Phuket 'Anti Plastic Bag' Campaign Kicks Into Gear

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Phuket 'anti plastic bag' campaign kicks into gear

Phuket Gazette

If the campaign works well, plastic bags will be a blight of the past in Phuket. Photo: Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- The provincial government campaign to rid the island of plastic bags will start in earnest on February 27, when retailers across Phuket will start handing out free cloth bags to shoppers over the course of one week.

The news was announced on Friday by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak at the signing of the second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the “Phuket plastic bag free campaign”.

At Provincial Hall to mark the occasion were Phuket Provincial Energy Office Chief Jirasak Tummawetch and Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch, deputy chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office.

The campaign aims to hand out 840,000 free cloth bags in 84 days to honor the 84th anniversary of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

“The second MoU has just been signed by more than 40 government departments, schools, local administration organizations, shopping stores, clubs and associations, and now the campaign is ready to be launched on February 27, 2012,” V/Gov Somkiat said.

“We have started publicizing the project among government officials and asked them not to bring plastic bags to work. We have a motivation and punishment policy in place. If any of our officers bring plastic bags to work, we will punish them by making them collecting the litter around their offices,” he said.

“But if they bring cloth bags to work, they will be rewarded,” he added.

Members of the public visiting government offices will also be given preferential treatment for bringing cloth bags, V/Gov said.

“We will reward those who come to government offices with cloth bags by giving them priority service and a souvenir,” he said.

Shopping malls are also to run the campaign, but using different ideas.

“The shopping malls will start the campaign by not giving out plastic bags one day a week. People coming to shop will be given free cloth and paper bags.

“Discounts and extra loyalty points will be awarded to those who keep bringing their own cloth bags to the same store,” V/Gov Somkiat explained.

“We will officially launch the campaign island wide on February 27. I hope everyone is going to cooperate so our island can become plastic-free,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle12151.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-01-30

[Zpete]

Dunno how street venders will manage, everything including beverages come in plastic bags. Imagine a soupn or drink in a paper bag.....

Get real governor.

[thaiIand]

cardboard boxes like in china or america w/ metal+wood pins to hold it. They dont need that cheap plastic.

i know thats what they use in thai restaurants in canada.

Edited January 30, 2012 by thaiIand

[jeanelie]

This action should go worldwide.

[daiwill60]

For all those who knock this incentive to do some good, get a life. It is a a long overdue start and something that needs to be done urgently IMHO.

There is much talk about Thailand trying to attract more tourists, and personally I very often wonder what makes tourists want to come here more than once, when you see the amount of plastic bags/ cartons/ bottles etc that are disgarded everywhere. It just makes what could be a beautiful country, look very untidy and the sooner it gets dealt with across the whole country the better, I think.

There is a lot of fuss about having to pay a surcharge on every plastic bag used in a supermarket in the UK now, I think if many in the UK could see in Thailand, what happens if you don't educate or penalise peolple who cause litter then they would be in for a shock to see the mess and ugliness it really causes if it is allowed to carry on unchecked.

[TechnikaIII]

Dunno how street venders will manage, everything including beverages come in plastic bags. Imagine a soupn or drink in a paper bag.....

Get real governor.

Perhaps YOU "dunno", but where there's a will, there's a way. .. and the 1000 mile journey begins with the first step. If you will not be prepared to give it your best shot, then just step aside and out of the way.

[Galong]

It's difficult to see this as something that will actually take hold, but I'll try to stay optimistic nonetheless. I've at least got all of the many minimarts and shops in my neighborhood to not even offer me a plastic bag now. It's taken a while and a lot of pleading. I don't see anyone else refusing a bag no matter how small the item. My finger will remain crossed. At least someone is trying.

[KarenBravo]

The problem isn't plastic bags. The root problem is littering.

[spidermike007]

Absolutely anything to bring awareness to the plastic problem in Thailand, is a good thing. Imagine something like this happening in Koh Samui, the least progressive spot in ThIland. The mayor Ramnate Jaikwang is sleeping at the wheel, and so busy pillaging the island, there is no time left to do anything to benefit Samui. What a waste. What a crime. Plastic is piling up on the beaches and estuaries and nobody is taking charge.

[anterian]

Dunno what my partner will do, she recycles plastic bags as gloves for picking up dog crap.

[KarenBravo]

I use them as bin liners inside the house. Suspect many people do the same.

As I said before, the root problem is lettering. An anti-littering campaign would be more beneficial.

[eddie61]

Dunno how street venders will manage, everything including beverages come in plastic bags. Imagine a soupn or drink in a paper bag.....

Get real governor.

Why not just tax plastic bags at source..... To obvious maybe and not enough PR value.

Sad!

[LivinginKata]

I use them as bin liners inside the house. Suspect many people do the same.

As I said before, the root problem is lettering. An anti-littering campaign would be more beneficial.

Exactly, all plastic bags are used as bin liners in our homes. Bags full then outside to the road side bins for truck collection. What's the problem.

[KarenBravo]

If people didn't just throw their litter anywhere and all plastic bags ended up at the dump, then there wouldn't be a perceived problem with plastic bags, would there?

Edited January 30, 2012 by KarenBravo

[sirchai]

Good idea! (To use our head teacher's speech), she says it almost perfect?

Always wanted to eat Somtham out of a cloth bag.But poor Mattayom students will have to buy real condoms then, instead of plastic bags?

Looks pretty much like that endangered sea turtles will understand the reason why they're doing it much faster than local citizens....

Edited January 30, 2012 by sirchai

[TheWalkingMan]

I think that this is a good idea and I hope that people take the time to not use plastic bags.

There is a supermarket nearby me here in Tokyo which charges about 2.4 baht per plastic bag which encourages people to bring their own.

The store also sets out cardboard boxes to help customers carry heavier goods home in their cars. The system works. I went there today

and my backpack was full so I had to purchase a bag. I took a look around, maybe 20-25 people in the self-packing area and I was the only

person with a purchased bag. I actually felt a little guilty. Anyway, once people get into it, it becomes second nature to not have plastic.

Everyone from young people to little old ladies bring their own bags.

Note that this is only one supermarket chain and the others in my area have not implemented this plan. It really needs a nudge from

the government to get things rolling.

Additionally, when purchasing say 2,3, or 4 small items in most shops, the cashier usually asks if you want a bag. All these things can

help to reduce plastic bag usage. One more thing that helps is that everyone seems to carry either a backpack, purse, handbag or something.

Edited January 30, 2012 by TheWalkingMan

[thaiIand]

The problem isn't plastic bags. The root problem is littering.

exactly, If you use your plastic bags as garbage bags every single time, they'll just go into a landfill. Yes it will take forever to get back to the earth but as long as its not going into the ocean its not hurting anything.

[thaiIand]

I think that this is a good idea and I hope that people take the time to not use plastic bags.

There is a supermarket nearby me here in Tokyo which charges about 2.4 baht per plastic bag which encourages people to bring their own.

The store also sets out cardboard boxes to help customers carry heavier goods home in their cars. The system works. I went there today

and my backpack was full so I had to purchase a bag. I took a look around, maybe 20-25 people in the self-packing area and I was the only

person with a purchased bag. I actually felt a little guilty. Anyway, once people get into it, it becomes second nature to not have plastic.

Everyone from young people to little old ladies bring their own bags.

Note that this is only one supermarket chain and the others in my area have not implemented this plan. It really needs a nudge from

the government to get things rolling.

Additionally, when purchasing say 2,3, or 4 small items in most shops, the cashier usually asks if you want a bag. All these things can

help to reduce plastic bag usage. One more thing that helps is that everyone seems to carry either a backpack, purse, handbag or something.

you do live in tokyo.

Here you purchase a sim card, they give you a plastic bag, then you strat drinking a random drink, they will get a full plastic bag so that you bring a spare straw without endangering your simcard

[OZEMADE]

Well there is a way now to turn all plastic into oil. As all items made into plastic come from oil and that problem has just been solved. You can now turn any type of plastic back into oil and even refine it into different grades of fuel. 1 Kilo of plastic makes 1 litre of oil.Why havent all these nations got onto this invention.

http://www.flixxy.com/convert-plastic-to-oil.htm

[Jimi007]

I use them as bin liners inside the house. Suspect many people do the same.

As I said before, the root problem is lettering. An anti-littering campaign would be more beneficial.

I agree! It's disgusting around some areas. People not only litter, they just dump trash anywhere they can. Now that there are storm drains in some areas, people just run a sewer to to the nearest grate! Smells great too!

[janverbeem]

All fine and well,but i wonder how that gonna work out when I go for my daily coke in a bag with a rubber and have to provide my own cloth bag.

[chivo]

The office I work for in Thailand gave every employee a cloth bag in the interest of less plastic bag use. Guess what: each cloth bag came in a plastic bag of its own. True.

[sscsamui]

They need to get 7-11 on board and educate the sales person on to give customers a plastic bag for a 1 bag of nut....

[virtualtraveller]

For a country that can push through an absurdly ineffective law that bans alcohol sales between 2 an 5pm, surely they could tax plastic bags, I doubt it will lose them any votes.

For one someone should pressure 7 Eleven to least get their staff to ask one simple question 'do you need a plastic bag', I think you'll be surprised at the effect it has.

[fiddlehead]

They need to get 7-11 on board and educate the sales person on to give customers a plastic bag for a 1 bag of nut....

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Plastic bags have a use, sometimes.

But they are way overused.

When I buy a Coke at 7-11 and they try to put in a bag???

When I buy a 5kg bag of rice at Big C and they try to put it in 2 bags?

Charge 1 baht for the bags, the use will go down dramatcally. guananteed.

It's the only way to cut down on them IMO.

This cloth bag thing has been tried before. It doesn't work. People buy on impulse all too often and don't have their cloth bag with them.

[Payboy]

Shopping malls are also to run the campaign, but using different ideas.

I'll believe that when Tops doesn't deliver groceries to my door in double plastic bags.

[steelepulse]

The problem isn't plastic bags. The root problem is littering.

exactly, If you use your plastic bags as garbage bags every single time, they'll just go into a landfill. Yes it will take forever to get back to the earth but as long as its not going into the ocean its not hurting anything.

For Phuket people, the landfill means the pile of garbage at the side of the road that they simply add their rubbish to, unless of course they wish to start their own landfill 100 metres away.

[thaiIand]

thats only for rawai

[steelepulse]

I guess you missed the gazette;s crusade a few years ago where roadside landfills were everywhere and the gazette took photos and published them weekly. Been to Koh Sireh lately? Been on the cut through road from Honda over to Kathu? These roadside dumps are everywhere. How about the road by the stunt show?

[rubik101]

For those of you who think plastic bags are not a problem, visit Google and do some research. Here's one site to get you started.

http://www.reuseit.com/learn-more/top-facts/plastic-bag-facts