the next customer ☹️

Ps; Tons and Tons of plastic items of all sorts whether  is electronic waste or else is sent throughout south east Asia because they’ve got less regulations and that says it all !!!

????????‍♂️

 

 

3 hours ago, Matzzon said:

As step no. 2, we can then teach all citizens to not throw their garbage from pick-up trucks and motorbikes on the side of the road.

impossible...........thats the real  issue  here