Positive response to Thailand’s “Everyday Say No to Plastic Bags” campaign

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

if they stopped making them altogether these people would have to buy the big black plastic bin bags to put their rubbish in, which are just as bad or arguably worse as they are thicker and tend to only be half full before they get thrown in the bin. 

 

Or, people could just buy smaller bin bags. We have three or four different sizes for different purposes. So many who are commenting on this are either very obtuse or just moaning for the sake of moaning. Nothing new there. Trying to cut back on the amount of plastic used in Thailand, the amount of which has drawn condemnation from plenty on this site, is a good thing. But still people find a problem with it. Okay guys - those who don't agree with the policy, what is your own solution to the plastic problem? Hmm?

[Expat Brad]

2 hours ago, Guderian said:

I bought a roll of plastic bin liners for the waste basket in my kitchen and 2 kg of plastic carriers to take with me when I go shopping. My plastic bag usage won't alter at all, it just means I'll have to pay for them instead of getting them for free. I can understand now why the supermarkets are so keen on this idea.

Why are you buying and using plastic bags for shopping in the first place?

You can buy a couple of various sized canvas bags. They can be washed when they get dirty as well. 

[Bangkok Barry]

41 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

So these are no longer portable in plastic bags - environment saved!!

 

 

We get our water in huge bottles that hold 20 litres and are delivered to the house. Each 20 litres costs 10 baht, which gives you an indication of the gigantic profits the bottled water companies make with the water sold in shops. And we transfer that water into 1.5 litre bottles which we use over and over again. Not too difficult with a little imagination.

[smew]

Back to business as normal in two months. Right now, if you insist 7-11 and big c will give you bags .... so only a matter of time .... 

[Mak25]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

following the government’s six-month anti-plastic campaign

I knew it would not last for long

[khunPer]

The major factor is the environmental cost, including CO2, to producere a reusable bag compared to a single-use plastic bag, and how many time the reusable bags are going to be reused to "brake even". All factors need to be included, so it's not an easy calculation.

 

One calculation, including all factors, showed that if it is a reusable regular cotton bag it had to be reused 7,100 times to make it better for the environment. In that calculation the single-use plastic bag is reused in a garbage bin and incinerated, and the incinerator heat used for power.

 

If the cotton bag is made from organic cotton – yes, we need to be green...???? – it had to be reused 20,000 times.

 

For comparison, a paper bag shall be reused 43 times to equal the single-use plastic bag in the calculation.

 

The reuse numbers might be lower if single-use plastic bags are not reused one time, for example for garbage, and if they are not incinerated. Even there are numerous incinerators in Thailand – and more to come – a lot of garbage might still be dumped in land fills or burned under less environmental safe conditions than incinerated. But the figures are still interesting, even if a quarter only – i.e. about 1,500 reuses of the cotton bag, or about 10 reuses for the paper bag – or even less, it should make some of us wonder, if single-use plastic ban is the right solution?

 

The real problem is not single-use plastic bags – or plastic in general – but people, people that don't dispose of their plastic in a safe way; which often can be as simple as a garbage bin, and plastic reuse bin for, for example bottles and like.

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

We get our water in huge bottles that hold 20 litres and are delivered to the house. Each 20 litres costs 10 baht, which gives you an indication of the gigantic profits the bottled water companies make with the water sold in shops. And we transfer that water into 1.5 litre bottles which we use over and over again. Not too difficult with a little imagination.

No all same water quality, and you can even taste the difference. Some bottled water is for example mineral water, and I'm not talking about outstanding brands like Perrier and like. But for numerous purposes water from the large reusable plastic containers can be used instead of bottled water.

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, Expat Brad said:

Why are you buying and using plastic bags for shopping in the first place?

You can buy a couple of various sized canvas bags. They can be washed when they get dirty as well. 

How many times do you reuse your canvas bags?

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, Dario said:

I support the move to ban plastic bags at supermarkets and convenience stores. But the plastic bags aren't the big problem. Plastic bags can be burned, so those wouldn't end up in the sea. I think the biggest problem are the pet bottles. They can be burned, too. All plastic can be incinerated and we wouldn't have a plastic problems. So easy, period.

The problem in the sea is not so much plastic bags, but rather bottles and foam...

 

 

Plastic bottles can be reused, if people just put them in the right bin  firstly just put them in a bin instead of dumping them anywhere.

[Dario]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

We get our water in huge bottles that hold 20 litres and are delivered to the house. Each 20 litres costs 10 baht, which gives you an indication of the gigantic profits the bottled water companies make with the water sold in shops. And we transfer that water into 1.5 litre bottles which we use over and over again. Not too difficult with a little imagination.

Well, I must admit, 20 liters of water for 10 Baht is a very down-to-earth price. we live out in the real sticks and pay 15 Baht for 18.6  liters. For 20 bottles @ 0.925 liters we pay 45 Baht. That translates into 18.5 liters of water for 45 Baht. So, there you have it. Probably I suggest my wife to get into the water delivering business.

[Dario]

7 minutes ago, khunPer said:

The problem in the sea is not so much plastic bags, but rather bottles and foam...

 

 

Plastic bottles can be reused, if people just put them in the right bin  firstly just put them in a bin instead of dumping them anywhere.

Re-using those thin plastic bottles would not last long. Educating the people and the government bodies how to manage plastic waste before it reaches the sea, should be the key. The separate containers in every neighborhood in my native Switzerland and other European countries is an important step in waste management.

[khunPer]

43 minutes ago, Dario said:

Re-using those thin plastic bottles would not last long. Educating the people and the government bodies how to manage plastic waste before it reaches the sea, should be the key. The separate containers in every neighborhood in my native Switzerland and other European countries is an important step in waste management.

Thanks for your reply, I shopuld have said "recycled" instead of reuse, as recycle is what I ment.

[tomazbodner]

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I did post when they suggested this that clever Thais would just sit outside 7/11 selling plastic bags - this guy must have read my post

 

He had to move 10m away from 7-Eleven today... But here he is.

 

[Jimbo2014]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

We get our water in huge bottles that hold 20 litres and are delivered to the house. Each 20 litres costs 10 baht, which gives you an indication of the gigantic profits the bottled water companies make with the water sold in shops. And we transfer that water into 1.5 litre bottles which we use over and over again. Not too difficult with a little imagination.

Thats good.  If you want to save the world from more plastic then having filter pumps attached to a clean water supply in the house helps.  We just change the filters annually and use no plastic for water.  Water sold in Plastic containers are the biggest scam perpetrated on humanity ever.  Originally sold to ensure restaurants and hotels could make money from selling water to customers they have somehow worked their way in everywhere.  Time to get rid of them everywhere and just filter water..

[lucifer666]

Here in Hua Hin,,carrier bags are not banned,,,they just cost 5 baht now, and have a "Save The World" logo instead of Big C...Go figure ! Oh EDIT to Add, the dumpster at the back of Big C has around 100,000 carrier bags in there

Edited January 3, 2020 by lucifer666

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, Mak25 said:

I knew it would not last for long

It is six months to date, and the campaign culminated in a nationwide ban on 1st January.

 

I didn't think that was too hard to understand.

[JonnyF]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Or, people could just buy smaller bin bags. We have three or four different sizes for different purposes. So many who are commenting on this are either very obtuse or just moaning for the sake of moaning. Nothing new there. Trying to cut back on the amount of plastic used in Thailand, the amount of which has drawn condemnation from plenty on this site, is a good thing. But still people find a problem with it. Okay guys - those who don't agree with the policy, what is your own solution to the plastic problem? Hmm?

Ummm, how does people buying smaller bin bags, instead of using free 711/Tesco bags for their household rubbish help the environment? It only helps people selling the bin bags.

 

I'm heavily in support of this initiative and certainly not moaning, in fact I happily bought 4 linen bags yesterday from Tops. I am simply making the point that you cannot get rid of plastic bags/sacks completely unless you want to put wet household waste into paper/linen bags, which is not very hygienic once the contents of the bag starts dripping on the floor. If you think paying for 3 or 4 sizes of these plastic bags from the supermarket instead of using the free 711 bags for the same purpose is saving the environment, well...

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Ummm, how does people buying smaller bin bags, instead of using free 711/Tesco bags for their household rubbish help the environment? It only helps people selling the bin bags.

 

I'm heavily in support of this initiative and certainly not moaning, in fact I happily bought 4 linen bags yesterday from Tops. I am simply making the point that you cannot get rid of plastic bags/sacks completely unless you want to put wet household waste into paper/linen bags, which is not very hygienic once the contents of the bag starts dripping on the floor. If you think paying for 3 or 4 sizes of these plastic bags from the supermarket instead of using the free 711 bags for the same purpose is saving the environment, well...

 

I was responding to someone who seemed to think the only alternative to supermarket plastic bags were huge heavy-duty sacks. I was pointing out that small bags or sacks are available. Certainly they cost more than the free ones from supermarkets, but people are being asked to make an effort. The problem is that if anyone is asked to dip into their pocket then the environment suddenly isn't worth the money.

 

Actually, my experience is that the supermarket bags are so flimsy they dissolve into dust in a few months and are far less of a threat to the environment than the better quality bags you must pay for. In tackling plastic supermarket bags they are targeting the wrong 'enemy'.

 

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Bearing in mind that many, many other countries have not given out plastic bags in supermarkets for a decade or more, certainly in Europe, it would be nice to hear from people who originate from those countries how they solved what appears to be a distressing and insurmountable problem for TV contributors living in Thailand.

[Mark mark]

22 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

It was excellent response in Pratunam, where 7-Eleven stopped issuing plastic bags. There's now a pickup parked in front of the shop, selling plastic bags! Many different types and designs. Now you no longer need to take that plain looking classic 7-eleven bag. You get to choose how you want your Beluga choking bag to look like. Win-Win!

Hopefully if they have to pay for them ! ... They will reuse them.

[zydeco]

7 hours ago, theoldgit said:

I suppose we were lucky that they didn't need copies of my passport and my wifes ID card.

Try Tops next time. And you'll find your luck has run out.

[zydeco]

4 hours ago, khunPer said:

The major factor is the environmental cost, including CO2, to producere a reusable bag compared to a single-use plastic bag, and how many time the reusable bags are going to be reused to "brake even". All factors need to be included, so it's not an easy calculation.

 

One calculation, including all factors, showed that if it is a reusable regular cotton bag it had to be reused 7,100 times to make it better for the environment. In that calculation the single-use plastic bag is reused in a garbage bin and incinerated, and the incinerator heat used for power.

 

If the cotton bag is made from organic cotton – yes, we need to be green...???? – it had to be reused 20,000 times.

 

For comparison, a paper bag shall be reused 43 times to equal the single-use plastic bag in the calculation.

 

The reuse numbers might be lower if single-use plastic bags are not reused one time, for example for garbage, and if they are not incinerated. Even there are numerous incinerators in Thailand – and more to come – a lot of garbage might still be dumped in land fills or burned under less environmental safe conditions than incinerated. But the figures are still interesting, even if a quarter only – i.e. about 1,500 reuses of the cotton bag, or about 10 reuses for the paper bag – or even less, it should make some of us wonder, if single-use plastic ban is the right solution?

 

The real problem is not single-use plastic bags – or plastic in general – but people, people that don't dispose of their plastic in a safe way; which often can be as simple as a garbage bin, and plastic reuse bin for, for example bottles and like.

Finally!  Glad you took the time to try to explain it to them. But they will never listen. The hysterics have too much emotionally invested in their Crusade. For some of them, it seems to be the only thing in their life worth doing, outside of eating, drinking, and sleeping. Yes, the reusable actually seem to cause more damage to the overall environment than the single use plastic bags. But that doesn't make for good photo ops for politicians or easy profits for store and mall owners. 

[USMC RETIRED 2015]

9 hours ago, Humpy said:

So those of us who dispose of our plastic bags responsibly have to forego the convenience of a Supermarket bag because of the knuckleheads who have no thought for how they dispose of their plastic bags . Oh well, at least the local fish market will be happy to fill my canvas reusable bag with the fish head soup  !  

No doubt about it....the sheep all follow the loudest mouths....its all good...now I just stock my vehicles and bikes with a 100 pack of plastic bags in case the store I use doesn't have any bags....plastic bags will always be around, now it's just an inconvenience to the masses....kind of like air travel....used to be easy, now its a complete inconvenience.

[USMC RETIRED 2015]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Bearing in mind that many, many other countries have not given out plastic bags in supermarkets for a decade or more, certainly in Europe, it would be nice to hear from people who originate from those countries how they solved what appears to be a distressing and insurmountable problem for TV contributors living in Thailand.

Most of those stores who don't give out plastic bags now sell them...LOL!...examples....Walmart in America...no more free bags..but for 10 cents...you can buy all you want...same goes with the grocery stores in California....no more free bags but for 10 cents...you can ball of the "plastic" bags you want....they are a bit thicker than the free ones they used to give out but because they are thicker, they are not considered one time use and therefore OK now???  I don't understand the logic there....and yet everyone touts that these stores haven't given out bags in a decade...because they have been selling them for a decade...LOL.... very hypocritical....I wonder if I can make a business out of selling the thicker plastic bags in all these stores cause they won't be considered a one time use plastic bag....5 baht per bag would be a good starting price...I might be on to something here....

[KhunFred]

Impressive stupidity. Ban plastic bags but offer no paper bags as a replacement. A clerk at Tops offered me a wrapping for beer cans of a sales brochure. Cannot shop there anymore unless I remember to bring my cloth bag. (which I never do)

[Bangkok Barry]

12 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Impressive stupidity. Ban plastic bags but offer no paper bags as a replacement. A clerk at Tops offered me a wrapping for beer cans of a sales brochure. Cannot shop there anymore unless I remember to bring my cloth bag. (which I never do)

 

Train yourself. Link it in your mind with something like, 'going out, got to put shoes on'. Add 'got to take my cloth bag'.

[Beggar]

3 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Impressive stupidity. Ban plastic bags but offer no paper bags as a replacement. A clerk at Tops offered me a wrapping for beer cans of a sales brochure. Cannot shop there anymore unless I remember to bring my cloth bag. (which I never do)

Just bought beer before at a 7-Eleven and got a plastic bag without asking. Not sure if they simply use up the existing bags or if they wil continue to provide this service. At Tops Central in Pattaya I did my shopping yesterday. No bags. Since I had to bag everything myself - the cashier and the next customer got impatient already since it took a while because I am not good in this. To be honest - somehow I enjoyed it a little bit to get on their nerves. For a moment I was thinking I should repack everything... but then I was not brave enough. 

[zydeco]

2 minutes ago, Beggar said:

Since I had to bag everything myself - the cashier and the next customer got impatient already since it took a while because I am not good in this. To be honest - somehow I enjoyed it a little bit to get on their nerves. For a moment I was thinking I should repack everything... but then I was not brave enough. 

Let's see the produce should go with the refrigerated Items. Or shouldn't they?  No, better put them the cleaning goods. Oh, no! That might cause a toxic accident. I'll put them together with the canned goods. Nope. Makes the reusable bag too heavy. Might burst it. Oh, I know. I'll put the produce with the new plastic trash bags I had to buy. Yep. This is going to take a loooooong time every trip to the grocery store counter.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, littlepe said:

^{most Thais do not cook and eat 3 times a day food from a vendor which comes in - plastic bags}

There is nothing wrong with taking metal food carriers like the ones used by monks and getting your takeaway in that. Of course you may lose face and look foolish, but at least you will have done your bit to reduce plastic waste.

[JAG]

22 hours ago, wgdanson said:

I wonder if the girl, and the guy in the picture can read and understand English.

She looks like quite a bright 6 year old, so possibly.

 

He is a ranking government official, so unlikely!