Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

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StevePIraq
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by StevePIraq »

I just read an overseas article about plastic bags and Thailand is the highest consumer in the world at 8 bags per person including children per day. That means each person uses an astounding 56 plastic bags a week or 2,912 per year.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by oakdale160 »

They could pass a law to enforcea charge and of course every shop would follow the law.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by Nereus »

This not Thailand but just shows what can be done:
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Kenya bans plastic bags, may fine violators up to $38,000

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/world/1 ... -to-38-000

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A ban on plastic bags came into force Monday in Kenya and those found in violation of the ban could be given a maximum fine of $38,000 or serve a four-year jail term.

The ban applies to the use, manufacture, and importation of plastics and gives a minimum fine of about $19,000 or a years' imprisonment, according to the Kenyan government. Exemptions were made for those producing plastic bags used for industrial purposes.

Thin plastic shopping bags litter the streets of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. They have created towering piles at dump sites.

Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mauritania and Malawi are among African countries that have adopted or announced such bans.

Some 100 million plastic bags are handed out every year in Kenya by supermarkets alone, according to the UN Environmental Program.

The Kenyan government says the bags harm the environment, block sewers and don't decompose.
Manufacturers have said the ban will cost jobs, but Environment Minister Judi Wakhungu last week said more jobs will be created from making bags from environment-friendly materials.

UNEP said the bags have long been identified as a major cause of environmental damage and health problems, killing birds, fish and other animals that mistake them for food. They also damage agricultural land, pollute tourist sites and provide breeding grounds for the mosquitoes that carry malaria and dengue fever.

Plastic bags contribute to the 8 million tons of plastic that leak into the ocean every year. At current rates, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish, according to UNEP.
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StevePIraq
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

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Don't worry Thailand will do merit that will solve everything
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by oakdale160 »

Thai will never ban them but might just start changing for them which cuts down on their use.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by bsdk1960 »

in Denmark we pay 10 -20 baht for a plastic bag ,but in a better qualyti than in Thailand,and can be used many time.

we pay 5 - 20 baht deposit for a plastic,can or glass bottle ,that you get back when you return them to the supermarket.

:offtopic:

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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by Takiap »

Yes, South Africa also introduced a levy on plastic bags a number of years ago and from what I have been told, it is quite a steep levy that actually does work, at least to some extent.


The big problem facing places like Thailand when it comes to plastic bags, is the fact that it is quite rare to come across a local who has any concerns regarding plastic pollution and the like. They throw their plastic bags/wrappers and so on down on the ground 100% shamelessly, and it seems to be even more of problem among those who come from the rural areas.


Ironically, I have known a few Thai shop owners who refused to shop at Makro purely because they don't dish out bags. :shock:

Anyway, if anyone thinks plastic pollution will go away in Thailand, they are living on cloud nine.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by oakdale160 »

The good thing about deposits on cans and bottles is that it encourages the scrounging of them by the poorest in order to get the deposits. They introduced the fee for plastic bags in HK and many said that it would have no effect but it did. In many countries, reuseable bags were seen as a good advertising vehicle and stores sold them cheaply. I shop in HH with one given away free by my Canadian bank.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by PeteC »

Does anyone know where this "fee" goes that is collect by these cities/countries? I would hope not into corporate pockets but to clean up, recycling and educational efforts. Pete :cheers:
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by oakdale160 »

Isn't it just a compulsory sale and the store keeps the money?
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

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In the UK the 5p charge per bag goes to the retailer who is encouraged to donate the proceeds to good causes, in the last financial year companies reported that 4p from each 5p charge was donated to causes.

Unfortunately in Thailand there does not seem to be any plan to implement anything similar.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by oakdale160 »

you are assuming that if there was a plan it would be implemented?
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by 404cameljockey »

Yesterday Tesco UK stopped selling single use plastic bags, but the stronger ones still can be bought for 10p which is not enough to stop them being binned I think.

Don't they still use paper grocery bags in the US? What's wrong with using them here?
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by HHTel »

From what I've read, plastic bags did take over in the states, but over the last few years they have been banned in some states and that trend is increasing. The alternative is small and large paper bags which some stores charge for.
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Re: Charging for plastic bags in Thailand?

Post by StevePIraq »

Research in Europe has shown that a paper bag must be used three times to compensate for the larger amount of carbon used in manufacturing and transporting it.
Likewise a plastic "bag for life" must be used four times, and a cotton bag must be used 131 times.
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