Bangkok: Less trash during lockdown but far more plastic waste from food delivery

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

An environmental officer in the Thai capital Bangkok told Naew Na that there was both good and bad news regarding the change in behavior of people during the three months of the Covid-19 lockdown and related measures. 

 

Trash collected in the city was down from the usual 10,500 tons per day to 9,600 tons. 

 

However, in that mountain of trash was an extra 1,000 tons a day of single use plastic, said Chatree Wattanakhejorn.

 

This had come from all the food delivery that took place during the lockdown. 

 

He urged people to separate their waste to facilitate recycling.

 

Thaivisa notes that stories about the end of single use plastic waste were all the rage after a plastic bag ban was introduced at major stores on January 1st. 

 

This was largely forgotten or put on the back burner as food delivery and the pandemic crisis took center stage. 

 

During the height of the lockdown a large proportion of vehicles on Bangkok roads were motorcycles such as Grab Food making food deliveries.

 

Waiting time for walk-in customers at fast food joints turned from a few minutes into 15 or 20 minutes due to all the motorcyclists making deliveries.

 

Source: Naew Na

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-06-19

 

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4 hours ago, webfact said:

10,500 tons per day to 9,600 tons

Didn't a lot of people go home to the country a couple of months ago.

2 minutes ago, Chassa said:

Didn't a lot of people go home to the country a couple of months ago.

If one was to believe half the nonsense posted on the forum every single person employed in Thailand lost their jobs and were relying on free food handouts to live so doubt they were buying too much home delivery food.

21 hours ago, webfact said:

He urged people to separate their waste to facilitate recycling.

Yeah like there are multiple bins for each type of trash?