BMA Urges People To Reduce Use Of Plastic Bags

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BMA urges people to reduce use of plastic bags

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will encourage Bangkok people to reduce the use of plastic bags in the capital city via its ‘No Bag No Baht’ campaign from 15 May 2010 onwards.

According to Bangkok Deputy Governor, Pornthep Techapaibul, shops participating in the campaign will offer 1 THB discount if their customers use their own fabric bag upon every 100 THB purchased. Customers will be charged 1 THB if they ask for plastic bags from shops.

Jatujak weekend market will pilot the project from 15 May 2010 for two months. About 5,000 from 8,000 shops in Jatujak market have agreed to take part in the program. The campaign then will be evaluated for its effectiveness before being implemented in other department stores.

Bangkok Governor, MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, will preside over the launching ceremony of the campaign on 15 May 2010 at 16.30 hrs at Jatujak weekend market. Brochures and 5,000 fabric bags will be distributed in the market to all shoppers as a part of the campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags.

Mr Pornthep explained that the BMA would like to encourage people to help conserve the environment because there are more than 600,000 plastic bags used daily, and the BMA must shoulder the expense of more than 600 million THB per year to dispose them.

-- NNT 2010-05-11

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[goldfinger]

as long as every lip stick is put in a plastic bag, nothing will change.

[bkkjames]

Is 711 on the list of participating businesses? If so, can they also do away with 80 straws for each coke purchased?

[jamora]

1 BHT discount

They should add a cost for plastic bags, and one that people can feel!!! Like 5-10THB pr. bag. That way you wont ask for a plastic bag when you purchase one bottle of water!

[bkkjames]

1 BHT discount

They should add a cost for plastic bags, and one that people can feel!!! Like 5-10THB pr. bag. That way you wont ask for a plastic bag when you purchase one bottle of water!

the problem with saying "do you want a plastic bag - they cost 1 baht more" is two-fold.

1. you have to barcode the bags because imagine the poor teller at some superstore trying to find what aisle they came from in order to price check them and

2. because of the different sizes of bags available, arguments will start over things like "i want the big bag for my phone card" and "that bag has a whole in it"

I don't know how they plan to get around the soft drink in the plastic bag thingy, never mind the Thai soups etc sold on the street.

Advice: Dump your stock in elastic band producers immediately.

[olivier2553]

At least around here, clerks at 108 shops wait to be asked for a bag before giving one.

I may be wrong, but I understand that the bag is considered part of the service: you would not deliver a good without a proper wrapping.

[Sunbelt Asia]

There was an article a few months back about a coalition of retailers -- including 7-Eleven -- banding together to stop/limit the use of plastic bags. Very sorry to see that nothing apparently came of it.

It's wonderful how many countries, particularly those in the developing world, are banning plastic bags in their entire country and using other methods to eliminate their use. Sorry to say Thailand is not among those.

If you've dived in the Gulf of Thailand, particularly off Pattaya, the impact of the plastic bag problem becomes very evident.

Recently there was a story about how the Navy's turtle conservation center had done an autopsy on one turtle and found its insides full of plastic bags it had eaten, thinking they were the jellyfish turtles love to snack on.

It's easy to scoff and make jokes like "it will never happen" but it will benefit all of us if we do what we can to cut down on plastic bag use.

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