Time to banish plastic bags in Thailand?

[Camilo Diaz]

There is no way we (farangs) can change the Thai way, but there is things we can do, like carrying your own bags so you wont need any more, I even get the plastic boxes from my breakfast back to the shop everyday where I buy it so they can use it again. I try to tell them to use paper boxes better but you know what the answer is.... any way we can all start doing something instead of bitching about here. right?

[neeray]

Neither plastic bags or paper bags are required.

In Canada, we now use tote bags made of cotton, hemp, heavy-gauge plastic, almost any material.

Plastic bags are still available (if you forget your tote) but there is a nominal charge for them.

One supermarket chain that I go to maintains a bin near check-out where they put the empty boxes that their products arrive in. This system works very well.

Remembering to take your tote along takes a bit of getting used to. But the benefits to the planet make it a great cause.

[geisha]

What with the beaches and roads strewn with all sorts of rubbish, styrofoam take away boxes , bottles , and plastic bags hanging from the trees like macabre Christmas decorations, I sometimes think that Thailand has become one big rubbish dump. Do they not realise how ugly this is ? Ban all plastic bags, make the bigger ones in supermarkets 50 baht to buy. Stop this massacre of nature !

[MauiSteveBKK]

Thailand Is Horrible.

I live half Bangkok -- Half Maui, Hawaii.

Against the law to use plastic in Hawaii.

Only recyclable brown bags, and you take a bag to stores and get discount.

I will post one single idea as to how to handle recycle products.

[lucifer666]

Went diving a few months ago and saw a bloom of jellyfish that turned out to be around 50 plastic bags. Spent the rest of the dive collecting them

[kannot]

But i love the little bags they give me with my chewing gum and cigarettes and small cartons of soy milk and small bottles of water.

I really need those bags for such items.

And i need a bag of Fanta too.

Youll need one for over yer head too..............no cheating NO HOLES

[bhorn]

Yes I agree plastic is a big problem here in Thailand, they have a lot of recycling in many countries like Cameroun like RED-PLAST SARL.

[kannot]

Neither plastic bags or paper bags are required.

In Canada, we now use tote bags made of cotton, hemp, heavy-gauge plastic, almost any material.

Plastic bags are still available (if you forget your tote) but there is a nominal charge for them.

One supermarket chain that I go to maintains a bin near check-out where they put the empty boxes that their products arrive in. This system works very well.

Remembering to take your tote along takes a bit of getting used to. But the benefits to the planet make it a great cause.

Even though what you are buying has been flown half way round the world eh? ITS NOT THE BAGS thats are the problem, its the people using them and how they use/discard them

[mike324]

just charge people 3-5 baht per bag, that will reduce the usage

[TomYumpoochai]

Im all in favour of keeping the plastic bags as i just follow the trail of rubbish i see and it leads me to all the best waterfalls and viewpoints....much easier than wasting time with a map.

[kannot]

Im all in favour of keeping the plastic bags as i just follow the trail of rubbish i see and it leads me to all the best waterfalls and viewpoints....much easier than wasting time with a map.

Sad but unbelievably TRUE........they really dont give a crap do they

[Daniel Ingalls]

.......The real irony of the whole thing is......the bag inside the bag, or the box wrapped in plastic, then put in a bag. Over protection of the merchandise, But now they are slowly coming out with new plastic material that decomposes within one year. That should help things somewhat. Better than that 500 year styrofoam coffee cup. Biodegradable things are coming, just takes time.

[Keesters]

Have you ever seen a Thai bend over and pick up a scrap of paper and put it in the trash?

Yes when I asked them to do so with the piece they dropped. Even had a Thai girl pick up here empty drinks cup and followed her till she found a proper place to put it. Even saw a Thai kid get swatted round the head from his mother when I chastised him for dropping litter. Terrible ain't I. But I live here too and hate it being a garbage dump. Be proactive.

Just remember they all know its wrong but it is out of sight out of mind with most. Tell them you saw them litter and they react well. Never had one Thai complain to me. Did have the farang of the girl with the drink cup give me some words about why I speak him girlfriend though.

[NoshowJones]

Education...it's starts all with education though still a long way to go here...

Education in Thailand????????????

[LALes]

I carry a medium-sized, plastic bag folded up wherever I go. Fits easily into a pocket and I just whip it out at

7-11 or the big market before they can bag my stuff. Most staff are delighted to see this behavior. Not only am I

saving bags, I am instilling the recycle theme into their heads, hopefully. If you are serious about cleaning up the

mess, you should be carrying your own bag whenever you go out. It should always be on your checklist before you

leave the house. Money, keys, ID, bag.

[Soutpeel]

so many basic things that are illegal in educated countries

the same educated countries that were throwing their disease ridden feces and urine in the streets not a 100 odd years ago you mean ?

the simplest solution is if you want plastic charge for it

[Keesters]

Neither plastic bags or paper bags are required.

In Canada, we now use tote bags made of cotton, hemp, heavy-gauge plastic, almost any material.

Plastic bags are still available (if you forget your tote) but there is a nominal charge for them.

One supermarket chain that I go to maintains a bin near check-out where they put the empty boxes that their products arrive in. This system works very well.

Remembering to take your tote along takes a bit of getting used to. But the benefits to the planet make it a great cause.

Even though what you are buying has been flown half way round the world eh? ITS NOT THE BAGS thats are the problem, its the people using them and how they use/discard them

The bags are the problem. Take away the bag and you take away the problem of discarding them. If I go on a regular shopping trip I can return home with maybe 20 or more bags. All of which I have no use for. The garbage truck people would rather I not tie my crap up in bags. Just put the crap in my bin they say. Easier for them to sort through to find anything of value. Some of the bags I get might be very small just big enough to hold a drink can. What use does that have for the future except to go to the land fill. While I agree with you about irresponsible bag deposal take away the bag and you take away the problem of disposing of it.

My local tesco express has a garbage bin outside the door. It is constantly overflowing with plastic bags little tiny small ones that maybe held a stick of gum. There are so many the overflow ends up being blown down the street. None of these bags were need. They got used for just a few seconds. Please don't tell me the bag is not the problem where it most certainly is.

[Keesters]

Im all in favour of keeping the plastic bags as i just follow the trail of rubbish i see and it leads me to all the best waterfalls and viewpoints....much easier than wasting time with a map.

Sad but unbelievably TRUE........they really dont give a crap do they

But they have a load of crap and just chuck it anywhere. Many showers a day. Personal hygiene is good. Then they go outside and walk through garbage. Incredible.

[neeray]

Neither plastic bags or paper bags are required.

In Canada, we now use tote bags made of cotton, hemp, heavy-gauge plastic, almost any material.

Plastic bags are still available (if you forget your tote) but there is a nominal charge for them.

One supermarket chain that I go to maintains a bin near check-out where they put the empty boxes that their products arrive in. This system works very well.

Remembering to take your tote along takes a bit of getting used to. But the benefits to the planet make it a great cause.

We do have to eat. Very little of what goes into our totes at the grocery store comes from halfway around the world. And it is the grocery store where the greatest amount of bags are used and where the charge per bag is levied. If I am buying elsewhere, I like many, either carry a bag or if only a couple items purchased, tell the cashier "no bag thank you".

[KarenfromAus]

we had no garbage picked up for three weeks due to the local truck being broken down, and after two weeks the street was a total mess, the local dogs had climbed into the bins and shredded everything, the whole street stunk! Even after the binned rubbish was removed on the 4th week, my step mum and I took two days picking up all the plastic bags, bottles, dirty nappies etc. I was pretty disgusted though, when other Thai neighbours came out of their homes to watch.

Thailand needs a better rubbish disposal system, definately more rubbish bins, less dogs to rip up the rubbish and the use of plastic bags limited. If you can fit it in your pocket or handbag refuse the bag. Even if you can't fit it in your pocket and its not neccesary to use a bag then refuse, or make a bit of a fuss handing it back so that others catch on.

I usually take shopping bags with me to the supermarket as I have to do in Aus. as they are no longer freely supplied, suggest other farangs do the same.

In shopping queue's I tell my step mum to tell the person behind, that they don't need a bag.

[marko kok prong]

we had no garbage picked up for three weeks due to the local truck being broken down, and after two weeks the street was a total mess, the local dogs had climbed into the bins and shredded everything, the whole street stunk! Even after the binned rubbish was removed on the 4th week, my step mum and I took two days picking up all the plastic bags, bottles, dirty nappies etc. I was pretty disgusted though, when other Thai neighbours came out of their homes to watch.

Thailand needs a better rubbish disposal system, definately more rubbish bins, less dogs to rip up the rubbish and the use of plastic bags limited. If you can fit it in your pocket or handbag refuse the bag. Even if you can't fit it in your pocket and its not neccesary to use a bag then refuse, or make a bit of a fuss handing it back so that others catch on.

I usually take shopping bags with me to the supermarket as I have to do in Aus. as they are no longer freely supplied, suggest other farangs do the same.

In shopping queue's I tell my step mum to tell the person behind, that they don't need a bag.

Karen,this is a problem in our village,as there is like two bins in the whole soi,so the rubbish piles up next to them,and the damn dogs rip open the bags,then the wind blows it all around,totally inadequate.

[Tanna]

Just an observation.

I travel extensively and would say without a shadow of doubt that India is one of the dirtiest countries there is regarding litter ( and anything else).

The Government of Sikkim ( a self governing Indian state ) banned plastic bags in it's capital city Gantok.

Not sure how they did it .. maybe through fines etc. but it has worked.

Gantok is totally litter free as is much of the rest of Sikkim.

Maybe banning plastic bags and some littering fines would work.

[northernphil]

Ok, somethings need a plastic bag, as said here , taking home wet fish from the market in a brown paper bag not a good idea ,once I ran out of benzine while on my bike and at the nearest roadside bowser the chap wanted to put 20B of benzine in a plastic bag, this was not a good idea either but better than a brown bag. I too hate it in 7-eleven when a packet of fags wrapped in plastic are put in a plastic bag. If you just want to buy a plastic bag go to 7-eleven and get one free.

[Keesters]

we had no garbage picked up for three weeks due to the local truck being broken down, and after two weeks the street was a total mess, the local dogs had climbed into the bins and shredded everything, the whole street stunk! Even after the binned rubbish was removed on the 4th week, my step mum and I took two days picking up all the plastic bags, bottles, dirty nappies etc. I was pretty disgusted though, when other Thai neighbours came out of their homes to watch.

Thailand needs a better rubbish disposal system, definately more rubbish bins, less dogs to rip up the rubbish and the use of plastic bags limited. If you can fit it in your pocket or handbag refuse the bag. Even if you can't fit it in your pocket and its not neccesary to use a bag then refuse, or make a bit of a fuss handing it back so that others catch on.

I usually take shopping bags with me to the supermarket as I have to do in Aus. as they are no longer freely supplied, suggest other farangs do the same.

In shopping queue's I tell my step mum to tell the person behind, that they don't need a bag.

Karen,this is a problem in our village,as there is like two bins in the whole soi,so the rubbish piles up next to them,and the damn dogs rip open the bags,then the wind blows it all around,totally inadequate.

Buy another bin. They are not that expensive. Paint your house number on it. First time the truck comes around talk to the guys to make sure they empty it. I find them rather friendly. Don't envy them their job at all.

[rheinwiese]

Someone told me a few years ago that 7/ll alone were getting through something like 90,000,000 plastic bags a day. Now that is one big figure, 32,850,000,000 a year! I questioned those figures and personally don't think they are far off ..... but then I have never been good at maths!

Thais use 8 plastic bags per person per day, according to the government National News Bureau of Thailand. (2013)

This amounts to an estimated 500 million plastic bags used in Thailand every day if all 67 million people in the country are taken into account.

[Keesters]

Just an observation.

I travel extensively and would say without a shadow of doubt that India is one of the dirtiest countries there is regarding litter ( and anything else).

The Government of Sikkim ( a self governing Indian state ) banned plastic bags in it's capital city Gantok.

Not sure how they did it .. maybe through fines etc. but it has worked.

Gantok is totally litter free as is much of the rest of Sikkim.

Maybe banning plastic bags and some littering fines would work.

Know that part of India together with Darjeeling reasonably well. They are quite law abiding and very trustworthy. Maybe something to do with being a colony.

[JDGRUEN]

If anyone wants plastic bags to disappear from Thailand ... then instead of gnashing teeth or griping about it ... spend the energy to Crowd Fund the solution I posted about in this post...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807110-time-to-banish-plastic-bags-in-thailand/#entry9165884

Plastic bottles are collected all over Thailand and recycled - because there is a market... the same can happen to plastic bags...

Remember all the positions, policies and even propaganda of those who believe that they are Environmentalist or Greenies - cannot always be forced on others. Creating a clean industry to bury the plastic bag waste in usable hybrid 'Lumber' is more achievable than ridding Thailand of plastic bags. And my proposal also creates a system that uses fewer trees for lumber.

The same can be done for waste Styrofoam ... it can be collected - ground into a semblance of the EPS beads that it was made from... Then the ground EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) can be used in making very lightweight cement building blocks or in used as lightweight pour in place cement infill walls in construction. Years down the road when the structures are old and demolished the rubble can be used as landfill for new construction ...

Find solutions instead of fighting windmills...

[Keesters]

Ok, somethings need a plastic bag, as said here , taking home wet fish from the market in a brown paper bag not a good idea ,once I ran out of benzine while on my bike and at the nearest roadside bowser the chap wanted to put 20B of benzine in a plastic bag, this was not a good idea either but better than a brown bag. I too hate it in 7-eleven when a packet of fags wrapped in plastic are put in a plastic bag. If you just want to buy a plastic bag go to 7-eleven and get one free.

OK sometimes a plastic bag can be useful. I doubt many would deny you that. But the majority of bags we can do without and that is really the subject here. Interestingly I wonder how this places that have banned plastic bags altogether cope with your situations. Wet fish wrapped in paper in a sisal bag is how my mom used to do it 60 years ago. Petrol in a coke bottle works if you're careful. People survived before plastic was invented. I can remember those days it is not that long ago.

[krisb]

I use to use plastic bags at the supermarket,

Now I wear pants with lots of pockets.

[Keesters]

If anyone wants plastic bags to disappear from Thailand ... then instead of gnashing teeth or griping about it ... spend the energy to Crowd Fund the solution I posted about in this post...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/807110-time-to-banish-plastic-bags-in-thailand/#entry9165884

Plastic bottles are collected all over Thailand and recycled - because there is a market... the same can happen to plastic bags...

Remember all the positions, policies and even propaganda of those who believe that they are Environmentalist or Greenies - cannot always be forced on others. Creating a clean industry to bury the plastic bag waste in usable hybrid 'Lumber' is more achievable than ridding Thailand of plastic bags. And my proposal also creates a system that uses fewer trees for lumber.

The same can be done for waste Styrofoam ... it can be collected - ground into a semblance of the EPS beads that it was made from... Then the ground EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) can be used in making very lightweight cement building blocks or in used as lightweight pour in place cement infill walls in construction. Years down the road when the structures are old and demolished the rubble can be used as landfill for new construction ...

Find solutions instead of fighting windmills...

One of my Thai kids grandma was a garbage picker. She said there was no money in plastic bags and Styrofoam anymore and didn't bother collecting it. I save all my bottles glass and plastic. When the bin gets full I watch out for the mute garbage picker who works my area. I put the bin outside for her to sort through. When she's done I bring the bin back in. All the plastic bottles have been transferred to my regular garbage bin and she only took the glass.

Down in Ban Amphur near to the beach there was the one and only plastic bag recycling place I've seen. They would wash, scrub and dry the bags before selling them on. It has been closed now for at least six months.

I've noticed a trend in packing of electronic and electrical goods recently in that they don't seem to use Styrofoam so much. Recycled paper in egg carton shape seems to be the current trend. And in Thailand if you have something delivered and it involves a box the guys will wait and take away the empty carton for you. Had that with new TV and fridge recently.