Tips for recycling and reducing plastic use in Thailand

[Big Boy]

Every little helps. I think we must be keeping carrier 50 bags out of the system each week at least these days (yes, we're recent converts). However, we've stopped the larger bags, but the smaller bags are going to be more difficult to deal with e.g. buying meat at Tesco - the whole selling process is geared around them putting a lump of meat into a plastic bag, tying it and labelling it. So we have our large own multi-use carrier bags loader with smaller single use plastic bags.

The larger carrier bags can often be reused, but these smaller bags are definitely single use.

I think many processes need the equivalent of time and motion experts, specialising in packaging, to visit every process involving plastic, but that can only happen once people are serious about the problem.

[buksida]

You Can Help Turn the Tide on Plastic. Here’s How.
Do these six pain-free things, and you’ll help reduce the impact plastic is having on oceans and other waterways around the world.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/maga ... pollution/

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. - Lao Tzu

[Big Boy]

We are quite compliant, but the one we have a lot of difficulty with is plastic bottles.

We buy them 120 at a time, and use them within 10 days (empties are always recycled). I struggle to see how we can replace them. Having caught a pretty nasty bug (hospitalised) in 1991 and 1994, which I can only attribute to untreated water, I am paranoid about drinking water. If I took a refillable bottle everywhere, I'd be afraid to drink what a stranger had filled it with.

Yes, I accept bottled water is not always what it seems, and I've poured a few bottles away in Bangkok because it smelt like (and probably was) swamp water. We use the refillable bottles for cooking, but even some of them have been tainted, smelt obnoxious and had to be poured away. My son's students complain if given water from refillable bottles.

We used to filter water in the UK, but I'm far convinced at the effectiveness as the system ages. I've also heard of installations here that were not a success.

I guess 5 out of 6 isn't bad, but 100% would be better.

[STEVE G]

I'm back at work in Luxembourg now and I noticed in my local bar they now use pasta for straws in cocktails, I don't know what the Italian term is for a long piece of hollow spaghetti but that is what you get when you need a straw.

[buksida]

We are quite compliant, but the one we have a lot of difficulty with is plastic bottles.

Plastic bottles are one of the worst because they're made of three different forms of plastic which cant all be recycled. Bottles are actually down-cycled so they can never be another bottle, just made into more plastic stuff.

Here is the solution, it works for us anyway, just fill them before you go out or use any of the Trash Hero free refill stations scattered around the country: https://trashhero.org/bottle-refill-program/

[StevePIraq]

We are quite compliant, but the one we have a lot of difficulty with is plastic bottles.

We buy them 120 at a time, and use them within 10 days (empties are always recycled). I struggle to see how we can replace them. Having caught a pretty nasty bug (hospitalised) in 1991 and 1994, which I can only attribute to untreated water, I am paranoid about drinking water. If I took a refillable bottle everywhere, I'd be afraid to drink what a stranger had filled it with.

Yes, I accept bottled water is not always what it seems, and I've poured a few bottles away in Bangkok because it smelt like (and probably was) swamp water. We use the refillable bottles for cooking, but even some of them have been tainted, smelt obnoxious and had to be poured away. My son's students complain if given water from refillable bottles.

We used to filter water in the UK, but I'm far convinced at the effectiveness as the system ages. I've also heard of installations here that were not a success.

I guess 5 out of 6 isn't bad, but 100% would be better.

Instead of buying 330ml bottled water, have you considered boiling water at home, electricity is very cheap here, letting the water cool and filling the bottles yourself. Or you could you water purifying tablets.

Alternativeley buy 25litre water bottles and filing small ones.

[handdrummer]

We've used a Stiebel Eltron countertop filter, changed the filter whenever the red light goes on and have never had a problem with the water of being ill. On days when there's too much Sulphur in the water I can smell it but have never been ill. Everyone has a different level of tolerance.

[StevePIraq]

There are many ways to purify water, some expensive some not. Keep your empty bottles and fill them yourself. Just replace bottles every once in a while unless you use long lasting ones.

End of plastic bottle waste.

Here is an excellent link, https://thenewsrep.com/70472/five-metho ... nstructor/

[Ralfredo]

electricity is very cheap here

Ehr, hm... Guess that depends... We usually pay around twice for electricity in Thailand compared to what we pay at home in Sweden. Very roughly around 4 Baht per kWh in Sweden and 8 in Thailand.

[HHTel]

Cost of electricity in Thailand is currently 3.9 baht per KW. You must be on either a private meter or temporary electric.

[Ralfredo]

Cost of electricity in Thailand is currently 3.9 baht per KW. You must be on either a private meter or temporary electric.

Yes, it's some kind of "private transformer" outside a gated community. I don't know the details, but yes the electricity there is really expensive. And it's not just us who are getting cheated since everyone there pay the same high price. Since we only rent the place about one month a year, we have accepted the situation.

A good thing is that the equipment looks rather new and there is hardly ever any outages.

[HHTel]

If that's the case then the permanent residents should report the fact.

The law requires landlords to charge electricity and water fees at the standard rates set by utility authorities. For electricity, it is 3.90 baht a unit and tap water 7 baht a unit. One tenant in Khon Kaen, who asked not to be named, welcomed the move, saying it will stop tenants from being taken advantage of.

[Lev]

energy price differences have nothing to do with plastic reduction.

[StevePIraq]

So BB have you now stopped buying 120 bottles of water and implemented an option?

[Big Boy]

No, not yet. We still have stock.