Thai retailers' plastic bags ban comes into effect

[Terek]

good that shops around me keep giving free plastic bags. I think ban applies only to brainwashed farangs :))

[MikeN]

3 hours ago, rexall said:

Don't be silly.  He said he has to buy trash bags now.  In what way does that reduce the amount of plastic in the environment?
What difference does it make if he buys them or gets them for "free" when shopping at TESCO?

He probably only uses 1 garbage bag a day at most, the average person in Thailand is given 8 plastic bags per person per day. You don't think that is a noticeable difference ? 

[khunPer]

Single-use plastic bags are next to nothing when measured in amount of plastic – i.e. weight – the problem is not plastic, but people; people that cannot dispose of plastic bags a correct way, for example in a bin.

 

Personally I've reused the single-use plastic bags from as mush as possible, for example for smaller indoor garbage bins. I don't mind the money for buying cheap single-use bin bags – a roll of 100 bio-degenerate able bags are less than 50 baht – but the ban will for me not eliminate a "problem", just make me use both extra reusable shopping bags. I might use almost same amount of single-use plastic bags. Many are giving free bags made from reused plastic bottles as New Year gift. It's good to reuse plastic bottles, but with everything included – for example the energy used to reuse plastic bottles for shopping bags and transportation – compared to single-use bags, the environmental footprint, including the infamous CO2, might not be that different; especially when single-use bags are not being reused, but bought extra. It might however be difficult to calculate exactly.

 

Plastic bottles and foam might be a much more important issue to tackle, especially when looking at what comes in on a beach during a monsoon storm; to be honest, I also found a few plastic bags...????

 

 

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, bangkokequity said:

"75 brands under the Thai Retailers Association" ... do you people even READ before you post?  Could it be (A) The 7-11 franchised shops do not fall into this group?  (B) The STILL HAVE SOME BAGS, so continue to hand them out.

Oh but they do.  Part of CP-ALL who already kicked off the campaign in November by 127 of their stores ceasing the issue of plastic bags.

As far as having stock left.  Some uses are exempt.  Hot food for instance.  So they would need to hold on to a stock of the bags.

Edited January 2, 2020 by HHTel
addition

[HHTel]

13 minutes ago, tifino said:

 I can see a lot of shopping trolleys being pinched, as a simplest means of dragging all the loose goodies home

You talking about customers walking their shopping trolleys home or motorbikes towing a trolley behind them?

 

It's been the normal method at Makro when checking out.  I doubt if they lose any trolleys.

[MikeN]

While out with the inlaws today in rural Ubon and Sisaket we stopped at 3 7/11s for water and snacks. None were giving out plastic bags, even to the SiL when she bought 6 bottles of water.

[CharlieH]

Reported Troll comment removed

[natway09]

I would have banned styrofoam first. The new containers made from corn kernal & bamboo leaves are better .

Plastic bags are not the problem it it the stupid human race too lazy to dispose of properly.

Off down to Big C to buy some black plastic bags for our wet rubbish

Oh the irony

[Guitar God]

21 hours ago, fforest1 said:

Plastic is evil.....Throw you smart phones and computers in the trash....We need to get back to living in caves...

Most phones have an useful  life of more than 30 minutes. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

Oh but they do.  Part of CP-ALL who already kicked off the campaign in November by 127 of their stores ceasing the issue of plastic bags.

As far as having stock left.  Some uses are exempt.  Hot food for instance.  So they would need to hold on to a stock of the bags.

Thanks .. by the way .. here is Bangkok ... the five 7-11 on our soi ... no more bags.  

[timewilltell]

Well if the Thai Retailer Association really meant business it would hve incentivised people by offering free cloth bags for purchases in excess of a certain amount instead of teh stamps, coupons and other <deleted> they use to keep you coming back to them.

This is not a real effort just another idea to make 'me' look good without any real foundation. I am all for reducing plastic but this is really shallow and pathetic.

 

And where are the efforts to force manufacturers to reduce the amount of <deleted> they cover their ever shrinking sized products in - more deception and lies from the retail industry. It really gets my goat. 

[HHTel]

54 minutes ago, bangkokequity said:

Thanks .. by the way .. here is Bangkok ... the five 7-11 on our soi ... no more bags.  

Good to hear.  the 3 in my locale also have followed the dictate.

[brokenbone]

7 hours ago, Jaxxper said:

Buy bio degradable rubbish bags. Simples.

better yet, if they exist, make them available at big c etc in the counter,

both for carrying it back to home, and later to dispose of trash

[glennb6]

5 hours ago, Msturge said:

FINALLY something is being done about their offensive overuse of single-use plastics here!!! And for those who said what are the alternatives and how will they get food home- really?? What do you think everyone did before plastic bags were invented?? And that was only like 30 or 40 years ago! They used REUSABLE containers like many still use now- like the cute little stacked food containers with the handle- pinto boxes or whatever. And reusable bags to carry their groceries or whatever, and if I go over the amount my bags can carry (or if I am ordering for delivery) I ask for their cardboard boxes that they all throw out. And I suppose maybe shops will bring back paper bags, like we had growing up, for those who go over the reusable bags they brought, or forgot them. Every country is initiating this, so we all need to start getting used to it! It will be an inconvenience for a time, until we are used to it, and all realize there is no alternative now and it is the right thing to do for the earth. 

"Every country is initiating this, so we all need to start getting used to it! It will be an inconvenience for a time, until we are used to it, and all realize there is no alternative now and it is the right thing to do for the earth."

 

Eh, no WE don't have to lady. You do what you want, don't try inflicting your loony tune brainless environmental wacko views on me. FO!

[CygnusX1]

3 hours ago, HHTel said:

Although they are being referred to as 'single use' bags, that is just a convenient name.  The law, when it comes out, will ban bags less than 36 microns thick.  It doesn't matter how many times the bag is used, it's still too thin to recycle

Why can’t thin bags be recycled?

I’m not trying to make a point, just interested.

It would be a pity if you can’t even purchase the ultra thin ones, as they’re the most feasible to carry in a pocket, for those of us who don’t have a car.

[Nice Boyd]

I went to Mr.Donut, I got paper bag , put inside plastic bag...lol

[tifino]

1 minute ago, Nice Boyd said:

I went to Mr.Donut, I got paper bag , put inside plastic bag...lol

yes, but the internal plastic lining is irrelevant to the Ban on plastic bags 

[jak2002003]

3 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

Why can’t thin bags be recycled?

I’m not trying to make a point, just interested.

It would be a pity if you can’t even purchase the ultra thin ones, as they’re the most feasible to carry in a pocket, for those of us who don’t have a car.

Why can’t thin bags be recycled?

 

They can.  But most humans can't be bothered and most of them will end up dumped in landfill, or, more so here, thrown on the ground to blow about and make pollution. Also the process of recycling them takes a lot of energy, which also creates pollution... so its just unnecessary really to have any plastic bags in the first place, when there are many better alternatives.   

 

If you don't have a car I can't see what difference that makes.  You can put shopping under the seat of most scooters, or in the basket on them or a bike.  You can carry a back pack if you are walking to the market or shops.  

 

We have some great canvas bags that are really light and fold up really small, and they are super strong too.  Maybe have a look for something like that.

 

 

 

 

[glennb6]

4 hours ago, Mark mark said:

If we did away with all Plastic we would have just about noting left ! Like no cars or just about anything, all also needing recycling. We are just trying Banning Plastic Bags. … And it HAS been done internationally with very few Complaints also I think. ... How successful it is ? Well I do not know ... but it is a start, an experiment and a step in the right direction I and most people think.

 

I think that as in other places also, banning Plastic Straws and disposable Cups lids, and if UN necessary, Spoons, Knives and Forks is also a good Idea and thing to try.

 

Like it is all biodegradable I think ? … If left in the sun ! ? ... But when it gets buried, or goes under water in the river or Sea, .... I think it does not get that sun's destruction. .... Hence always is there. ... Until Buried or removed some way. …  Which is not happening. … And I would guess that Plastic bags are a MAJOR part of all of this river and marine Pollution. ... Like just take a swim off Pattaya and see what you think ? ... As the used Plastic bags, and other garbage get caught on your feet and arms ? 

 

… Like what is happening to our oceans is way WAY enough for you to consider I think, before you exercise your Personal rights to be Objectionable in this case I think. ?

 

 

 

you got'a be trying to wind me up...

"How successful it is ? Well I do not know ... but it is a start, an experiment and a step in the right direction I and most people think. I think that as in other places also, banning Plastic Straws and disposable Cups lids, and if UN necessary, Spoons, Knives and Forks is also a good Idea and thing to try."

An experiment you say? If anything it's a social programming experiment rather than an environmental one. Do YOU, or anyone, actually really REALLY believe that some tissue paper thin plastic bags that often get multiple uses and mostly wind up in the garbage can, that banning those are going to do anything to save the environment??! Plastic bags account for an infinitesimally small amount of garbage.

The concern about bags ending up in the ocean is a BS dodge to the issue. Dumping in the ocean would be the issue. Why not expend effort to stop that all together? Oh, no, it's easier to say "these bags are baaadddd" and you'll feel better because you have stopped using them. F reality, as long as you FEEL you've done good...

I"ll bet a plastic bag of donuts that the UN is behind this and Greta told the govt and corporate greenies they had better do this so they look good or else they will be shaming the country. First they came for the bags, and I said nothing. Then they rationed the gasoline, and I thought it would be good for the environment. Then they came for the electricity saying everyone must do their part to conserve. Something like that.

[HHTel]

9 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

Why can’t thin bags be recycled?

I’m not trying to make a point, just interested.

It would be a pity if you can’t even purchase the ultra thin ones, as they’re the most feasible to carry in a pocket, for those of us who don’t have a car.

Quote

It’s a myth that all types of plastic are both a) recyclable and b) routinely recycled by society. In reality, only two types of plastic are typically recycled (PET and HDPE), and neither type is in plastic bags. Though the type of plastic used in bags is recyclable, very few curbside recycling programs accept plastic bags: the truth is that recycling plastic bags is a challenging task. “Plastic bags cause problems in all our operations,” says a recycling program spokesman. Bag collection, sorting, cleaning, and quality-control are costly for recycling plants. In addition, bags tend to clog recycling facility machines, and “wrap around and jam recycling equipment.” So when consumers drop plastic bags off at curbside recycling bins, they may do more harm than good. Instead of being recycled, the bags only clog up machinery or escape into the environment.

https://www.plasticplace.com/blog/the-mysterious-afterlife-of-a-single-use-plastic-bag

 

There are multiple sites explaining why.  This is the first I came across. It does also show that they can be recycled but requires very specialised machinery that will liquefy the bags.

[HHTel]

19 minutes ago, glennb6 said:

"Every country is initiating this, so we all need to start getting used to it! It will be an inconvenience for a time, until we are used to it, and all realize there is no alternative now and it is the right thing to do for the earth."

 

Eh, no WE don't have to lady. You do what you want, don't try inflicting your loony tune brainless environmental wacko views on me. FO!

Well unless you break the law, you do HAVE to.  Nothing wacko about it.

[MikeN]

16 minutes ago, glennb6 said:

 

Eh, no WE don't have to lady. You do what you want, don't try inflicting your loony tune brainless environmental wacko views on me. FO!

But you think that you have some sort of entitlement to your loony environmentally destructive " I don't give a ???? and will do what ever I want" whacko ideas and inflict the consequences on everybody else ?

Perhaps you should FO ...I hear Chernobyl is nice at this time of the year.

[glennb6]

3 hours ago, Max69xl said:

But people using plastic bags in bins now have to buy bags at Home Pro or at other shops. If you don't have bags where will you put your waste? 

Max, don't confuse the issue, greenie loonies cannot reason with logic, they only function on emotion.

[HHTel]

6 minutes ago, glennb6 said:

and some people say we only have a few years left... HHTel, y o u  a r e  a n  IDIOT

So most of the world are idiots using your definition.

You must be: "I'm the only sane person.  Everyone else is mad"

The lunatic asylums are full of people with your intellect. 

[glennb6]

8 minutes ago, MikeN said:

But you think that you have some sort of entitlement to your loony environmentally destructive " I don't give a ???? and will do what ever I want" whacko ideas and inflict the consequences on everybody else ?

Perhaps you should FO ...I hear Chernobyl is nice at this time of the year.

Ah perfect! I was waiting for that knee-jerk reaction.

You're saying that because I think this bag ban is done to appease the wacko greenie crowd, that I MUST THEREFORE be a polluter, anti-environment, that maybe I go around tossing garbage in my wake.

That logic is exactly what you've been programmed to thing, and illustrates why I call those type of people wacko loonies.

FYI and if you've read other posts I've made, I an <deleted> off by all the garbage and trash that I see along the roadsides, I think it's disgusting to just toss trash out the car window, and lots of other common sense things to not make a mess.

[allenberg]

10 hours ago, TEFLKrabi said:

Is it possible that rather than criticising, the elite at TVF could come up with a solution? For me, a reduction is the first step. Sure, I still need large black bags for rubbish but no longer accept the bags offered at the local minimarts.

The solution is to develop proper disposal. IMHO

[HHTel]

14 minutes ago, glennb6 said:

there are a small group of loud annoying enviro-wacko control freaks that want to make everyone follow what they say and want.

And they have 'forced' 127 countries to introduce legislation to restrict the use of plastic!.  That out of 195 countries across the globe.

My, my, what a very very influential small group of people that is!

[Elreeco]

 Watch George Carlin - "Saving the planet"....

Edited January 2, 2020 by Elreeco
Change of wording

[allenberg]

7 hours ago, Saint Nick said:

With some of the reactions here, I wonder, how any of you made it this far in life!

????

You can rest assured that arriving this far in life has nothing to do with or without plastic bags.????

[rexall]

1 hour ago, glennb6 said:

you got'a be trying to wind me up...

"How successful it is ? Well I do not know ... but it is a start, an experiment and a step in the right direction I and most people think. I think that as in other places also, banning Plastic Straws and disposable Cups lids, and if UN necessary, Spoons, Knives and Forks is also a good Idea and thing to try."

An experiment you say? If anything it's a social programming experiment rather than an environmental one. Do YOU, or anyone, actually really REALLY believe that some tissue paper thin plastic bags that often get multiple uses and mostly wind up in the garbage can, that banning those are going to do anything to save the environment??! Plastic bags account for an infinitesimally small amount of garbage.

The concern about bags ending up in the ocean is a BS dodge to the issue. Dumping in the ocean would be the issue. Why not expend effort to stop that all together? Oh, no, it's easier to say "these bags are baaadddd" and you'll feel better because you have stopped using them. F reality, as long as you FEEL you've done good...

I"ll bet a plastic bag of donuts that the UN is behind this and Greta told the govt and corporate greenies they had better do this so they look good or else they will be shaming the country. First they came for the bags, and I said nothing. Then they rationed the gasoline, and I thought it would be good for the environment. Then they came for the electricity saying everyone must do their part to conserve. Something like that.

"If anything it's a social programming experiment rather than an environmental one."
"F reality, as long as you FEEL you've done good..."


Feel good
Fashion statement
Virtue signaling
Moral panic
Herd mentality.

It is even worse than that if viewed in the context of the creeping nanny state and continuing little intrusions into people's lives by gov, and now corporate nannies in the disguise of "doing good."