Encouraging Thais to stop using single-use plastic bags

[kingofthemountain]

21 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Why do you think there are so many 7-11s in Thailand? 

Because Thai are unable to plan in advance, including for their shopping list?

[Eligius]

13 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

I think your misunderstanding the situation....Its not that selfish people love plastic bags so much ....The problem is that the power behind the multi country no plastic bag road show puts almost ZERO ZILCH NADA promotion behind supporting a biodegradable eco friendly alternative to single use plastic bags....

 

And Sir i you think I am making this up a google/news search will soon back up what I say in short order....

 

For crying out loud we have the technology 10 times over to replace the plastic bags NOW...

But this does not fit in with the plan to eliminate All single use bags... 

Actually, if one digs deeper, the enviro-dictats have nothing whatsoever to do with 'the environment': it is all about CONTROL, CONSTRICTION and CORALLING of the human herd (we who are now largely surplus to requirements in the eyes of the 1% - who certainly do not give a fig about using or not using a plastic bag!).

It is a tyranny that our world is being dragged towards, inexorably and implacably.

Orwell warned us - but still people will not listen or open their eyes ...

[Number 6]

4 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

It's a solution because it grows quickly and has too many use to list in a post. The products exist already and are in use. The issue is mainly regulation because of the bad reputation of Cannabis that is use for drug and is the same plant. 

 

It's just fashionable. Bamboo does it all and more without the drama.

[Tayaout]

5 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

It's just fashionable. Bamboo does it all and more without the drama.

Bamboo is good too but they have different use and I'm not sure bamboo grows well in colder climate. 

[zydeco]

4 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

Because Thai are unable to plan in advance, including for their shopping list?

I've seen one person with a shopping list since I've been in Thailand. And that is almost ten years. But, then, I don't take one either. Used to back in the US. Always tell myself I will, here. But never do. Frankly, it's hard enough finding the burrito wraps in Foodland, because they keep moving them around.

[kingofthemountain]

13 minutes ago, zydeco said:

I've seen one person with a shopping list since I've been in Thailand. And that is almost ten years. But, then, I don't take one either. Used to back in the US. Always tell myself I will, here. But never do. Frankly, it's hard enough finding the burrito wraps in Foodland, because they keep moving them around.

i agree shopping list is pretty useless here

but i see since years how the Thais around me live, and they forget always something

or they realise something it's missing at the last minute (Somchai wants a beer but

he has already drink the last one yesterday, Noi just has her period coming, but she

has used her last tampax the last month and so on) in all this cases the 7\11 at the corner

open 24\24 7\7 is very convenient and this is why there is all this 7\11 in Thailand, nowhere

in another country you can find this, it's really linked to the Thai thinking mod (Or the lack of thinking and the difficultie for them to plan the future, even the next day )

[fforest1]

Also for all you people cheering this whole plastic bag thing on I guarantee you 100% this whole plastic thing has a long loooooong ways to go yet.....The no single use plastic bag is only the first shot out of the cannon...

[Almer]

Its not just the shopper at fault, i have just returned from tesco for a purchase of 1 ltr of milk, which was duly packed in 2 carriers.

[Pilotman]

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

Good that you have a wife to do your fetch and carry for you and a car to carry your everlasting bags.

When I specifically go shopping I travel on the bus and take my big reusable bag with me. When I go out on various non shopping trips I don't mind being offered a little bag to carry a few small spur of the moment purchases. Beats carrying them on top of my head under my cap.  

Perhaps I should consider getting a car and a wife to keep stock control of my supply of reusable bags.

BTW, when I was travelling along Phet Kasem Road BKK in a bus yesterday on my way to catch the MRT I witnessed tens of thousands of new unused medium size plastic bags all over the road and blowing in the wind to all quarters. They were like large white snowflakes floating in the air and they went for a few kilometres. Obviously a case of negligence in transportation. So I doubt my little once off bag at the supermarket will make a big difference to the day's usage of plastic bags in Bangkok after all.

Sarcasm is the very lowest form of wit, poorly constructed sarcasm,  even less so. 

[Toadie]

I once seen kids putting plastic bags over their entire head to stop getting wet.

 

Nobody minded or gave it th he slightest thought. mai pen rai

 

What will they do now?

[sanemax]

20 minutes ago, Toadie said:

I once seen kids putting plastic bags over their entire head to stop getting wet.

 

Nobody minded or gave it th he slightest thought. mai pen rai

 

What will they do now?

Use an umbrella ?

[balo]

Its very simple really , make it illegal to produce plastic and problem solved. Go back 80 years and look at what we used before plastic. 

Paper bags or skin bags etc, just use something else. 

[Harveyg]

14 hours ago, kevin612 said:

Get ready to bring a cup and a bag whenever we go out in 2 years.

Why wait?  Do u disagree with the idea?

[Harveyg]

I started reusing plastic bags > 25 yrs ago. (Yes cloth/bamboo.. is better).
We all do what we can in different areas of life. I’m not meaning to toot my own horn, but just wondering am I alone with this kind of history? 

[Harveyg]

4 hours ago, Almer said:

Its not just the shopper at fault, i have just returned from tesco for a purchase of 1 ltr of milk, which was duly packed in 2 carriers.

And so you said/did ______

[Harveyg]

 

5 hours ago, fforest1 said:

I think your misunderstanding the situation....Its not that selfish people love plastic bags so much ....The problem is that the power behind the multi country no plastic bag road show puts almost ZERO ZILCH NADA promotion behind supporting a biodegradable eco friendly alternative to single use plastic bags....

 

And Sir i you think I am making this up a google/news search will soon back up what I say in short order....

 

For crying out loud we have the technology 10 times over to replace the plastic bags NOW...

But this does not fit in with the plan to eliminate All single use bags... 

yes I agree.  So let’s do what we can but do it with open eyes and include the bigger picture in the service of the smaller one. 

[Tayaout]

9 hours ago, Toadie said:

I once seen kids putting plastic bags over their entire head to stop getting wet.

 

Nobody minded or gave it th he slightest thought. mai pen rai

 

What will they do now?

I thought you would say they then suffocated to death. Not sure it's a good idea. 

[Assurancetourix]

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Not an impossible solution. Especially if there was a financial incentive to do so.

 

Positive solution that the Thai authorities could also implement on the road (this is an example);
give a few hundred baht to motorists who respect red lights, speed ..
I'm sure it would make millions of Thai motorists think ...

 

The most radical solution to prevent traders from using plastic bags is to stop making them and not to import them from countries where they are still manufactured.
the shortage will force traders and users to find alternatives.

[Moonlover]

15 hours ago, zydeco said:

Oh, yes, those strings, which easily break or end up being pulled and mashing your food. BTW, how are you going to wrap your soup in a banana leaf and a string?

I forgot to mention in my earlier response to this message that the perfect solution to your soup query has already been suggested by @sam smith in his post #7. Go see for yourself. This solution has been in use in Asia for donkeys years.

[mikebell]

20 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Not an impossible solution. Especially if there was a financial incentive to do so.

Charge 5 baht a bag; problem solved.

[JimmyJ]

19 hours ago, Moonlover said:

The perfect solution. Known in India as a tiffin box or dabba. They've been in use in Asia for many years, long before plastic bags were invented.

Used as the plot device for this excellent film:

"The Lunchbox" (2013)

Dabba (original title)

 

 

[Moonlover]

4 minutes ago, mikebell said:

20 hours ago, Moonlover said:

Not an impossible solution. Especially if there was a financial incentive to do so.

 

4 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Charge 5 baht a bag; problem solved.

It may help to a degree and has done so in a few countries. But doesn't eliminate the problem of plastic bags getting into the environment.

 

China did not pussyfoot around on this issue. It totally banned ultra thin bags and imposed charges on thicker ones. (I was there at the time in 2008) Surveys have shown that bag use fell by 60 to 80%.

 

But the big problem in China is that small businesses and vendors simply ignore the rules. And that will be Thailand's problem too. We all know what they're like when it comes to rules!

 

The only way the country and the planet will eliminate plastic bags is ban their production completely. Then We'll all have no choice but to change our habits and optimist though I am, I don't see that happening in my lifetime. ????

 

 

[Pilotman]

6 hours ago, Harveyg said:

And so you said/did ______

same in 7/11 with 5 cokes.  I told her only one bag and she looked at me as though I was mad.  Totally uneducated on the issue.   

[Pilotman]

24 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Charge 5 baht a bag; problem solved.

why mess around, make it 10 

[Moonlover]

2 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

same in 7/11 with 5 cokes.  I told her only one bag and she looked at me as though I was mad.  Totally uneducated on the issue.   

You need to be persistent. The staff in our local Tesco mini and in our 7/11 know that I do not accept plastic bags now. (or straws or those stupid little yogurt spoons) All the staff in these shops are aware of this issue, but they're up against strong customer resistance which makes it very difficult for them. I always get an appreciative smile from them.

 

P. S. Where was your multi use bag Mr. @Pilotman

[Pilotman]

12 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

You need to be persistent. The staff in our local Tesco mini and in our 7/11 know that I do not accept plastic bags now. (or straws or those stupid little yogurt spoons) All the staff in these shops are aware of this issue, but they're up against strong customer resistance which makes it very difficult for them. I always get an appreciative smile from them.

 

P. S. Where was your multi use bag Mr. @Pilotman

I was on my push bike and had stopped to get the cokes, hence no bag. That stop was unplanned. It's rare for me, but does happen occasionally.  

[AhFarangJa]

We are in the process of moving house, and as so the missus is buying in a lot of take away for her and our Son. yesterday, she came back with two lots of kit yow ( sorry for spelling, the Thai soup with pork, please feel free to educate me !! ). Anyway, altogether with the sticky rice and vegetables there were NINE plastic bags. The soups were each wrapped in a bag, both of these were then in a bag, the rice was individually wrapped in bags then placed in another bag, as were the vegetables. When I mentioned we have three sets of tiffin boxes to hand, and why not take them them to the market.....the response was..........I forget to take, but is no problem because I will put the bags in the dustbin for collection............

[Moonlover]

9 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

We are in the process of moving house, and as so the missus is buying in a lot of take away for her and our Son. yesterday, she came back with two lots of kit yow ( sorry for spelling, the Thai soup with pork, please feel free to educate me !! ). Anyway, altogether with the sticky rice and vegetables there were NINE plastic bags. The soups were each wrapped in a bag, both of these were then in a bag, the rice was individually wrapped in bags then placed in another bag, as were the vegetables. When I mentioned we have three sets of tiffin boxes to hand, and why not take them them to the market.....the response was..........I forget to take, but is no problem because I will put the bags in the dustbin for collection............

I think that we call come with stories like this one somewhere down the line. 

 

Lucky that you do have a bin collection service. One of the reasons that I have a 'bee in my bonnet' about this issue is that we do not have a collection service and I'm the one one who has to cart the rubbish away! ????????

[dcnx]

21 hours ago, sillyfool said:

mai sai teung kap. 

I save that for the girls.

[dcnx]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

It may help to a degree and has done so in a few countries.

While it’s not nation wide yet, I was in Mexican recently and they have zero plastic bag usage in one of the large cities we visited. Not even for sale. What they did have were large cloth bags for sale at the grocery store and no bags available at the convenient stores. 
 

We bought a bag on day one and kept it in our day pack so we always had it.  
 

This is such a simple problem to solve. But like everything else here, there will be little to no enforcement after the first crack down. Then it’s business as usual.