Thai retailers' plastic bags ban comes into effect

[z42]

On 1/3/2020 at 10:38 AM, smedly said:

you're not getting it are you, the cost has nothing to do with it, if we are talking supermarket shopping and a planned shop - I bring my own bag

 

one my way home from a night out is entirely different - you need something to carry stuff in - what do you suggest, going for a night out with a shopping bag ????

 

what part of "Convenience Store" are you not understanding ?

Stick one of these on your keys. How difficult is that?

Think outside of the box, jeez ????

 

Convenience stores are there to provide products, it is not in their remit to provide additional packaging when they have clearly pledged that they no longer will.

 

People (not necessarily you) are the problem because they have a tendency to prioritize convenience above being a bit more ethical.

[Purdey]

I am worried that people who don't use plastic bags multiple times, which they should do, will turn to cotton, which uses 10 times more water to make as plastic and emits greenhouse gases in it production. Are we going to contribute to global warming because we can't be bothered to teach Thais to reuse plastic bags?

[tlock]

5555 at the keychain plastic bag holder.

 

In California, while plastic bags are banned, you are able to purchase a paper bag for 5 cents, which is tax and goes to the locality.  The situation in Thailand amounts to pure profit for the stores, they are not only saving money by not providing bags, but making money on the sale of bags.  Quite clever.

 

[MaxYakov]

23 minutes ago, tlock said:

5555 at the keychain plastic bag holder.

 

In California, while plastic bags are banned, you are able to purchase a paper bag for 5 cents, which is tax and goes to the locality.  The situation in Thailand amounts to pure profit for the stores, they are not only saving money by not providing bags, but making money on the sale of bags.  Quite clever.

 

Yeah, I have a Wal Mart "Paper or Plastic? Neither" (printed on their custom cloth bag along with the Wal Mart Logo) from at least 10 years ago. My local FoodLand Grocery Store will charge 1 baht for each of their previous standard, poly, hand loop bag they sell at the customer's request. This money goes into a "Save the Earth" slotted, clear plastic box that's sitting on the checkout counter by the cash register. So, in their case it's not exactly all "pure" profit.

 

A few weeks ago my local FoodLand GS was selling shopping bags for 25 baht each. I couldn't (or didn't) tell if they were plastic-based or cloth. They were prominently displayed by the checkout lines, but I don't see them now. I take some time to watch in fascination the checkout lines to see the various types of bags people bring to FoodLand to carry away their purchases. I watch them walking away with their shopping bags as if it were routine.

 

Thailand is at least ten years behind other countries/states with this banning of poly bags. Being behind, if not abjectly backwards, should not be a surprise to us should it?  BTW, we're having an extremely bad (160+/red/unhealthy except for one hour - RTAQ) wide-spread air pollution morning since from 21:00 last night. What are going to "ban" to address this endemic and even more important (to human health) pollution?

[HHTel]

3 hours ago, tlock said:

The situation in Thailand amounts to pure profit for the stores, they are not only saving money by not providing bags,

Well at least CPall is donating the saving to hospitals.  Their first announcement was almost a year ago when they published a detailed amount and the specific hospital it went to.  Currently, they claim to have donated millions to various hospitals which they name. If that wasn't true, then I would have thought these hospitals would come out and refute their claim.  Hopefully, other major retailers will follow suit.

[tlock]

2 hours ago, HHTel said:

Well at least CPall is donating the saving to hospitals.  Their first announcement was almost a year ago when they published a detailed amount and the specific hospital it went to.  Currently, they claim to have donated millions to various hospitals which they name. If that wasn't true, then I would have thought these hospitals would come out and refute their claim.  Hopefully, other major retailers will follow suit.

It's difficult to quantify the savings isn't it?  If it's a tax on people who still want to pay for a paper bag, clearly marked alongside the VAT there is a paper trail.  "We saved x baht on plastic bags" (but made x baht selling non plastic bags) seems like the companies will still come out on top. 

 

I do think the convenience stores will end up net losers in this tho, it's harder to bring bags when you just spontaneously want to buy a couple soft drinks and some chips, so I'll probably just do more planned Big C runs where I remember to bring bags.

  

[JemJem]

For your info, there is a nice variety of quite inexpensive non-plastic bags  (of various colors and sizes) being sold at Big C (at least, at the one opposite Central World).

[DiJoDavO]

First people complain about the amount of plastic. 

Now they do something about it and everyone be like, hey where yall go with my plastic? 

Y'all can't be satisfied with anything isn't it? 

[Elzear]

On 1/5/2020 at 12:41 PM, z42 said:

Stick one of these on your keys. How difficult is that?

Think outside of the box, jeez ????

 

Convenience stores are there to provide products, it is not in their remit to provide additional packaging when they have clearly pledged that they no longer will.

 

People (not necessarily you) are the problem because they have a tendency to prioritize convenience above being a bit more ethical.

Hey.. great gadget.. give us the link and I'll buy a few for me and my family.. 

[HHTel]

7 minutes ago, Elzear said:

Hey.. great gadget.. give us the link and I'll buy a few for me and my family.. 

You can get them from Lazada at 60 baht.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/shopping-bag-to-roll-up-i558088693-s1024908073.html?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::12:1498579383!58089999096!!!pla-812551840257!c!812551840257!1024908073!135277430&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn-nay4Pz5gIVTx0rCh3AqgizEAQYASABEgLG9PD_BwE

[tinca tinca]

On 1/1/2020 at 7:20 PM, ukrules said:

It won't last a week.

i went tesco yesterday, bought a few bits and pieces...went and paid......NO PLASTIC BAGS for my goods.....

Then went to Savedrug (in Tesco) bought some tablets everything was put into plastic bags.

She saw that I had some goods from Tesco and gave me a big bag to put ALL INTO  !!!

[DennisE]

In Korat we literally just got home from Seven Eleven and they most certainly are giving plastic bags to anyone buying anything big. They are being stingy with the plastic bags for people buying little items but we just bought 4 packs of tissue paper and a big case of water and guess what these pictures were just taken 15 minutes ago at Seven Eleven within walking distance of my house in Korat. 
 

See what I mean compared to what some people are saying as if plastic bags are totally gone? They haven’t gone anywhere only the grocery store in the mall is totally complying with any supposed new law which I haven’t even cared to read to be honest.
 

But like I said plastic bags are still everywhere in Thailand including eco friendly Seven Eleven ????. 

[DennisE]

I knew it was all exaggerated as usual. 

[DennisE]

On 1/8/2020 at 10:11 AM, HHTel said:

You can get them from Lazada at 60 baht.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/shopping-bag-to-roll-up-i558088693-s1024908073.html?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::12:1498579383!58089999096!!!pla-812551840257!c!812551840257!1024908073!135277430&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn-nay4Pz5gIVTx0rCh3AqgizEAQYASABEgLG9PD_BwE

Not needed see my last post and pictures. ???? 

[SkyFax]

Great the big smile you get now at 7-11 or other places when you pull out your canvas shopping bag or 2 and tell them 'Thanks but I already have a bag'.

[tifino]

quote:

 

Yesterday after shopping in our local supermarket, I was in the queue at the Check Out, and heard when the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologised to the young girl & then sighed,

"We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days." 

The young clerk responded,

"That's our problem today. You folk didn't do enough to save our environment for future generations."

The older lady said

"Ahh yes you're right -- our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day." She sighed then continued:
Back then, we returned milk bottles, lemonade bottles & beer bottles to the shops. The shops then sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilized & refilled, so those same bottles were used over & over, thus REALLY were recycled. But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Grocery stores put our groceries into brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) were not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalise our books on their brown paper bag/covers. But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.
I remember how we walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store or office building; walked to the grocery store & didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go 200 yards.
. . . But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind & solar power really did dry our clothes back in our days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. . . . But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Back then we had one radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And if anyone did own a TV, it had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of a football pitch. When cooking we blended & stirred by hand coz we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send by post, we used layers of old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity., , , , But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a tap or fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, & we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then. Back then, people took the bus & kids rode bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's expensive car or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing"..
Oh and we had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest leisure park.
. . . . But it so sad this current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then? . . . I think you should forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from some smart ass young person. .. ...
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to <deleted> us off... Especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smart ass who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

 

[Peterw42]

12 minutes ago, tifino said:

quote:

 

Yesterday after shopping in our local supermarket, I was in the queue at the Check Out, and heard when the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologised to the young girl & then sighed,

"We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days." 

The young clerk responded,

"That's our problem today. You folk didn't do enough to save our environment for future generations."

The older lady said

"Ahh yes you're right -- our generation didn't have the "green thing" in its day." She sighed then continued:
Back then, we returned milk bottles, lemonade bottles & beer bottles to the shops. The shops then sent them back to the plant to be washed, sterilized & refilled, so those same bottles were used over & over, thus REALLY were recycled. But we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Grocery stores put our groceries into brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) were not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalise our books on their brown paper bag/covers. But, too bad we didn't do the "green thing" back then.
I remember how we walked up stairs because we didn't have an escalator in every store or office building; walked to the grocery store & didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go 200 yards.
. . . But she was right. We didn't have the "green thing" in our day.
Back then we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind & solar power really did dry our clothes back in our days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. . . . But that young lady is right; we didn't have the "green thing" back in our day.
Back then we had one radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And if anyone did own a TV, it had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of a football pitch. When cooking we blended & stirred by hand coz we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send by post, we used layers of old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity., , , , But she's right; we didn't have the "green thing" back then.
We drank from a tap or fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, & we replaced the razor blade in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the "green thing" back then. Back then, people took the bus & kids rode bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service in the family's expensive car or van, which cost what a whole house did before the "green thing"..
Oh and we had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest leisure park.
. . . . But it so sad this current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the "green thing" back then? . . . I think you should forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from some smart ass young person. .. ...
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to <deleted> us off... Especially from a tattooed, multiple pierced smart ass who can't make change without the cash register telling them how much. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

 

Thats a great read but didnt you get a little frustrated waiting in line for the old lady to say all that stuff.

 

 

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, tifino said:

Yesterday after shopping in our local supermarket, I was in the queue at the Check Out, and heard when the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment.

The woman apologised to the young girl & then sighed,

"We didn't have this 'green thing' back in my earlier days." 

etc. etc.

Really good dialogue.  What did you do whilst listening to her.  Did you record her or were you using shorthand?

LOL

[DennisE]

We just received this order from FoodPanda I will not name the specific restaurant because of defamation laws in Thailand and I wouldn’t want to get some kid in trouble anyway that’s not a cool thing to do in Thailand so I let stuff slide a lot more than this sometimes.
 

But look at this BS from an unnamed restaurant!!!!!!!!!! 

 

I mean really TWO big plastic cups for my ice bubble tea and an extra big plastic cup just for my ICE??????????????????? REALLY???? They need to make my darn coffee right anyway lol. 
 

FoodPanda is awesome by the way very reasonably priced and great delivery service and much healthier choices of food just for home food delivery service! And foreign food as well!!! Great service Foodpanda so this is definitely not their fault it was an unnamed restaurant in Korat. I’m not picky, I’m NOT a messy eater either I just accidentally popped open a pepper packet ????! But I’m proud to report that I myself and NOT MY WIFE has cleaned ???? it up now ????! So please don’t give me any sht. Lol!!!!!!!! Foodpanda is great ????! 

 

So anyway look at this B.S. 

[DennisE]

I’m no big environmentalist but even I know that’s freaking wasteful man! ????