A reduction of 100 million+ plastic bags at 7-eleven stores in one month

[johng]

29 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

No need to guess, it's in the OP, Siriraj Hospital.

Ahh yes your right...I didn't see that earlier  don't know how I missed it  maybe not enough beer.

[MaxLee]

2 hours ago, Bill Miller said:

That is one key, to get the clerks into the habit of asking.
I use Tesco Lotus delivery service, since I am disabled and do not drive here. Thirty baht delivery fee is a good deal in my mind, plus I usually tip the delivery guy twenty baht; my wife does not approve. ???? 
One of the options is to have your groceries delivered "without carry bags". They still manage to sneak a couple in, but I do repurpose them for trash and putting the recyclable cans, bottles, etc. in the condo "garbage room".

Well, you just have to HOLD your own bag RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE 7-11 boys and girl,.... THEN they understand for sure..... 

[owl sees all]

Why not put a bar-code on all the bags? Scan the bag and find out any data. Instead of just guessing the numbers.

 

I'm on the side of the plastic bags anyway.

 

They don't throw themselves into the road or form into committees to find the best ways to block canals.

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, Greyhat said:

My recent experience is they're still instinctively grabbing for a bag, but they do thank me when I tell them I don't want one.

Absolutely.

Despite 7 Eleven's PR claim that "its intention to reduce and, eventually, to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bags at all their stores", I know two years ago having this claim on their website, that their PR is just bullshit. Here in Udon, no one in any 7 Eleven has ever, ever, ever asked me if I want a bag when purchasing a single item.

Looking on the bright side, they no longer look at me as if I'm crazy when I tell them not to put the purchase in a bag - there is some small progress I suppose.

 

[1337markus]

1 hour ago, wgdanson said:

I find it incredible that they can quote to the exact number of bags and therefore the exact money down to the last satang. 

Amazing Thailand, LOL!

[HAKAPALITA]

1 hour ago, wobalt said:

Well, I worked since 2006 with government agencies in that business trying to persuade companies like CP to stop classic plastic bags.


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

That needs Muscle. Real Mans Job.

[wobalt]

That needs Muscle. Real Mans Job.

In deed. The Thai government invited me to help them build up the bioplastic. Industry 10 years ago


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, johng said:

Now let's guess where the 20 + million baht saved goes to ? ?

 

 

You don't have to guess if you read the article.

[Nyezhov]

I try to take a bag here and there so I have garbage bags. I refuse those little cup carriers (totally stupid) and I have been thinking of carrying around a thermos and a jar for take away soups and the like.

 

Do your part!

[johng]

28 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

no one in any 7 Eleven has ever, ever, ever asked me if I want a bag when purchasing a single item.

For one item as soon as they scan it  pick it up then they can't put it in a bag.

[HAKAPALITA]

16 minutes ago, wobalt said:

In deed. The Thai government invited me to help them build up the bioplastic. Industry 10 years ago


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Having just scanned your first posts, Hmmm.!

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, johng said:

For one item as soon as they scan it  pick it up then they can't put it in a bag.

Very true. Although sometimes they'll scan it and immediately put it in a bag without putting the item down.

That's why I always have to tell them I don't want a bag.

 

I was really pointing out 7 Eleven's PR rubbish they've be claiming for two years now.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Siamrath news is reporting that 102,323,402 plastic bags have been rejected or unused between December 7 to January 13

And they worked this out how???

[DM07]

I really don't believe that number!

Just because if I did...what would that mean for the environment???

100 Million bags in just one month!

And that is the ones NOT handed out- which number will dwarf in comparison to the ones, still handed out!

 

In my local 7 they now know, that I will refuse every plastic bag and even the idiots at Tops Daily start asking me, if I need a bag!

 

Maybe there is a tiny bit of hope....I am not holding my breath, though!

[Burma Bill]

Great news, but could this be the result of a decline in customers??

[ZeVonderBearz]

That's not even equivalent to two bags less per person in a month. Either they're going to commit probably or get off the bandwagon and stop trying to make out they have any kind of ethics. 

[ZeVonderBearz]

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

I try to take a bag here and there so I have garbage bags. I refuse those little cup carriers (totally stupid) and I have been thinking of carrying around a thermos and a jar for take away soups and the like.

 

Do your part!

Sounds like you're in the debating stage. Do your part and commit to your thinking.

[spidermike007]

Anything is better than nothing. There is so much we can be doing personally. 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? The concerns about BPA, and re-using bottles over and over, 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. Ot the stainless steel bottle are readily available. I use them daily. 

[GreasyFingers]

Sorry, but I cannot ever remember receiving a "single use plastic bag". I need all of the bags I get for other uses, and it is a pain when I run out and have to purchase other plastic bags to put stuff in.

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, wobalt said:

Possibly but this is very limited calculated . For that reason they not introduced higher priced Bioplastic bags in there stores


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

what a non sense comment... worked with government but no alternatives found....not introduced bioplastic bags or should it be biodegradable plastic bags ???that would have been a (good)  alternative

[Mavideol]

I am happy to say that I contributed to some of it .... green planet it's good

[HHTel]

4 hours ago, wobalt said:

Would be fine, but I don’t believe that numbers


Gesendet von iPad mit Thaivisa Connect

100 million bags in a month.  That equates to around TWO bags per hour in each store.

Just shows that every little helps when brought into the big picture!

[TKDfella]

And of course there is the soft drinks industry (including water packaging). The plastic they use is much thicker than plastic bags and having tested these in the lab years ago I have some idea. Walk through just one plant and see the towering columns of large reels of plastic which will be used in just one day. Then walk through another part and see towering columns of plastic bottles which are replenished continuously through out the day. The packaging industry in general has a problem. In wood based packaging the environment suffers via tree cutting; biodegradable plastics are emerging but they too have their problems and at present still more expensive. I am not sure whether the older idea of using 'returnables' didn't work or whether industry icons convinced us it didn't work.

I have used a shopping bag for yonks, (though it too has plastic content but I have a cloth one also) but I suppose the next thing we'll hear is about people losing their jobs over the slump in plastic bag production.

Never mind, I'm sure we'll figure out another way to produce an 'un-green everyday' item to take their place and help mess up the environment, Ha!

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, ZeVonderBearz said:

Sounds like you're in the debating stage. Do your part and commit to your thinking.

How does recylcling plastic supermarket bags for use as garbage bags show Im debating. I havent bout a garbage bag in 18 months

[wobalt]

what a non sense comment... worked with government but no alternatives found....not introduced bioplastic bags or should it be biodegradable plastic bags ???that would have been a (good)  alternative

You have no ideas you are talking about!


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Artisi]

6 hours ago, bojo said:

Keep tipping, nice touch, never mind 'er indoors, it's really appreciated and why not if you can afford it....

Correct, the driver is probably on slave wages anyway and few extra Bht wouldn't go astray. 

[VBF]

5 hours ago, wgdanson said:

I find it incredible that they can quote to the exact number of bags and therefore the exact money down to the last satang. 

Why? Modern retail companies have inventory systems which include items other what they actually sell.

So each store orders more bags when it's running low - or the system is set up to do it automatically.

From that, extracting usage figures is simple in the same way as they know that Store "X" sold 25 pieces of item "Y" in any given time.

.

[wgdanson]

2 minutes ago, VBF said:

Why? Modern retail companies have inventory systems which include items other what they actually sell.

So each store orders more bags when it's running low - or the system is set up to do it automatically.

From that, extracting usage figures is simple in the same way as they know that Store "X" sold 25 pieces of item "Y" in any given time.

.

So I could have changed this whole thread if I had not refused a bag for my chewing gum at 7-11 in Bang Rakam last Tuesday.

[Mickmick]

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

100 million bags in a month.  That equates to around TWO bags per hour in each store.

Just shows that every little helps when brought into the big picture!

Actually it's a bit more than that......

102,323,400 bags/31 days / 11,000 stores = 300/day or 12.5 bags/hour, or roughly one bag refused every 5 minutes in every store across thailand. 

Sorry CP, but that does not sound realistic ! Perhaps in areas with more environmentally minded Thais and foreigners that "might" be true but i rarely see anybody except me bring their own bag into my local 7/11 in On Nut, and I'm sure in Nakhon Nowhere the refusal rate is minimal.

Of course, anything is better than nothing but I think they are fudging the numbers here.

 

Or it could just be that they have less customers using less bags .......

[VBF]

2 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

So I could have changed this whole thread if I had not refused a bag for my chewing gum at 7-11 in Bang Rakam last Tuesday.

Yeah it would have to be "A reduction of EXACTLY 100 million plastic bags at 7-eleven stores in one month"

or maybe

"A reduction of ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine + plastic bags at 7-eleven stores in one month"

 

Catchy, innit? ????