From this Friday (September 1), beer in glass containers will be banned from Koh Tao as part of attempts to solve the garbage problem on the island.

 

Only canned beer will be allowed, said Pollution Control Department director general Pinsak Suraswadi on Wednesday. Vendors on the island will sell only canned beer, he said.

 

The ban is part of the cooperation between the department, Surat Thani authorities and other agencies concerned, who all agreed to push for tourism on Koh Tao to be sustainable.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/no-more-beer-in-glass-bottles-on-koh-tao/

 

-- Thai PBS 2023-08-30

 

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Coke, Pepsi and Est????

Great idea.

I switched to cans years ago. Unfortunately, not all beers are available in cans.

But bottles of single malt scotch whisky?  Changing that is a no no.????

Isn't this upside down ???

 

Glass is perhaps the most environmentally and trash-free of all the potential receptacles. 

The beach is basically made up of 'glass'... 

 

The logic behind this is preposterous, it is perhaps only vaguely understandable how some such policy can be put place after living here and seeing the irrational and utterly illogical decisions take effect.

 

Even can's have plastic inside them....   

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Tropicalevo said:

Great idea.

I switched to cans years ago. Unfortunately, not all beers are available in cans.

But bottles of single malt scotch whisky?  Changing that is a no no.????

Why is it a great idea ?

 

Glass bottles are not polluting and fully recyclable... 

Cans have a plastic lining.

 

 

12 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

just try and take my glass sangsom bottle from my cold dead hands!  

RIP

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why is it a great idea ?

 

Glass bottles are not polluting and fully recyclable... 

Cans have a plastic lining.

 

 

Cans compact down. So it is easier to put them into garbage bags for the recycle collectors. Also, many more in a bag.

The collectors that make a living from collecting the recycle items make more money than with glass bottles. (So they told me.)

They prefer cans. Lighter to carry, easier to carry and do not break and cause damage. Broken bottles mixed up with the garbage are very nasty.

The bottles only make money when they are in the original box and can be returned to the brewery. Again, so I was informed.

Broken glass bottles are very dangerous pollution. Not all recycling places will take bottles. So they are not fully recyclable. They will all buy cans.

These comments are based on living in Samui. All of our garbage is shipped to the mainland. Eventually.

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Glass is perhaps the most environmentally and trash-free of all the potential receptacles. 

The beach is basically made up of 'glass'... 

Try selling that line to a mother whose kid has just stepped on glass from a broken bottle on the beach.

It didn't go quite according to plan when Coke switched from glass bottles to plastic on Samoa.

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Try selling that line to a mother whose kid has just stepped on glass from a broken bottle on the beach.

I don't recall the last time I was at a beach (or a pool) that allowed glass containers, for that very reason. 

 

I do recall the 6th grade when I stepped on some broken glass in the water and badly slit my foot.

So how do people now drink a 'large' beer?

Local Somchais all around the country like large bottles of Leo or Chang.

I can see where this idea is coming from, but surely there are other ways of improving the situation.

53 minutes ago, 2long said:

So how do people now drink a 'large' beer?

Foster's solved that problem nicely. With their 10w40 cans.

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why is it a great idea ?

 

Glass bottles are not polluting and fully recyclable... 

Cans have a plastic lining.

 

 

I'd guess that weight and volume are factors, as all recyclables have to be transported off the island.

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Cans compact down. So it is easier to put them into garbage bags for the recycle collectors. Also, many more in a bag.

The collectors that make a living from collecting the recycle items make more money than with glass bottles. (So they told me.)

They prefer cans. Lighter to carry, easier to carry and do not break and cause damage. Broken bottles mixed up with the garbage are very nasty.

The bottles only make money when they are in the original box and can be returned to the brewery. Again, so I was informed.

Broken glass bottles are very dangerous pollution. Not all recycling places will take bottles. So they are not fully recyclable. They will all buy cans.

These comments are based on living in Samui. All of our garbage is shipped to the mainland. Eventually.

Makes sense... thanks for the explanation. 

4 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Glass is perhaps the most environmentally and trash-free of all the potential receptacles. 

The beach is basically made up of 'glass'... 

Try selling that line to a mother whose kid has just stepped on glass from a broken bottle on the beach.

No one ever cut themselves on a torn open beer can, or a sharp fragmented shell ?

 

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

I'd guess that weight and volume are factors, as all recyclables have to be transported off the island.

Yeah...   That angle makes good sense.

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

No one ever cut themselves on a torn open beer can, or a sharp fragmented shell ?

 

No, never.   To use the words of someone earlier in the thread  (can't be ar_sed to check who) that's a "preposterous, irrational and utterly illogical" idea!

22 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

42 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

No one ever cut themselves on a torn open beer can, or a sharp fragmented shell ?

 

No, never.   To use the words of someone earlier in the thread  (can't be ar_sed to check who) that's a "preposterous, irrational and utterly illogical" idea!

WRONG - people cut themselves on the beach on torn open beer cans.... I've seen it a few times.

 

However, as you have rightly gloated... Other post have been informative and I now understand the logic of such a policy to ban glass beer bottles and instead utilise more cans, it is borne of compatibility, volume, transport issues rather than the specific environmental impact of the individual receptacle which was not well explained in the Op. 

 

 

 

 

Not enough plastic to destroy the enviroment.. Please more straws and plastic bags too..and no bins anymore... 

4 hours ago, 2long said:

So how do people now drink a 'large' beer?

Local Somchais all around the country like large bottles of Leo or Chang.

I can see where this idea is coming from, but surely there are other ways of improving the situation.

Not many Somchais on Koh Tao.

Mostly Burmese, foreigners living/working there and tourists.

All garbage on Koh Tao (and the other nearby islands) has to be taken to the mainland by boat.

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why is it a great idea ?

 

Because  Pinsak Suraswadis brother has just opened a can re cycling plant.

12 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Cans compact down. So it is easier to put them into garbage bags for the recycle collectors. Also, many more in a bag.

The collectors that make a living from collecting the recycle items make more money than with glass bottles. (So they told me.)

They prefer cans. Lighter to carry, easier to carry and do not break and cause damage. Broken bottles mixed up with the garbage are very nasty.

The bottles only make money when they are in the original box and can be returned to the brewery. Again, so I was informed.

Broken glass bottles are very dangerous pollution. Not all recycling places will take bottles. So they are not fully recyclable. They will all buy cans.

These comments are based on living in Samui. All of our garbage is shipped to the mainland. Eventually.

Have they never heard of a bottle bank?

14 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

just try and take my glass sangsom bottle from my cold dead hands!  

I really wouldnt want to say that on ko Tao. 

I would start with some clean up among all those unsolved murder cases ..... might be more effective than glass and aluminium together. Latter is definitely the poorer choice as far as environment issues are concerned and many beer drinkers might agree to the fact, that a beer from a can tastes not as good as from a bottle ......... 

good move and charge 5 Baht per can  and pay the 5 Baht per can when  taken to recycle center like in the USA 

Well, some countries use plastic bottles for beer. Not so bad.

17 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Coke, Pepsi and Est????

Est, taste like piss. Buy one - enjoy twice ????.

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Isn't this upside down ???

Glass is perhaps the most environmentally and trash-free of all the potential receptacles. 

The beach is basically made up of 'glass'... 

The logic behind this is preposterous, it is perhaps only vaguely understandable how some such policy can be put place after living here and seeing the irrational and utterly illogical decisions take effect.

Even can's have plastic inside them....   

Yep, glass is the easiest to recycle. 

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Have they never heard of a bottle bank?

On Koh Tao. I doubt it.

What good would that do? They still have to ship everything to the mainland.

It is probably the shipping that is the bigger problem.

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Isn't this upside down ???

 

Glass is perhaps the most environmentally and trash-free of all the potential receptacles. 

The beach is basically made up of 'glass'... 

 

The logic behind this is preposterous, it is perhaps only vaguely understandable how some such policy can be put place after living here and seeing the irrational and utterly illogical decisions take effect.

 

Even can's have plastic inside them....   

 

 

 

 

Great post, but please do not try logically explaining greenness. It is feelings and virtue over fact.

Koh Tao has problems. Glass bottles are somewhere near the bottom of the list in terms of seriousness.