Some 7-11 branches to implement 'no plastic bags' policy from Nov 25

[Darkside Gray]

18 hours ago, fforest1 said:

How many people PLAN ahead of time their 7-11 shopping....

 

I bet virtually every last person reading this does not PLAN all their 7-11 shopping....

 

So we carry bags around we us 24/7 now?

Years ago all shopping was n bags you carried around or paper bags. Wasn't a hardship!

[crazygreg44]

Just now, Beggar said:

I know such people too and I always give them my plastic and glass bottles. But how much is really recycled this way? Do you have numbers?

you can bet, just about every bottle made of (?) PET (the "reversible" type of polyethylen)  will get recycled,  the buzzards will not miss one bottle from out of a pile of rubbish. It seems to be an industry where some money can be made.

 

There are huge dumps of water bottles at collecting points. If you look close, only one type of plastic (PPE or PET ?? i am not sure)  will get collected. Other types will remain in the rubbish, unsolved because Thailand's waste management is a silly joke

 

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes indeed - I am sure Tesco Lotus and BigC will still continue to provide plastic bags. Here in Isaan, my local Tesco provides a free paper bag on one day per week but it tends to split when filled with heavy items and/or frozen food. Makro has the right idea by providing a trolley which can be wheeled to your vehicle into which you can stack your shopping but I personally find this awkward and time consuming when packing/unpacking. No good for motorcyclists unless they have a sidecar. It will be interesting to see the results of 7-11's pilot project - sales down or sales up ( I bet the former!) and how many products will be left dumped at the check-outs.

Actually, most major retailers have signed the same agreement to stop issuing plastic bags from Jan 2020.  This is not just a 7/11 initiative.

 

Quote

Among the list of participating retailers were those who had already pledged to reduce plastic use like The Mall Group, Central Group, and Tesco Lotus, as well as other retailers like 7-Eleven, Big C Supercenter, Makro, Foodland Supermarket, Maxvalu, FamilyMart, and Index Living Mall.

 

[crazygreg44]

22 minutes ago, HHTel said:

You're missing the point.  Single use plastic bags of less that 50 microns are far less likely to be recycled

Plastic bags more than 50 microns strength can be recycled, while thinner bags pose a threat to environment due to its non-disposability.

I am not missing the point, I talk about the point !

 

please do your homework in chemistry.

 

it depends on the TYPE of plastic if it can be recycled, not its weight.  There is PET and PPE  and a few other polyethylene, polystyrol, polypropylene, polyaethylen et cetera,

 

only the "chemically reversible" types can get recycled, the rest remains in the rubbush dumps

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, skorp13 said:

And is 7/11 selling any re-useable bags people can carry with them? Not everyone has bags with them when it comes to spur of the moment shopping esp in Thailand. Banning something with out any plan to replace what they have taken away, nice job boys!

If you read the full article, they have already committed to providing alternative bags.

 

[crazygreg44]

16 minutes ago, HHTel said:

If you read the full article, they have already committed to providing alternative bags.

 

yes, at Tesco Lotus for example thick plastic bags will replace the thin plastic bags, which I would not call an "alternative" but a "pointless move"

 

I have yet to see them introduce textile cotton bags and if people will launder them after use, is yet to be seen.

 

After 20 - 30 usages these thick "reusable" plastic bags will go all the way of Karma which every piece of plastic will eventually go some day or the other

 

so what exactly - to use your words -  is your point ?

[Moonlover]

34 minutes ago, billd766 said:

And for those people who do not have cars? Do you also automatically carry around 3 cloth bags with you whenever you take the skytrain to a business meeting on the off chance you might want to stop at 7-11 on the way home?

We do not have car and we live 25km out in the sticks. Neither do we have a rubbish collection service. Yet we manage. There is always a tote bag under the motorcycle seat. We decline all plastic bags when we go to market. (unless items are pre-wrapped). The only plastic bags that we buy are for the garbage bin which I take to the disposal site twice a week. And I make sure that they are the biodegradable type. We do not buy bottled water, we only use refillable 19 liter jars

 

It's not possible to completely avoid single use plastics, but we make our very best effort. And I'll tell what. We get lot of appreciative smiles and comments from retail outlets, both big and small.

 

I lived in Egypt for many years and the town I stayed in had many false starts when it came to tackling this issue and many folk thought they'd never crack it.

 

Well I was back there just recently and there's not a plastic bag or food container to be seen anywhere and the disposal service has a recycling plant for the small amount of unavoidable plastic items that do get thrown out, including all plastic water bottles.

 

It can be done. It's not going to be overnight. A lot mindsets have to change. but 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step' said Lao Tzu.

[worrab]

18 hours ago, fforest1 said:

How many people PLAN ahead of time their 7-11 shopping....

 

I bet virtually every last person reading this does not PLAN all their 7-11 shopping....

 

So we carry bags around we us 24/7 now?

Easy. I always have non plastic bags in the car so can shop at any time. Or else carry under seat of scooters etc. If it is just 1 or 2  items then no bag is required. Cannot see where your problem is.

 

[crazygreg44]

2 hours ago, david555 said:

"How laughable !! "

 

To not understand that the strong one is meant to be re used many many times , replacing the direct throw of tiny plastic ones so reducing the plastic waste …..how laughable not to (willing) understand that ...

because "reusable" in Thailand means, that after being used 20 times, these bags made of yet more plastic will get thrown into the rubbish where its weight is higher than that of 50 or more thin plastic bags.

 

Do you NOW understand why I find this "laughable" ?

 

Replacing plastic with even more plastic is no alternative, it is pointless.

 

Even if they issue textile bags,  if people don't launder them at some point of use, they also will sooner or later get discarded

[billd766]

53 minutes ago, Beggar said:

They should start with good recycling. I see it the same way. The plastic of a bag is next to nothing compared for instance to the plastic of perhaps several water bottles I carry home with it. There is so much plastic and also glass and everything is put with all other garbage into the same garbage bin...

Can you not get extra bins and recycle the stuff yourself?

 

I have a bin for recyclable plastic soft drink bottles, another for non recyclables, 2 for glass bottles and once a month the salvage man comes to sort the stuff and pay me for what he takes (last month was 40 baht) and he then sells on at a profit.

 

39 minutes ago, Beggar said:

Great. But the strange thing is that all the shops do a lot that you always buy more than you intended. So in the future they will work against their own intention. In the future I will buy only what I can carry with the bags I have with me. Will save me money for sure. 

 

I rarely buy more than I need because I have been doing it for years and I know roughly how much of what gets used on a daily, weekly and monthly usage.

 

I carry a monthly shopping list of bulk items that I take once a month for bulk shopping.

[UKresonant]

17 hours ago, nickstav said:

Good idea. Every little bit helps. Obviously, some people here are not reading the full article, or do not comprehend what it is saying.

They could also, change the bags to the compostable type, for the ones they do issue, then they could be reused as rubbish bags.

e.g. https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/co-op-to-roll-out-compostable-carrier-bags/  ,   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45612315

 

I try to decline large plastic straws that they issue, but I'm still guilty on the plastic yoghurt spoons.

[crazygreg44]

11 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Can you not recycle the stuff yourself?

They actually recycle all the rubbish here in the villages

 

They wait until the dry and cold season. Once when temperatures drop below 20 degree Celsius, they start fires from all the rubbish, gather around and warm their cold hands.

 

It is called clever energetic use of otherwise wasted rubbish ???????? and ooooh, how they all LOVE the smell of smoldering plastic !

 

 

[Moonlover]

11 minutes ago, worrab said:

19 hours ago, fforest1 said:

How many people PLAN ahead of time their 7-11 shopping....

 

I bet virtually every last person reading this does not PLAN all their 7-11 shopping....

 

So we carry bags around we us 24/7 now?

 

11 minutes ago, worrab said:

Easy. I always have non plastic bags in the car so can shop at any time. Or else carry under seat of scooters etc. If it is just 1 or 2  items then no bag is required. Cannot see where your problem is.

 

And a message to @fforest1 and @billd766 if you don't have car or motorcycle, try a backpack! 

 

[theonetrueaussie]

Hahaha a tesco lotus in rawai did that a few years ago...never went there again until recently when i just wanted to get a bottle of water...guess what they had plastic bags again. Asked the guy on counter what happened to the no plastic bag policy, he said "when we take away bags, no one come anymore"!!

Same thing will happen to these 711's if one removes plastic bags everyone will just goto the next one down the road..

GO WOKE.....GO BROKE!!!!

[fforest1]

Just now, Moonlover said:

 

And if you don't have car or motorcycle, try a backpack @fforest1

 

No.... I will be sticking with single use disposable plastic bags.... 

[Max69xl]

18 hours ago, nickstav said:

Did you not read the article?

You don't recognize sarcasm? 

[Max69xl]

We're talking about 137 stores out of about 10500. 

[Fairynuff]

38 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

We do not have car and we live 25km out in the sticks. Neither do we have a rubbish collection service. Yet we manage. There is always a tote bag under the motorcycle seat. We decline all plastic bags when we go to market. (unless items are pre-wrapped). The only plastic bags that we buy are for the garbage bin which I take to the disposal site twice a week. And I make sure that they are the biodegradable type. We do not buy bottled water, we only use refillable 19 liter jars

 

It's not possible to completely avoid single use plastics, but we make our very best effort. And I'll tell what. We get lot of appreciative smiles and comments from retail outlets, both big and small.

 

I lived in Egypt for many years and the town I stayed in had many false starts when it came to tackling this issue and many folk thought they'd never crack it.

 

Well I was back there just recently and there's not a plastic bag or food container to be seen anywhere and the disposal service has a recycling plant for the small amount of unavoidable plastic items that do get thrown out, including all plastic water bottles.

 

It can be done. It's not going to be overnight. A lot mindsets have to change. but 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step' said Lao Tzu.

You put most of the people on this forum to shame....well done

[Fairynuff]

45 minutes ago, crazygreg44 said:

Do you NOW understand why I find this "laughable" ?

Nope, I think you’re just making excuses for that fact you don’t care/can’t be bothered/feel it’s not your problem

[natway09]

But I still buy my Coke in plastic containers which are much more of a problem than a bag.

Lets get back to glass (refundable) for Coke, Pepsi, milk for a start

[david555]

51 minutes ago, crazygreg44 said:

because "reusable" in Thailand means, that after being used 20 times, these bags made of yet more plastic will get thrown into the rubbish where its weight is higher than that of 50 or more thin plastic bags.

 

Do you NOW understand why I find this "laughable" ?

 

Replacing plastic with even more plastic is no alternative, it is pointless.

 

Even if they issue textile bags,  if people don't launder them at some point of use, they also will sooner or later get discarded

O.K. so now give your solution for it …..do nothing ? ...great solution !

[david555]

1 hour ago, theonetrueaussie said:

Hahaha a tesco lotus in rawai did that a few years ago...never went there again until recently when i just wanted to get a bottle of water...guess what they had plastic bags again. Asked the guy on counter what happened to the no plastic bag policy, he said "when we take away bags, no one come anymore"!!

Same thing will happen to these 711's if one removes plastic bags everyone will just goto the next one down the road..

GO WOKE.....GO BROKE!!!!

That's why the total Gov. ban comes in later …..

[Vacuum]

30 minutes ago, natway09 said:

But I still buy my Coke in plastic containers which are much more of a problem than a bag.

Not sure about that. You can sell the plastic bottles for recycling.

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, Beggar said:

They should start with good recycling. I see it the same way. The plastic of a bag is next to nothing compared for instance to the plastic of perhaps several water bottles I carry home with it. There is so much plastic and also glass and everything is put with all other garbage into the same garbage bin...

You can just start with recycling, why does the government have to force you?

If you open your eyes while driving arround, you will see many recycling places which would even pay you for your empty bottles, cans and paper.

Have a look the next time your garbage is picked up, the guys might open your bags and have a look inside, in case they see anything recycleable they might fish it out and put it in an extra space, i'm quite certain they sell it to such recycling places.

Selling it is not really worth the time and effort it takes to bring the stuff there (a few baht per kilogram), but what i do is to collect bottles, cans and paper in extra trash bags so the garbage men have an easy job to sell it and can earn some extra money, i did never ask them, but i guess they appreciate it ????

 

[PilotBill]

I couldn't help but notice the blurred photo, plastic bottles

[david555]

5 minutes ago, jackdd said:

You can just start with recycling, why does the government have to force you?

If you open your eyes while driving arround, you will see many recycling places which would even pay you for your empty bottles, cans and paper.

Have a look the next time your garbage is picked up, the guys might open your bags and have a look inside, in case they see anything recycleable they might fish it out and put it in an extra space, i'm quite certain they sell it to such recycling places.

Selling it is not really worth the time and effort it takes to bring the stuff there (a few baht per kilogram), but what i do is to collect bottles, cans and paper in extra trash bags so the garbage men have an easy job to sell it and can earn some extra money, i did never ask them, but i guess they appreciate it ????

 

As I am used (forced trained) by my home country , I keep it here doing , keeping all hard recyclable things separate in garbage bag  , as the cleaning people from the condo (3 Biggy's buildings ) sell it as a extra baht , and so they don't have to go thru with hands for sorting from the complete rubbish ….small effort but is appreciated by them .

[lagavulin1]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

 

 

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

Easy fix. Put the beers in the cloth bag and when you get home, empty the bag and hang it out to dry.

 

Get a grip man!

Haha. The point was that the previous poster (was that you?) had not worked that out from the post although clearly stated.

Me? Cloth bags a plenty and beer in 1 doz boxes. ????????️. Cheers. 

[Beggar]

54 minutes ago, jackdd said:

 

If you open your eyes while driving arround, you will see many recycling places which would even pay you for your empty bottles, cans and paper.

 

Driving around? You are all so funny and think YOUR world is the universe. I live in Pattaya and mostly walk or use sometimes a Baht bus. I don't own a vehicle because I don't need one. And I am for sure not the only one here behaving like this ????????

[Speedhump]

The resistance to stopping free supply of plastic bags is driving me crazy. 

<deleted> is wrong with any store supplying free sturdy BROWN PAPER BAGS for anything except refrigerated goods (which will perspire and make paper disintegrate). If people go to the store with a heavy shopping list they know very well in advance and can take their own canvas or other bags. Otherwise pay for a 7/11 bag and learn the lesson.... 

[zydeco]

27 minutes ago, Beggar said:

Driving around? You are all so funny and think YOUR world is the universe. I live in Pattaya and mostly walk or use sometimes a Baht bus. I don't own a vehicle because I don't need one. And I am for sure not the only one here behaving like this ????????

Yes, and all those driving around contribute more pollution and environmental damage than 1000 plastic bags.