george Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Cutting back on plastic bags BANGKOK: -- On the occasion of Earth Day yesterday, the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry launched a campaign to cut plastic-bag consumption in the country by at least 10 per cent. Currently, Thais dispose of 1,800 tonnes of used plastic bags every day. "We are focusing on plastic bags because they pose a serious threat to the environment," Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti said. "If plastic-bag consumption is successfully reduced, carbon dioxide emissions will also drop." Plastic does not compose on its own and with more than 40,000 tonnes of garbage collected every day, transportation to disposal facilities or landfills also gets expensive. Suwit hopes the public will co-operate in the campaign, which runs until June 5. "Plastic bags are a part of people's every day life, and they can make a difference right away," Suwit said. The campaign has won participation from many businesses, including Foodlands, Villa Market, The Mall, Jusco, Siam Makro, Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Carrefour, 7-Eleven, Robinson and Big C. Suwit said his ministry was also planning to manufacture bio-plastic bags that can decompose naturally. "Although bio-plastic bags cost more to produce, the government might introduce tax measures to help," he said, adding that the government was also adopting many measures to reduce global warming. "We plan to reduce petrol consumption, increase green areas and introduce carbon labels," he said. -- The Nation 2009-04-23 Follow the Breaking News here: 1. Sign up for Breaking Newsletter by email: http://www.thaivisa.com/353.0.html 2. Download our Toolbar for IE and Firefox: http://toolbar.thaivisa.com 3. Follow the Breaking News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Thailand without plastic bags? Funny... almost every 2 or 3 years the same old story. To get rid-off plastic bags out of the "Thai way of live" will need more efforts than a statement from a Ministry. At least a 1y year educational press/tv/radio/ad campaign. The plastic bag is a part of Thai "culture" - sad but true! Edited April 23, 2009 by webfact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadman Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 ppphhhhh.... The best improvement Thailand could do is re use the plastic bags to collect up all the other bloody rubbish that Thai's throw everywhere. And ratun cane those that litter until the message gets through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Last time I was in Australia I went to Office works and was ready to purchase $1500 of goods. I askeded for a plastic bag to carry it...was refused and told I could buy a reusable bag. Cancelled the order and came to Thailand. Maybe I will have to move again. Edited April 23, 2009 by harrry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AleG Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I tried exactly once to not use plastic bags when doing my shopping at Tesco. I had to wait while the checkout girl put little stamps in all the products to show that they had been paid... It's not that I waste 5 minutes, every person in the cue also wastes 5 minutes, unacceptable. If they decide to change that I'll start doing my shopping with a canvas bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. They do. The correct price for the bag is included in the product allready. Not any inflated price. Edited April 23, 2009 by harrry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thanh-BKK Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Hi. I think it's not the problem getting a plastic bag - the problem is getting FIVE plastic bags for FOUR items! Sure, a Pepsi bottle is heavy, but does one single Pepsi bottle really require two plastic bags..? And if so, the other three items would still fit inside there as well. But for some reason "food" has to be separated from "stationery" and "detergent" and "car accessory"..... three small items, one larger one, five plastic bags. Tesco Lotus On Nut! "My" 7-Eleven knows me by now and doesn't even ask if i want a plastic bag for single items..... Kind regards.... Thanh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivinginKata Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. I agree with that. I often buy one or two small items in 7/11 or local minimart. They rush to plastic bag it, and I always say (in my broken Thai) mee plastic paw uban, krap. Don't know if my bad Thai, but they look at me as if I'm mad to not accept a plastic bag .... sigh sigh ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehaigh Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) Last time I was in Australia I went to Office works and was ready to purchase $1500 of goods. I askeded for a plastic bag to carry it...was refused and told I could buy a reusable bag. Cancelled the order and came to Thailand. Maybe I will have to move again. you base your life choices on where you get an over-abundance of free plastic bags! i base mine on the availability of cheap beer and hot girls. i guess everyone has their reasons. Edited April 23, 2009 by stevehaigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katasyd Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 7/11 are the worst offenders. I go to buy a can of Coke, they give it to me in a plastic bag with 3 straws. True story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 (edited) 7/11 are the worst offenders.I go to buy a can of Coke, they give it to me in a plastic bag with 3 straws. True story. thats true... this "well trained" staff at 7/11 is ordered to give a straw and a bag with every bottle sold! Blame and shame to the managers. Staff does what has been "ordered". Give 1 plastic bag + 1 straw! I had that straw experience once with a ketchup bottle! I am not kidding. And if you refuse a plastic back some of the sales girls faces turn into disbelieve and "shock". No plastic bag? These are my observations. Edited April 23, 2009 by webfact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skorchio Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. Yes, the move was extremely successful in Ireland, where it went nationwide many years ago. Nowadays, everyone has carrier bags in their car. The only people you see actually paying for plastic bags are usually embarassed to be doing so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. Yes, the move was extremely successful in Ireland, where it went nationwide many years ago. Nowadays, everyone has carrier bags in their car. The only people you see actually paying for plastic bags are usually embarassed to be doing so. I have very strong doubts the Irish model will work here in Thailand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazza Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I bought a cloth bag with my small amount of groceries here at Big C.... they put it in a plastic bag!!!!! So much for the Save the Earth slogan on the bag!!!!!!!!!! A Thai friend told me that it is very bad mannered to send someone off with things NOT in a bag and that other vendors will think you're not polite as they see your customers leaving with things in hand... This is yet another part of Thai culture that will take generation to change! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaethon Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Tescos are mad for plastic bags - I occasionally try to talk them out of bagging items, usually get a blank stare and a bag anyway. Most days I stop my trolley at the exit and repack everything - just to make it more carryable. Almost always I end up with half the number of carrier bags. I do however use the excess bags as bin liners, but even so I have to throw many bags away. By the time I left the UK, Tescos were becoming REALLY stingy over plastic bags, which was annoying and B&Q had given them up completely. Surely there is some middle way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnoldjr Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 "Although bio-plastic bags cost more to produce, the government might introduce tax measures to help," he said, adding that the government was also adopting many measures to reduce global warming. Translation: Let's use this as an excuse to line our pockets even more. The 300% tax on cars and pocketing most of the taxpayers money each year isn't enough to keep us happy. We're also coming up with new ways to give our families contracts for "environmental" projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baramunchies Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 how about not giving straws when one buys beer cans? lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianh68 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 This is daft. I now have six canvas bags handed to me free by reps at IMPACT, Queen Sirikit Centre and various SkyTrain stations. I take them with me to Carrefour and give them to the check out girl before the goods I'm buying. Never had a problem. Take one to 7 and hold it open for the shop assistant to put things in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. Yes, the move was extremely successful in Ireland, where it went nationwide many years ago. Nowadays, everyone has carrier bags in their car. The only people you see actually paying for plastic bags are usually embarassed to be doing so. I have very strong doubts the Irish model will work here in Thailand! It's worked very well in Shanghai, China. Since charging .3 yuan for a plastic bag over the past year vitually everone carries their own re-usable bags when shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n23 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Hi.I think it's not the problem getting a plastic bag - the problem is getting FIVE plastic bags for FOUR items! Sure, a Pepsi bottle is heavy, but does one single Pepsi bottle really require two plastic bags..? And if so, the other three items would still fit inside there as well. But for some reason "food" has to be separated from "stationery" and "detergent" and "car accessory"..... three small items, one larger one, five plastic bags. Tesco Lotus On Nut! "My" 7-Eleven knows me by now and doesn't even ask if i want a plastic bag for single items..... Kind regards.... Thanh Yes I agree, it ridiculous. My local Tops does the same they would probably only use half the amount of bags if they didn't separate everything. Also 7-Eleven and Family Mart have the practice of given out drinking straws for every drink you buy even a bottle of milk or a carton of orange juice, more wasted plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewfr Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Start charging for plastic bags. Problem solved. Yes, the move was extremely successful in Ireland, where it went nationwide many years ago. Nowadays, everyone has carrier bags in their car. The only people you see actually paying for plastic bags are usually embarassed to be doing so. I have very strong doubts the Irish model will work here in Thailand! The ban is reasonably successful in India. In Delhi recently and no plastic bags available in the shops around Connaught Place. If they can do it surely the Thais can try? After all much of Thai culture is based on Indian models.... see: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3132387.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slim Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Everyone get a MACRO account. No plastic bags there. (on second thoughts - please don't - its busy enough) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beacher Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Cutting back on plastic bagsBANGKOK: -- On the occasion of Earth Day yesterday, the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry launched a campaign to cut plastic-bag consumption in the country by at least 10 per cent. Currently, Thais dispose of 1,800 tonnes of used plastic bags every day. Can that number be right? If 1 tonne = 1,000 kgs or 1,000,000 grams, and the average shopping bag (according to online sources) weighs 5.5 grams, and if Thais are diposing of 1,800 tonnes daily, that would work out to 327,272,727 bags everyday. In a country of 65,000,000 people that would work out to each and every Thai disposing of just over 5 bags each day, or 35 a week. And remember, that's 5 for each Thai including babies, school children, the elderly, etc. Seems ridiculously high to me, but perhaps my math is wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UbonTaz Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I got tired of all the plastic bags collecting around my house so I found some reusable bags for shopping. I normally use at Tesco and have never been denied the use. I have experienced a variety of reactions, smiles, annoyance, cheers, surprise and not just from the clerks. Other shoppers in line have reacted as well. My wife is in the habit of using them as well and has received several comments from foreigns that they have never seen a Thai do this before. It takes some time to create a shift in thinking just as it did in my country USA, Europe and Australia. Long ago I think everybody had to provide their own containers when going to the market, then bags were provided for convenience and now the cycle is completed but must break habits. Makro is doing it already making customers provide their own bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khaowong1 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Cutting back on plastic bagsBANGKOK: -- On the occasion of Earth Day yesterday, the Natural Resource and Environment Ministry launched a campaign to cut plastic-bag consumption in the country by at least 10 per cent. Currently, Thais dispose of 1,800 tonnes of used plastic bags every day. "We are focusing on plastic bags because they pose a serious threat to the environment," Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti said. "If plastic-bag consumption is successfully reduced, carbon dioxide emissions will also drop." Plastic does not compose on its own and with more than 40,000 tonnes of garbage collected every day, transportation to disposal facilities or landfills also gets expensive. Suwit hopes the public will co-operate in the campaign, which runs until June 5. "Plastic bags are a part of people's every day life, and they can make a difference right away," Suwit said. The campaign has won participation from many businesses, including Foodlands, Villa Market, The Mall, Jusco, Siam Makro, Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, Carrefour, 7-Eleven, Robinson and Big C. Suwit said his ministry was also planning to manufacture bio-plastic bags that can decompose naturally. "Although bio-plastic bags cost more to produce, the government might introduce tax measures to help," he said, adding that the government was also adopting many measures to reduce global warming. "We plan to reduce petrol consumption, increase green areas and introduce carbon labels," he said. -- The Nation 2009-04-23 Follow the Breaking News here: 1. Sign up for Breaking Newsletter by email: http://www.thaivisa.com/353.0.html 2. Download our Toolbar for IE and Firefox: http://toolbar.thaivisa.com 3. Follow the Breaking News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgebkk Yeah right, when pigs fly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 50 satang tax on the plastic bag....problem fixed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KayT Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 OMG no more Pepsi in a bag.Now how will I drink my drink if I cant have the bottle????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 When I get done shopping, I can't believe the number of bags I have. And at the store, I am constantly repacking and putting more stuff in a bag. The other problem is the number of people who buy food on the street and get the rice in a bag, the soup in a bag, the curry in a bag, the pork balls in a bag and then all of that stuff stuffed into a couple of more bags! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anon467367354 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 7/11 are the worst offenders.I go to buy a can of Coke, they give it to me in a plastic bag with 3 straws. True story. Nobody can seemed to be bothered with asking if you want a bag. I always carry my own used plastic bags. I don't want a straw that is supposed to go into my mouth handled by nose-picking fingers. Who the hel_l would want an unwrapped straw in this country? Buy 8 cups of yoghurt, you get 8 spoons, no questions asked. The problem is kii giat, too lazy to ask. When I tell them why I don't want a plastic bag, it's as if it went right over their head. (pun intended) Another plastic bag catastrophe is the hot food. A little research and one will find that phthalates are a major cause of birth defects and cervical problems. Is it any wonder that the Bangkok Post reported yesterday that Thailand has one of, if not the highest infertility rate in Asia, if not the world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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