Campaign To Reduce Plastic Waste Launched

[george]

Campaign to reduce plastic waste launched

PHUKET CITY: -- In possibly Phuket’s first unilateral move to reduce the volume of trash created each day on the island, the leaders of all 19 local administration organizations on Phuket – as well as representatives of 23 businesses, shops, department stores and resorts on the island – signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at The Metropole hotel on July 9.

The MOU aims to have the signatories actively take part in efforts to reduce the amount of plastic waste on the island, such as used plastic shopping bags and items containing plastic used by resorts.

Leading the signing ceremony was Pireeyutma Vanapruk, President the Development of Environment and Energy Foundation (DEE).

Also signing the MOU were Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima, Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising, Deputy Chief of Patong Municipality Supat Ratanasmahan and Prad Tinnasulanont from CP All Co the Phuket representative of 7-Eleven stores.

Khun Pireeyutma explained that Phuket’s waste problem had reached crisis point, with about 550 tonnes of trash – much of it plastic – being sent to the incinerator at Sapan Hin each day.

He added that the incinerator can dispose of only about 250 tonnes of trash a day.

“This campaign will include assistance from Patong hotels and department stores in Karon and Cherng Talay, while 7-Eleven customers will be asked first if they want a bag for their groceries,” he said.

“Kata Thani Phuket Beach Resort Hotel has been appointed as a representative of hotels in Phuket as the resort already has a good waste-management system to reduce many kinds of waste, including plastic bags,” K. Pireeyutma added.

-- Phuket Gazette 2008-07-17

[Boater]

hopefully 7-11 may pay attention to this

[hkt83100]

Campaign to reduce plastic waste launched“..., while 7-Eleven customers will be asked first if they want a bag for their groceries,” he said.

Just sell the bags. 5 Baht per plastic bag is reasonable and will teach everybody to bring an old one when shopping. It works, at least in my country (Germany).

[Chang_paarp]

So was everyone who attended the ceremony given a bag of goodies to commemorate the event? Please make it a cloth bag.

[dkstoney]

Just ban plastic bags and straws. If you don't bring your own bag then you can buy a cloth or paper one wherever you go.

That way you can responsibly take home your plastic packaged goods for their delayed but inevitable trip to the incinerator. It's NEVER going to get better. Look around you right now and see all the plastic that is part of your daily life. The road to H_ell is paved with good intentions.

[ratcatcher]

Just ban plastic bags and straws. If you don't bring your own bag then you can buy a cloth or paper one wherever you go.

That way you can responsibly take home your plastic packaged goods for their delayed but inevitable trip to the incinerator. It's NEVER going to get better. Look around you right now and see all the plastic that is part of your daily life. The road to H_ell is paved with good intentions.

Every time I go to Tesco-Lotus, Tops, Carrefour etc, I have to stand and supervise the loading of the bags, otherwise I end up with a dozen plastic bags all one third full. Training employees to pack bags efficiently would help. However most Thais, my wife included, will not bother to say anything as we use the bags round the house for garbage. Thus they still end up in the waste stream and dump.

When I buy a small bottle of water at 7-11 they always try and put it in a plastic bag.

I guess people would be annoyed if they didn't.

[geriatrickid]

I'd like to ramble on about how eco sensitive I am because I usually bring a cloth bag and/or a recyled plastic carry all, but the truth is that after having one too many bags from carrefour rip and leave broken bottles and dented fruit on the soi (uber dirty where I stay), I realized it was in my best interest to bring my own bags and pack my own groceries. My Thai friends of course think I'm crazy.

[ChiangMaiAmerican]

The plastic they are burning could be economically converted to oil if this country had the political will to do so. Plastic waste produces an oil yield of about 70% and a gas yield of about 16% using thermal depolymerization to convert it. The technology is proven. It is being used commercially in the US to convert turkey guts and feathers from a ConAgra processing plant into crude oil. Turkey only yields about 39% oil and 6% gas. Plastic that is being burned could be used to help ease the energy situation in Thailand. Instead it is literally going up in smoke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_depolymerization

[geriatrickid]

The plastic they are burning could be economically converted to oil if this country had the political will to do so.

But they do not. End of discussion. Sorry.

[dumball]

Campaign to reduce plastic waste launched"..., while 7-Eleven customers will be asked first if they want a bag for their groceries," he said.

Just sell the bags. 5 Baht per plastic bag is reasonable and will teach everybody to bring an old one when shopping. It works, at least in my country (Germany).

Larger concerns could also offer cloth bags at thier cost , profit would show in the current cost of plastic bags , they could also offer a small discount as in 2% if they bring thier own bags , people love discounts .

[huggybear]

Campaign to reduce plastic waste launched"..., while 7-Eleven customers will be asked first if they want a bag for their groceries," he said.

Just sell the bags. 5 Baht per plastic bag is reasonable and will teach everybody to bring an old one when shopping. It works, at least in my country (Germany).

Larger concerns could also offer cloth bags at thier cost , profit would show in the current cost of plastic bags , they could also offer a small discount as in 2% if they bring thier own bags , people love discounts .

I like this line of reasoning, offer a 10thb discount if you come in with your own bag(s).

[robblok]

In Holland they also charge you for your plastic bags. It helps a lot ppl take their own bags with them and a lot less plastic is beeing used. My thai wife who has lived with me in Holland for 3 months even said that they should do the same in Thailand. But i guess most of the ppl wont think its a good idea. Farang's might think it is but i doubt if many Thais would agree.

[Los78]

Campaign to reduce plastic waste launched"..., while 7-Eleven customers will be asked first if they want a bag for their groceries," he said.

Just sell the bags. 5 Baht per plastic bag is reasonable and will teach everybody to bring an old one when shopping. It works, at least in my country (Germany).

Yes I have to agree. In Thailand they use way too many plastic bags. I cant believe that in 711 they want to put a small peiceof chewing gum into a plastic bag. This should be changed. They should charge a few baht for small purchases if the person wants a plastic bag.

[Plus]

The main problem lies in price of plastic bags - they obviously don't factor in environment or recycling costs. The government should charge manufacturers to cover all the costs to clean up the stuff after it's being sold, then giving away free baqs would matter both to customers and retailers.

Without that charging 5 baht or 2 baht per bag sounds arbitrary, and it doesn't move us an inch towards recycling.