Thai environment minister declares war on plastic bags at markets - D-Day July 21st

[webfact]

Thai environment minister declares war on plastic bags at markets - D-Day July 21st

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thailand has announced its latest "D-Day" in the war against litter.

 

This one is July 21st when the environment minister General Surasak Kanjanarat is declaring war on plastic bags.

 

In the initial face of the battle the Thai authorities will be conducting a charm offensive to stop traders and the public using so many plastic bags at fresh food markets nationwide.

 

Gen Surasak said yesterday that the country uses a staggering 45 billion bags a year.

 

Forty per cent of these are used at fresh food markets. That is around 18 billion bags.

 

So he has decided to start a campaign.

 

It is called: "Doing good from the heart. Less Taking, Less Giving, Less Using Plastic Bags".

 

Signage will be going up at 7,000 markets nationwide. The aim is to reduce plastic bag usage by 20% or 3.6 billion bags at markets by next year. There is also a target to reduce foam container usage by 10% by 2019.

 

Thai Rath also said in their story that some 400,000 convenience stores nationwide make up 30% of plastic bag usage or 13.5 billion bags annually.

 

No mention was made when the government might address the problem at these kind of stores.

 

Thaivisa notes that the term "sai thung" (put it in a bag) is one of the first expressions people learn when trying to master the Thai language.

 

May we suggest that people learn "may (tong) sai thung" (not (necessary to) use a bag) to help the campaign!

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-07-19

 

[leeneeds]

Resistance to change,  convenience attitude, 

we all need to do a little more.

[starky]

Should avoid making these big statements. Instead work for a few months actually doing something with quantifiable results then say we have started this campaign and so far achieved.....

 

[Cadbury]

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

"....the environment minister General Surasak Kanjanarat is declaring war on plastic bags".

This so called "declaration of war" on plastic bags has more to do with being seen to be doing something rather than actually doing anything positive. Nothing more than platitudinous waffle.

All ministers need to play this game from time to time to impress the PM and have him think they are doing their job effectively. 

The frequency of such displays is usually in direct proportion to their ineffectiveness as a Minister. 

[chrisinth]

Starting the campaign at food markets maybe isn't the brightest of ideas. Normally the products are not 'dry' and to mix the products in the customer's own bag, as low as the risk maybe, isn't the most hygienic way of bringing wares home. 

 

Especially with the number of reports about the pesticides and other chemicals being used in the growing stages.

[bluesofa]

28 minutes ago, Cadbury said:

This so called "declaration of war" on plastic bags has more to do with being seen to be doing something rather than actually doing anything positive. Nothing more than platitudinous waffle.

All ministers need to play this game from time to time to impress the PM and have him think they are doing their job effectively. 

The frequency of such displays is usually in direct proportion to their ineffectiveness as a Minister. 

Aha, I take it that's Cadbury's Law.

Well defined there.

 

[Surfin CEO]

Another joke by the powers that be in Thailand,  Waste of time,  Just STOP USING PLASTIC. PERIOD!

Over ten years ago Hawaii, USA stopped using plastic bags. You never see them anymore.

We go grocery shopping with a reusable canvas bag brought from home.

WAKE UP THAILAND!

[happy chappie]

just like any other government when they need to control something.tax the nuts out of it.

[lapamita]

stupid and nonsens thats all only blablabla

 

dont  try reduce  and so on,on  plasticbags

 

the problem is to deep

only solution, for people really want to do a change

 

passing a law now, to prohibite plasticbag use now and completly, as well use of plastic in disposabal articles ( incl bottles)

give the law a timeframe of 3 years to be started

thats given the industrie time to develop alternatives with a  law frame , that would alloud these investments. already there are alternative plastic factorys in place on a small scale here in thailand.

 

impose a tax on imports and production of pvc

on  the other hand  give tax atvantages to the alternative industrie under BOi

 

its easy to replace plastic if their is a will and strong support

 

but ,sorry to tell its hopsless in thailand, and maybe already to late.

 

i am just back from a third world country, where i have in 3 weeks less trash like in 2-3 days in thaland. why?  no plastic on markets and shops, supermarket charge nearly 1 usd for one plasticbag ( incomming for people er day is 2 usd) , alternativly  for 1 usd can buy on the market the ebst ever eat quality fish for the equal of one plasticbag !!  and the natural beaches was  99% waste free there!! ( was an island 1000 sqkm sized), the mainland have many problems too, but not with plastic, more exploitation of natural resources due to proverty and corruption)

 

 

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

environment minister General Surasak Kanjanarat is declaring war on plastic bags. 

OK General, how about Thailand going down this route, on the off-chance you want something more than a photo-opportunity.

I keep posting videos about making non-plastic bags from cassava. Here's yet another one:

 

 

 

[ezzra]

And someone should declare war on people who 'declare  war' initiated by officials in high places who has nothing better to do that to show that they're still relevant by starting a war they can't win....

[Thailand]

Been using enviro  friendly reusable bags for years. Used to incredulous looks from staff when saying "Mai sai tung".

However, nowadays the occassional "Di  maak" and big smiles show some progress.

[Vacuum]

32 minutes ago, Surfin CEO said:

Another joke by the powers that be in Thailand,  Waste of time,  Just STOP USING PLASTIC. PERIOD!

Over ten years ago Hawaii, USA stopped using plastic bags. You never see them anymore.

We go grocery shopping with a reusable canvas bag brought from home.

WAKE UP THAILAND!

Yes, this is all fine. However, in Thailand people buy ready-made food which is sold in small plastc bags, how would you handle that?

[canuckamuck]

The market is a place where plastic bags are quite necessary. The emphasis should be on getting people to recycle and above all, to stop throwing their trash all over. Littering is the biggest issue with plastic pollution in Thailand

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, this is all fine. However, in Thailand people buy ready-made food which is sold in small plastc bags, how would you handle that?

No problem. The PM could solve it at a stroke: Article 44 to make food illegal.

 

 

[attrayant]

16 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, this is all fine. However, in Thailand people buy ready-made food which is sold in small plastc bags, how would you handle that?

 

How was it handled before the era of plastic bags?

 

[edit] Speaking from my own experience, which would have been back in the 70s when I was a young teen and started going grocery shopping with my mother, there were, of course, paper bags.  

 

Paper bags do take some getting used to.  They're stronger than plastic but you need to hold them from the bottom and sometimes use two hands if the bags is heavy. 

 

 

However a single paper bag holds perhaps two to three, maybe even four times what will fit in a plastic bag.  When you're finished with it, it folds and stacks neatly.

 

As for street food, there were paper bags for that too.  This pic is from the 60s:

 

 

 

 

 

[DM07]

"It is called: "Doing good from the heart. Less Taking, Less Giving, Less Using Plastic Bags".

 

What a catchy slogan!

It could also be called :"Blah blah blah rhubarb rhubarb waffle waffle!"

When do these freaks under-sa- tand, that they have to implement (and enforce) laws?

As long as it is only "please people...do ...something!", nothing will change!

 

But then again: that isn't the point here!

The point is, that some unimportant official gets some facetime on TV and can blubber something into a microphone!

[Vacuum]

6 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

How was it handled before the era of plastic bags?

 

 

Good question. Maybe in those days the 'lady of the house' actually could cook food at home?

[Chippy151]

At Foodland or Tops where I sometimes go shopping, I have never seen a Thai person refuse even 1 plastic bag. Those customers are often rich and supposedly "well educated". 

What hope is there for this country if they don't understand the negative impact on their own environment?

Maybe they just don't care.

[smedly]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai environment minister declares war on plastic bags at markets - D-Day July 21st

That is all well and good but you also have to offer viable alternatives, take a look at all the street vendors and how they package their wares, it is all plastic, bags, containers, utensils etc 

[attrayant]

4 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Maybe in those days the 'lady of the house' actually could cook food at home?

 

I'm all for that, but many homes simply aren't built for cooking.  If homes have any kitchen at all, it'll be a microkitchen that is useless for anything more complex than heating up water in the microwave. 

 

Even my house, which has eight bedrooms, has a kitchen that has less than one square meter of counter space.  It looks like it was added to the house as an afterthought.  Most food preparation takes place on the floor, using a cutting board.

 

Has anything changed with all the new condos that are going up?  Go to this web site for a new condo project and tell me if you see any kitchen being proudly presented in any of the photos.  There's one in this pic:

 

 

There's a table set for four, and I guess their dinner will be prepared on the top of the washing machine.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

What about packaging? Then straws; how are we going to drink our cocktails and Thickshakes?

[attrayant]

3 minutes ago, Chris Lawrence said:

Then straws; how are we going to drink our cocktails and Thickshakes?

 

Did't have those back in the day either.  You'd think that's something a local startup could handle.  There's no shortage of renewable materials in Thailand that could be used for making durable, compostable straws.  

 

https://www.aardvarkstraws.com/

 

 

Admittedly the paper straws of yore didn't work very well, but today they'r being made with a much sturdier combination of paper/linen or other reinforcing material.  If that adds an extra 50 satang to the cost of the drink, then so be it.

[ChrisY1]

He'll be murdered if he tries to impose this ban at fresh markets.....very silly idea!

Crawl first.....then walk......not here tho'. Must have the usual crackdown, that fades into oblivion in 2 days!

[ChrisY1]

26 minutes ago, Chippy151 said:

At Foodland or Tops where I sometimes go shopping, I have never seen a Thai person refuse even 1 plastic bag. Those customers are often rich and supposedly "well educated". 

What hope is there for this country if they don't understand the negative impact on their own environment?

Maybe they just don't care.

Understand.....but it's universal almost....Australia just imposed a plastic bag ban at supermarkets....near riots was the initial result!

[Surfin CEO]

Biodegradable food packaging is the alternative to plastic bags for food.

What does the rest of the world do?  Those who care about our planet???

[ratcatcher]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

Aha, I take it that's Cadbury's Law.

Well defined there.

 

Cadbury's law, as well put as it is, is simply a chocolate coated version of the 50 year old Peter principle'.

"The Peter principle is a concept in management developed by Laurence J. Peter, which observes that people in a hierarchy tend to rise to their "level of incompetence".

 Illustrated every day in one way or another by politicians and civil servants everywhere.

[spidermike007]

Just the job title "Thai environmental minister" is an oxymoronic statement within itself. What does this guy do all day? 

 

As I stated previously: 

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always mai sai toom. No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I force her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can. 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away. 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. 

Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference. 

 

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?It is easy enough to avoid BPA, and other toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic, if the bottle sits in the sun, or has been sitting for too long, or is re-used a few times. This can easily be avoided by purchasing these bottles shown here. They are on ebay, and shipping to Thailand is either free or less than $1. The bottles are one liter, and a half liter. Only $2-3 each. Worth it. I use them daily. 

 

 

[ratcatcher]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

In the initial face of the battle the Thai authorities will be conducting a charm offensive to stop traders and the public using so many plastic bags at fresh food markets nationwide.

Traditional 'wet markets' are the worst possible place to start this so-called war on plastics. 

How about ordering to cease putting single pre-packaged items in plastic bags which are invariably discarded the moment the purchaser has left the shop. That might help just a bit.

Wet markets on the other hand need some sort of clean container for the buyer to transport the food to their home.

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, attrayant said:

 

How was it handled before the era of plastic bags?

 

[edit] Speaking from my own experience, which would have been back in the 70s when I was a young teen and started going grocery shopping with my mother, there were, of course, paper bags.  

 

Paper bags do take some getting used to.  They're stronger than plastic but you need to hold them from the bottom and sometimes use two hands if the bags is heavy. 

 

 

However a single paper bag holds perhaps two to three, maybe even four times what will fit in a plastic bag.  When you're finished with it, it folds and stacks neatly.

 

As for street food, there were paper bags for that too.  This pic is from the 60s:

 

 

 

 

 

Having worked in marketing for a very large paper manufacturing company I saw the transition from paper to plastic. It was fast and effective. Paper bag manufacturers shut down almost overnight. The large shopping bag shown in your photograph was referred to as the "check-out bag".

The change was brought about by the large supermarket chains demanding plastic bags which were more convenient and cheaper than paper. The supermarkets were well supported by the "greens" who don't like having any trees chopped down even though they might be plantation trees grown for that specific purpose.

The supermarket chains (a few countries excepted) have a "no care - no responsibility" policy and absolve themselves of any moralistic approach to helping fix the problem that plague other Asian countries like Thailand.