Plastic bag ban in effect

[reader]

From Khaosod English

BANGKOK — Most retailers, except for a major convenience store chain, stopped giving out plastic bags for free at the beginning of 2020, giving Thailand a head start on green new year’s resolutions.

Grocery shoppers said Thursday they were adjusting to the big retailers’ ban, which was promised by the environment ministry back in September. TV stations were also told to blur images of plastic bags. It is the most ambitious attempt to curb single-use plastic products in a country blamed for polluting the environment with massive amounts of plastic waste.

Siranee Kheedsoy, a shopper at Big C Saphan Kwai, had to wait for her son to bring a backpack to retrieve her cartful of goods. The familiar green plastic bags were nowhere to be seen.

Thailand, like Fiji and Mexico City, rolled out its ban on plastic bags in retailing businesses on New Year’s Day. More than 90 major retailers and plastic manufacturers have signed onto the government’s plastic reduction scheme, which is the first step towards the complete ban of single-use plastic bags by 2021.

Throughout 2019, several retailers offered smaller, flimsier measures to reduce plastic use, such as charging a baht per bag or promising to not automatically offer bags, but still give them for free if asked.

The ubiquitous 7-Eleven stores are adopting a more flexible approach. Plastic bags are still given for customers who purchased hot food or bulky items. A cashier said the management still let plastic bags to be given since they understood that people need some time to adapt.

Tops supermarkets, a chain popular with middle-class customers, have implemented the ban. Shoppers at a branch on Nang Linchi Road either brought their own totes, purchased reusable bags at the cashier, or stuffed packages of crackers into their own bags.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/life/2020/01/02/nationwide-plastic-bag-ban-forces-customers-to-adapt/

[pong]

EU has also banned that years ago, but shops may sell sturdier bags. As always those least inclined to do that are the Brits-probably happy to reestablish all that when finally out. Some African countries even ban all plastics and search for it when you arrive at airports-Ruanda and/or Burundi, also ZA.

From what Ive noted the 3 days Iam here again: 7s, tesco and BigC will not do bags anymore. 7 still does if you buy heated mealboxes and all their straws and cutlery is plastic and in plastic covers too. The streetvendors still happily put anything in a bag, perhaps they have large stacks anyway.

[Guest]

On 1/19/2020 at 7:46 PM, pong said:

EU has also banned that years ago, but shops may sell sturdier bags.

Which piece of legislation are you referring to ?      

The EU has no ban on plastic bags.   Some individual nations have mandatory charges, e.g UK.    There are future EU restrictions on single use plastics.

 

 

[eurasian]

If I am not wrong it is banned in Ireland almost a decade ago , stores started to charge some money for each bag in Turkey since last year and that money goes to state .   

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, eurasian said:

If I am not wrong it is banned in Ireland almost a decade ago , stores started to charge some money for each bag in Turkey since last year and that money goes to state .   

Banned in Ireland does not mean the EU banned it.    As far as I know, it had been a matter for individual states up until now.

[eurasian]

2 hours ago, z909 said:

Banned in Ireland does not mean the EU banned it

I did not say anything about other parts of EU , just mentioned Ireland .

[Guest]

9 hours ago, eurasian said:

I did not say anything about other parts of EU , just mentioned Ireland .

I was expecting Pong to explain his EU ban comment.

[pong]

Yesterday at the entrance of a catholic school (thus no govmt. one); big signs that as from now plastic bags, and also plastic straws and those styrofoam foodcontainers that any Thai seems to use 5/week at least are forbidden entry. A bit like EUR schools who ban candies and oversweet things or fatty crisps=chips.

So just a sec later a chinese looking lad with his mum in his special uniform walked out, clutching a plastic bag, with the usual drink plastic cup with a large straw in it.........

With a few more things as normal (this week very good promosyens) at 7 they still offered me an extra bag, whilst the recorded announcement of banning bags was just playing. I refused, as I have my own and am very well used to bring your own @ home.

[TotallyOz]

Admittedly, I am bad when it comes to use of plastic bags. I use to just get them anyway. Now, no stores have them and slowly I am remembering to carry my reusable bags into all the stores. I think this is a very good thing for Thailand. Now, if we can just stop Pizza Company from delivering 40 bags of ketchup with every order (in plastic), we might make a dent. 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, Michael said:

 Now, if we can just stop Pizza Company from delivering 40 bags of ketchup with every order (in plastic), we might make a dent. 

even longest trip starts with first step, next time they deliver 40 bags take 7 and return them those 33, after a while they will start asking how many you need.

Big drugstore across for my home is not charging for bags , just asking if you need them. I'd say easily 2 out of 3 people are not taking any