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

[Zack61]

Educate, communicate,eradicate. Not impossible but requires some serious backing at a government level to force change. 

Humans are very adaptable people who resist change as a natural reflex. In a few years we’ll be wondering what all the fuss was about. (Hopefully)

[kannot]

36 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Were they not called PANIERS in the good old days...........bags to carry bread en Francais.

 

Yes but its way WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better to put them in a basket in front of the headlight and use only at night...................in Thailand

[PEE TEE]

11 hours 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!

Good idea . but is it  ok if i keep a small plastic bag to keep my phone dry . but you are right. plastic is killing the planet and  nature's creatures 

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, balo said:

What is the point in making big statements about this when the markets do not have any alternatives to plastic bags ? What about the Dutch invention of biodegredable bags , they need to import billions of it and offer it to all the stall owners, and customers need to pay maybe 10 baht extra.

There is an alternative that can be grown in Thailand. See this earlier post:

 

 

[jamie2009]

Start by charging 3 Baht a bag like they did in the UK, 5p a bag, now in most Supermarkets in the UK plastic bags are no longer available only long life non plastic ones.

In Big C they must go though thousands as at the tills they tend too put very few items in one bag.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

I think that people are being asked to be a bit more responsible regarding the use of plastic bags, Of course, if you "decide to do some impromptu shopping" then you may have to use plastic bags, but if you know that you are going shopping, then take your own bags with you - use a bit of common sense!

How does "common sense" come into it if there are NO plastic bags provided anywhere. I was replying to a member who stated that in the USA NO plastic bags are available anywhere... in which case, impromptu shopping would be problematic.

 

Personally, I'm not concerned about plastic bags. Keep them coming. It's very convenient. I use them all twice.

[ThaiLover4321]

They should do as they did in Ireland and introduce a small "fee" or tax per bag used and the usage would drop precipitously. It's ridiculous that even the smallest items are bagged in 7/11 for example-no need for it and its killing the environment. 

[goegoe]

I am so sure that most of the people who comment here are using plastic bags almost daily.

I haven't got one from any shop since years.

Start by looking at YOUR bad habits before talking $hit about other people.

 

 

 

[attrayant]

3 minutes ago, goegoe said:

I haven't got one from any shop since years.

Start by looking at YOUR bad habits before talking $hit about other people.

 

I'm absolutely positive that you're lying, and you use plastic bags all the time.  Sometimes you even ask for extra plastic bags at the checkout and throw them in the klong on the way home.  Why don't you change your own bad habits before lecturing us?

[goegoe]

35 minutes ago, goegoe said:

I am so sure that most of the people who comment here are using plastic bags almost daily.

I haven't got one from any shop since years.

Start by looking at YOUR bad habits before talking $hit about other people.

 

 

 

 

As i do not quote people who do not know how to read, I quote myself because there is nothing else to be told.

 

 

[fullcave]

Why they don't make war on litter by raising awareness? These people litter without abandon. You can't do that in civilised countries!  Plastic bags are only a small part of the problem. How about a love and respect your country and don't treat it like a goddamn trash bin campaign? 

[alanratch]

I retired 15 years ago from a small supermarket that I owned,

For the last 5 years in business I charged 2p per carrier bag that cut the plastic bags down by 75%

And all the cardboard boxes that the products came in from the cash and carries were given to customers.

It saved me money for the disposal of the cardboard and I made money on the carrier bags that I sold.

But here in Thailand shops make money from cardboard, so may be that would not work.

[Ks45672]

13 hours 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!

How about raw meats, chicken and fish? 

[sambum]

2 hours ago, tropo said:

DUP

 

 

 

2 hours ago, tropo said:

How does "common sense" come into it if there are NO plastic bags provided anywhere. I was replying to a member who stated that in the USA NO plastic bags are available anywhere... in which case, impromptu shopping would be problematic.

 

Personally, I'm not concerned about plastic bags. Keep them coming. It's very convenient. I use them all twice.

My apologies - I did not realise who you were replying to, and if indeed there are NO plastic bags available I can understand your problem, and paper bags are not the answer in a country where torrential downpours are frequent.

However, you must/should be concerned by the damage that plastics are doing to the environment, and to say "Keep them coming" because they are "convenient" is in my opinion a bit irresponsible.  

[DefaultName]

39 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

 

My apologies - I did not realise who you were replying to, and if indeed there are NO plastic bags available I can understand your problem, and paper bags are not the answer in a country where torrential downpours are frequent.

However, you must/should be concerned by the damage that plastics are doing to the environment, and to say "Keep them coming" because they are "convenient" is in my opinion a bit irresponsible.  

Paper bags aren't the answer if you're buying cooked food from a market either, most is way too liquid.

 

I keep a cloth shopping bag under my bike seat for shopping.  If I take my eyes off the cashier for a second, the (already in plastic) goods are put into a plastic carrier bag, THEN into my bag.  Makes it pointless really.

[goegoe]

1 minute ago, DefaultName said:

Paper bags aren't the answer if you're buying cooked food from a market either, most is way too liquid.

 

I keep a cloth shopping bag under my bike seat for shopping.  If I take my eyes off the cashier for a second, the (already in plastic) goods are put into a plastic carrier bag, THEN into my bag.  Makes it pointless really.

 

 

 

I also have my own plastic boxes in car for when I Want to take away some food.

Am I a genius ?!

 

 

 

 

[juice777]

Paper bags aren't the answer if you're buying cooked food from a market either, most is way too liquid.
 
I keep a cloth shopping bag under my bike seat for shopping.  If I take my eyes off the cashier for a second, the (already in plastic) goods are put into a plastic carrier bag, THEN into my bag.  Makes it pointless really.

Not being funny or nothing but if you care enough to carry the bag you could always take them out

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[davemos]

Maccas is using paper more now .and even Sbucks plenty of e friendly solutions .Don't make packages out of food  We might need it soon ?

[smtsetup]

6 hours ago, tropo said:

What do you do then if you decide to do some impromptu shopping? Do you have to go home and pick up some canvas bags first?... or do you walk around with them all day just in case you want to buy something, assuming you don't have a car parked somewhere nearby? Or maybe just walk around all day with a backpack, just in case you need to shop? 

 

If this is called waking up, I hope Thailand remains fast asleep.

I always carry a couple of strong plastic bags nicely folded in my shoulder bag. They take only little space in the shoulder bag and once they get dirty or broken, I use them the last time as garbage bags. This way I never need to have my things packed in the weak plastic bags they use at Big C and 7/11. It is enough to save the bag made of strong plastic you get when shopping at a hardware or clothes store. They can normally be used 5-10 times, so it is easy to calculate that if all the people living in Thailand did the same, the usage of plastic bags would drop to 10-20 percent of what is is now.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

My apologies - I did not realise who you were replying to, and if indeed there are NO plastic bags available I can understand your problem, and paper bags are not the answer in a country where torrential downpours are frequent.

However, you must/should be concerned by the damage that plastics are doing to the environment, and to say "Keep them coming" because they are "convenient" is in my opinion a bit irresponsible.  

3

In your opinion it's irresponsible. It's not in mine. I take a more rational approach. My bags are going to landfall as I dispose of them properly. They are not going to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. What harm are they doing?

[tropo]

25 minutes ago, smtsetup said:

I always carry a couple of strong plastic bags nicely folded in my shoulder bag. They take only little space in the shoulder bag and once they get dirty or broken, I use them the last time as garbage bags. This way I never need to have my things packed in the weak plastic bags they use at Big C and 7/11. It is enough to save the bag made of strong plastic you get when shopping at a hardware or clothes store. They can normally be used 5-10 times, so it is easy to calculate that if all the people living in Thailand did the same, the usage of plastic bags would drop to 10-20 percent of what is is now.

I never walk around with a shoulder bag. I'd need at least 10 or more for a basic shopping experience.

[sambum]

9 minutes ago, tropo said:

In your opinion it's irresponsible. It's not in mine. I take a more rational approach. My bags are going to landfall as I dispose of them properly. They are not going to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. What harm are they doing?

"Plastic waste is one of many types of wastes that take too long to decompose. Normally, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. But plastic bags we use in our everyday life take 10-1000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles can take 450 years or more"

 

Nuff said?

[inThailand]

Plastic bags will decompose way before they can eliminate them in LOS. Unfortunately, attitudes and their practical use will prevail. 

 

Remember, when Tesco tried to eliminate plastic bags?, Customers just opted to spend their money at other stores. A year later the plastic bags were back, but business never fully came back. They wouldn't be making this expensive mistake again. 

[MaxYakov]

I still sense that the FoodLand cashiers think it's eccentric of me to pull a plastic bag out of my picket or, if there are only a few items, simply carry them to my bicycle without even using a bag (Buddha forbid!). The 7/11 crews take it more routinely it seems. I even have a genuine WalMart "Paper or Plastic - Neither" cloth bag but rarely use it because of its bulk.

 

This and a host of other things I observe in Thailand (such as the "motorbike disease") all translate to this word: entrenched, so I don't predict a sea change in the war against plastic from this particular "D-Day".

[AWillOz]

They are just pushing around a particular group who they think they can push easy; The market traders. Why don't they go to the suppliers to 7/11 stores and insist that they don't supply plastic bags for their chips, snacks etc? Because they'll be told to "*&^% off"! Pushing around these small traders.. well they get no tax money from them. I suppose when everyone wants hot noodles or a cup of coffee from the market they will need to bring their own bowl and mug!

[jamie2009]

5 hours ago, inThailand said:

Plastic bags will decompose way before they can eliminate them in LOS. Unfortunately, attitudes and their practical use will prevail. 

 

Remember, when Tesco tried to eliminate plastic bags?, Customers just opted to spend their money at other stores. A year later the plastic bags were back, but business never fully came back. They wouldn't be making this expensive mistake again. 

Tesco UK no longer have  single use plastic bags, you can buy a ‘bag for life’ though, I don’t know where you got your Info from.

[inThailand]

In Phuket you still get a bag. 

[Humpy]

So when I go to the market to buy 3 kgs of cow afterbirth do I have to take a plastic bucket with me and two more buckets for the fish heads and bamboo soup.... ? Plastic bags are on sale in most markets !!!

Anyway, nice to see this 'declaration of war' on plastic bags...... perhaps it might be as successful as the efforts to get motorcyclists to wear helmets , have a licence, insurance and be old enough to ride one. 

[lvr181]

13 hours ago, wvavin said:

Millions of plastic bags big and smalls are being used everyday but the authority simply has no clue on how to eradicate this problem!

Eradicate the current 'authority' and put some "technocrats" in  charge whose first duty is to the country and NOT their own pockets!

[ICECOOL]

Gf has been taking a basket to the local talad for years so she gets less bags. They actually remember her because of it.