by Natthaphon Sangpolsit

BANGKOK (NNT) - The government has emphasized the importance of managing plastic waste, which has had increasingly negative effects on the environment. It is now urging all sides to work towards reducing the use of plastic and eventually meeting the goal of reusing 100% of plastic waste by 2027.

 

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa has implemented policy and continuous assessments to address the issue of plastic waste management, as well as develop long-term solutions for the country. The national aim is to achieve 100% efficiency in plastic recycling by 2027, as outlined in the roadmap for plastic waste management from 2018-2030.

 

The private sector in Thailand has been participating in plastic waste management by utilizing upcycling technology to raise the value of plastic waste and transform it into high-value products, such as fabric fibers. In addition, the public has been encouraged to separate waste at the source, and there have been efforts to increase awareness of food safety due to the negative impacts of microplastics.

 

The Pollution Control Department (PCD) and the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion have been collaborating to promote an environment for the effective and sustainable management of plastic waste. They have also been working with the public and private sectors to achieve Thailand’s goals of reducing plastic waste and preserving the environment.

 

One key initiative has been the ’Every Day Say No to Plastic Bags’ campaign, which encourages people to reduce or stop using single-use plastic bags. The PCD noted that the campaign was met with overwhelming support, with more than 90% of the population agreeing that reducing single-use plastic bags is a crucial issue. In total, 14.3 billion plastic bags - or 81,531 tons - were prevented from entering the waste system.

 

The success of these initiatives reflects a growing awareness among the Thai public of the importance of addressing the plastic waste crisis. With continued efforts from both the government and the private sector, Thailand can expect to move towards a cleaner, more sustainable future.

 

Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG230219173023625

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2023-02-20

 

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well good luck with that

 

the amount of plastic I accumulate is quite shocking, if I could avoid it I would - impossible

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The government has emphasized the importance of managing plastic waste, which has had increasingly negative effects on the environment. It is now urging all sides to work towards reducing the use of plastic and eventually meeting the goal of reusing 100% of plastic waste by 2027

3027... more realistic

1 hour ago, smedly said:

well good luck with that

 

the amount of plastic I accumulate is quite shocking, if I could avoid it I would - impossible

Yes, appears to be quite idealistic.

Even the most steadfast programs of recycling/reusing plastics in the world struggle to maintain any such balance. 

I surely wouldn't expect the Thais do gain ground on something that's not improvable. 

 

The only manner in which pursue these troublesome issues would be to cease manufacturing and using plastics - most of which are of the synthetic varieties, in which the recycling technology hasn't been developed in a high and universal fashion, as of yet. All the while, our instincts are to mindlessly consume and accumulate - all of which is encased or made of this destructive material.

 

We're not a terribly cognitive species, are we?

Only way this will happen is if when entering a car or pick up, all the doors and windows are welded shut until they arrive at destination

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The government has emphasized the importance of managing plastic waste, which has had increasingly negative effects on the environment. It is now urging all sides to work towards reducing the use of plastic and eventually meeting the goal of reusing 100% of plastic waste by 2027.

Certainly applaud the idea, but without any concrete timeline or plan this just seems like happy talk.  Will anything really change, or will this just be like so many government goals and plans that go no where.

I seem to remember 7-Elevens stopped using plastic for a while a few years ago

9 hours ago, Misty said:

Certainly applaud the idea, but without any concrete timeline or plan this just seems like happy talk.  Will anything really change, or will this just be like so many government goals and plans that go no where.

I'll take the latter choice for 1,000, Alex....

Recycling plastic is big business's lot of people almost make a living out of it, picking up plastic bottles etc. from beside the roads, then un-like our country they sell it to a recycling company, and it is them that sell it on for recycling.

That is where the problem is if they cannot get a good price for, they plastic they will not do it the price goes up and down, we have a place near here that buys in plastic bottles etc. put them in to big bales and sells it on, they yard is full of these bales, a low price at this time.

 We save all our plastic glass bottles etc. guy end of our Soi buys them, the last lot the wife sold was the lowest price she has got in a long while.

For this to work the government will have to help out, with some form of subsidy, as that will not happen things will just carry on as before.

 

It's that long a go i forget what we used before plastic.

Was it trees?

8 hours ago, Seppius said:

I seem to remember 7-Elevens stopped using plastic for a while a few years ago

Would this include all the processed and packaged items encased in plastic?

Again......too many missing the bigger picture - or any picture.

It's a step in the right direction. It seems like the naysayers here would prefer they did nothing until they can solve the entire problem, a solution which also escapes every other nation.

43 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

It's a step in the right direction. It seems like the naysayers here would prefer they did nothing until they can solve the entire problem, a solution which also escapes every other nation.

Naive is as naive does.

Better late than never!

56 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Naive is as naive does.

what's naive? Taking steps to solve the plastic waste problem?

Always good to set high aspirations. But, the issue with plastic is that a high percentage of it simply cannot be reused. It is very hard to sort and there are too many grades of it. Best to avoid as much use of it as possible. 

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I compel her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring your own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing.

 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. Alot of local places do this. But, the tourist places don't. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Always good to set high aspirations. But, the issue with plastic is that a high percentage of it simply cannot be reused. It is very hard to sort and there are too many grades of it. Best to avoid as much use of it as possible. 

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I compel her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can.

 

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring your own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away.

 

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing.

 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. Alot of local places do this. But, the tourist places don't. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference.

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

 

Not wanting to be a grammar nazi but part of the reason they look at you like you came from Mars might be "I always mai sai toom. No plastic!" A bag is "toong" and you should say "mai ow toong". ????

12 hours ago, Seppius said:

I seem to remember 7-Elevens stopped using plastic for a while a few years ago

..... and then started again during COVID.  Now it's back to plastic bags plus 5 plastic spoons and 23 plastic straws.

All supermarkets and 7-11 shops should be required to set up plastic take-back containers where customers can return all their plastic waste. 

19 hours ago, farmerjo said:

It's that long a go i forget what we used before plastic.

Was it trees?

Pull up a sandbag and I will spin you a tale of how we used to drink oriiginal Singha beer out of mugs fashioned from sections of bamboo.......

On 2/20/2023 at 12:56 PM, Seppius said:

I seem to remember 7-Elevens stopped using plastic for a while a few years ago

Yes, then there was a period of charging a few baht for a plastic bag... nowadays can't say as I notice what they do, but I get a bag. The supermarket I use does not give them away.... but everything from cooked chicken, loose fruit and veg and pre packed foods generally come in plastic. Drinks always have done and still do, Not much progress really.