With locals not disposing of plastic correctly, Thailand is importing the world’s waste instead

[webfact]

Thailand has more than 2,000 landfills, like this one, but they are filling up quickly.

 

Neo Chai Chin

Nicholas Deroose

 

A Thai temple that is going green. An NGO that fishes rubbish out of waterways before it reaches the ocean. These are part of efforts to shrink Thailand’s waste problem, the programme Insight finds out. But what else is needed?

BANGKOK: A temple south of Bangkok has an unusual ask for its followers: They are encouraged to drop off plastic and glass bottles, milk cartons, paper and other used items.

 

At the Chak Daeng temple, the items are then sorted. Plastic bottles are compressed into bales that will be sent to a factory to be turned into polymer fibres.

 

These are then mixed with cotton fibres to become thread, which is woven into fabric.

 

After the fabric is dyed saffron, it is sent back to the temple to be made into monks’ robes. “If we can make a robe from a plastic bottle, that means we’re following Lord Buddha’s teaching,” said temple abbot Pra Maha Pranom.

 

Full story: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/thailand-plastic-waste-import-problem-ocean-waterways-3132251

 

-- © Copyright Channel NewsAsia 2022-12-13

 

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[steven100]

Thailand is one of the worse countries in the world for still using plastic bags at shopping centres. 

Why haven't they set a road map to ban all plastic bags, plastic garbage bags and plastic bottles ?

Surely a factory could produce bio-degradable shop bags, garbage bags and bottles and sell them to these conglomorates.

 

They just don't seem to care about 1000's of tons of plastic waste every day ...

[arick]

Yes just watched CNA  the country is rates number worse

[4MyEgo]

All we can do is as we were taught in our own country, i.e. "Do the right thing", pick up after them, that's what we do as the rubbish they throw out of their cars or motorcycles pass our place, e.g. plastic cups, bags, wraps, etc and put them into our plastic waste bin.

 

We remove all plastic from things we buy and put it in the same plastic waste bin and when it's full I take the plastic back that it's in and throw it in a big bin in town, there is no way we burn.

 

There is a recycle bin, a rubbish bin and the plastic waste bin, plus the compost bin, the kids are educated through mum and dad and know what their role is, I am surprised that those in power in Thailand don't get a campaign going on this, but then again, it will take a huge effort for some SomChai to have the balls big enough to show people how to do such a simple taste.

 

We don't have any bins in the village, the Mayor says that the villagers don't want to pay the small monthly fee which is I think 50-100 baht a month for a bin for a weekly removal, but the next village to us has bins and doesn't allow burning, too bad we can't move ????

 

[RichardColeman]

WE recycle everything - glass, card, tins plastic, etc - we even take the neighbours !!. Save it up for a few months and it pays the electric and water for a month. Easy money. Of course, what Thais choose to do with it after paying me is their business !!

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, RichardColeman said:

WE recycle everything - glass, card, tins plastic, etc - we even take the neighbours !!. Save it up for a few months and it pays the electric and water for a month. Easy money. Of course, what Thais choose to do with it after paying me is their business !!

My Mrs was quite pleased with the cash she got from her last run to the recyclers in the truck... prior to that my place was itself looking like a trash recycling place. 

[RichardColeman]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

My Mrs was quite pleased with the cash she got from her last run to the recyclers in the truck... prior to that my place was itself looking like a trash recycling place. 

Agreed, month 1 is ok, but month 3 and 4 looks like tip !

[nobodysfriend]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“If we can make a robe from a plastic bottle, that means we’re following Lord Buddha’s teaching,” said temple abbot Pra Maha Pranom.

Good man .                   ????

[BKKBike09]

The pandemic-fuelled explosion in delivery services - order a drink in a plastic cup, with a plastic straw, in a plastic bag - hasn't helped, not to mention all the PPE and packaging that's used, often quite unnecessarily, every day. 

[ozz1]

If it's worth money Thai people will recycle it if they raised the price of recycling it might help

[mikebell]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“If we can make a robe from a plastic bottle, that means we’re following Lord Buddha’s teaching,” said temple abbot Pra Maha Pranom.

The wat near me has regular burning sessions - lots of plastic judging by the toxic smoke/smell.

[Burma Bill]

12 hours ago, steven100 said:

Thailand is one of the worse countries in the world for still using plastic bags at shopping centres. 

Cambodia is there as well - plastic bags galore in shopping malls, supermarkets, street food/take away food vendors etc. etc. BUT in todays Khmer media (13 December 2022):

 

"If all people together do not use plastic bags a day, we can reduce the use of plastic bags by 16 million bags per day and let this be a movement.................."

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501201296/seminar-sheds-light-on-policy-to-reduce-plastic-use/

 

[steven100]

7 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Cambodia is there as well - plastic bags galore in shopping malls, supermarkets, street food/take away food vendors etc. etc. BUT in todays Khmer media (13 December 2022):

 

"If all people together do not use plastic bags a day, we can reduce the use of plastic bags by 16 million bags per day and let this be a movement.................."

 

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501201296/seminar-sheds-light-on-policy-to-reduce-plastic-use/

 

yes Bill,  it really is a disgrace that it's 2022 and we are still polluting everywhere with plastic bags.

[KhunLA]

Nothing wrong with plastic, for now.  How it is disposed of, along with everything else in TH is the problem.

 

Nothing eco friendly about cutting down trees for paper or for any reason, quite the opposite IMHO

[lopburi3]

9 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Nothing wrong with plastic, for now.  How it is disposed of, along with everything else in TH is the problem.

 

Nothing eco friendly about cutting down trees for paper or for any reason, quite the opposite IMHO

Actually it is very eco friendly when trees used are from farms and replanted - as has become normal most places.

[KhunLA]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Actually it is very eco friendly when trees used are from farms and replanted - as has become normal most places.

They will never replenish at the same rate, non farmed trees are harvested.

 

Farmed harvesting is fine, but there should be a worldwide moratorium/ban on any other cutting down of trees.

[stoner]

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

WE recycle everything - glass, card, tins plastic, etc - we even take the neighbours !!. Save it up for a few months and it pays the electric and water for a month. Easy money. Of course, what Thais choose to do with it after paying me is their business !!

so you don't REALLY give a shoot then. only going through the motions for the cash. you already know the end result. easy money right ? as long as you got paid.  

 

what is it that 80 or 90 percent of all plastic ever made have never been recycled. 

 

 

[stoner]

6 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Farmed harvesting is fine, but there should be a worldwide moratorium/ban on any other cutting down of trees.

hey.....stop it with good ideas ok. 

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, stoner said:

so you don't REALLY give a shoot then. only going through the motions for the cash. you already know the end result. easy money right ? as long as you got paid.  

 

what is it that 80 or 90 percent of all plastic ever made has never been recycled. 

 

 

Actually if he is being paid the materials are most likely going to be recycled so not sure why you have made this a personal attack.  

[Cake Monster]

Thai people have little or no concept of RRR

They appear to be among some of the most wasteful and apathetic people on the Planet.

My Wife has a few Dormitory Apartments that she rents to Factory Workers, and the amount of waste that I witness on a Daily basis is outstanding.

These are mainly Young people, that really should know better regarding the state of the Planet, and what should be done to try and slow down the destruction, that we, as Humans have caused.

My Wife provided Bags for their recyclable stuff ( Bottles, Plastic, Paper Etc ) to be place in , and yet they will still continue to throw it into the general Trash Bins.

Water Taps are just  left to run for ages, and even when used, are used poorly, resulting in large amounts of wastage.

Electricity is wasted in the same way

Yet, they will all moan and whinge about their Electric and Water bills at the end of the Month.

The people of Thailand really have to start waking up to the fact that they are one of the worst polluters on the Planet, and to deal with the issues.

I wonder how they would cope if they were forced to recycle as the People in the UK do

[lujanit]

5 hours ago, steven100 said:

Surely a factory could produce bio-degradable shop bags, garbage bags and bottles and sell them to these conglomorates.

There already is.  TPBI produces a biodegradeable bag.  It is white and purple strips.  We have them here and they degrade if let outside in weeks.

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Actually if he is being paid the materials are most likely going to be recycled so not sure why you have made this a personal attack.  

yes yes. he got paid = sure sure the materials he sold are getting properly recycled. 

 

my goodness. 

 

i guess you skipped over that part about most plastic never ACTUALLY being recycled. most times it ends up in landfills regardless of ones efforts. 

[stoner]

5 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

The people of Thailand really have to start waking up to the fact that they are one of the worst polluters on the Planet, and to deal with the issues.

actually .....as a canadian i have to disagree....we are among the worst in the world per capita for polluters. 

 

 

[KhunLA]

8 minutes ago, lujanit said:

There already is.  TPBI produces a biodegradeable bag.  It is white and purple strips.  We have them here and they degrade if let outside in weeks.

Not familiar with the 'TPBI' product, but are biodegradable really as they advertise in the real world usage of:

 

"Biodegradable plastic bags

 

To put it simply, something is biodegradable when living things, like fungi or bacteria, can break it down. Biodegradable bags are made from plant-based materials like corn and wheat starch rather than petroleum. However when it comes to this kind of plastic, there are certain conditions required for the bag to begin to biodegrade.

 

Firstly, temperatures need to reach 50 degrees Celsius. Secondly, the bag needs to be exposed to UV light. In an oceanic environment, you'd be hard pressed to meet either of these criteria. Plus, if biodegradable bags are sent to landfill, they break down without oxygen to produce methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming capacity 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide."

 

https://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/plastic-bags-whats-difference-between-degradable-compostable-and-biodegradable/

 

 

[itsari]

7 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

Thai people have little or no concept of RRR

They appear to be among some of the most wasteful and apathetic people on the Planet.

My Wife has a few Dormitory Apartments that she rents to Factory Workers, and the amount of waste that I witness on a Daily basis is outstanding.

These are mainly Young people, that really should know better regarding the state of the Planet, and what should be done to try and slow down the destruction, that we, as Humans have caused.

My Wife provided Bags for their recyclable stuff ( Bottles, Plastic, Paper Etc ) to be place in , and yet they will still continue to throw it into the general Trash Bins.

Water Taps are just  left to run for ages, and even when used, are used poorly, resulting in large amounts of wastage.

Electricity is wasted in the same way

Yet, they will all moan and whinge about their Electric and Water bills at the end of the Month.

The people of Thailand really have to start waking up to the fact that they are one of the worst polluters on the Planet, and to deal with the issues.

I wonder how they would cope if they were forced to recycle as the People in the UK do

I have had similar problems with Thai citizens at our guest house asking them to put plastic bottles , food waste , cardboard and glass bottles into separate bins . Mostly they take no notice young and old and look at you in great surprise as you ask them . Most foreigners comply , but not all .

Yes , most Thai guests never turn off the lights , fans and air conditioners when they go out . They were mostly coming from Agoda . I put the prices up with Agoda to discourage the Thai business . Oh yes , they park in a way that you wonder what is running through there brain .

[Cake Monster]

3 minutes ago, itsari said:

I have had similar problems with Thai citizens at our guest house asking them to put plastic bottles , food waste , cardboard and glass bottles into separate bins . Mostly they take no notice young and old and look at you in great surprise as you ask them . Most foreigners comply , but not all .

Yes , most Thai guests never turn off the lights , fans and air conditioners when they go out . They were mostly coming from Agoda . I put the prices up with Agoda to discourage the Thai business . Oh yes , they park in a way that you wonder what is running through there brain .

I kind of believe the issue stems from Years of watching the parents or Grand Parents from up Country just throwing everything onto a pile. and when it starts to stink too much they burn it.

This ultimately plays onto the rebellious and arrogant attitude that seems to be rife in the Country

IE, Laws and Rules are for other lowly people - not me

Well ! Its the young people that will be leaving a Toxic dump to their Kids and Grand Kids if they do not change - and quickly.

Its not about complying, its all about Moral and Social responsibility

[Emdog]

What became of that "law" that banned plastic bags at 7/11s, food stores etc that was passed a couple of years back?

I still take my own bag.... I buy something at 7 & clerk getting bag out: "Oh, so Thailand saved the world from being buried in plastic bags, so now it is okay to use again!" Sadly, the public has the attention span of a quark....

[JimmyJ]

Those who bring plastic to Recyclers - Do they accept and pay for all kinds of plastic or only the type used for (refrigerated) water sold in convenience stores?

[Stargeezr]

In Bangkok my Thai relatives, recycle their plastic, cardboard, and other products.

 I have seen very little garbage that is not picked up or recycled.  I did however see

some garbage at one relatives apartment building. The majority of renters were young,

and my sister in law, and brother in law, had to pick up quite a lot of garbage in the halls

to keep the building in livable condition. They were also quite upset by the attitude of the

young renters. There are good and bad people living all over the world.

[Peterphuket]

7 hours ago, steven100 said:

Thailand is one of the worse countries in the world for still using plastic bags at shopping centres. 

Why haven't they set a road map to ban all plastic bags, plastic garbage bags and plastic bottles ?

Surely a factory could produce bio-degradable shop bags, garbage bags and bottles and sell them to these conglomorates.

 

They just don't seem to care about 1000's of tons of plastic waste every day ...

Can you imagine, about more than 15 years ago there was a big incinerator on Phuket, an had already reached its maximum capacity.