Tips for recycling and reducing plastic use in Thailand

[PeteC]

Did you put the actual citrus slices into the mix, or just the zest from grating the skins?

[MDMK]

Did you put the actual citrus slices into the mix, or just the zest from grating the skins?

in the program they added whole chunks/slices of citrus fruit. I just used the grated zest. Partly because the zest is generally where the most flavour/scent is, but partly because I am Scottish and thrifty and can use the flesh but hardly ever the zest . (and I worried whole bits of fruit would rot if left for months in a bottle under the sink????? but maybe the vinegar works as a kind of pickling agent)

[handdrummer]

Yes, the vinegar acts as a pickling agent and kills bacteria so there's no offensive odors.

[caller]

It appears The Mall group, who part own Bluport, are banning the use of plastic bags from 3rd July. So I assume that will mean Gourmet Market and their other outlets there?

[migrant]

Just returned from Gourmet market there and, yes, there were no plastic bags offered. I didn't look closely to see if that is everyday, or just some days since we bring our own bags. The fellow in front was surprised but the checkout people had assembled a box for him

[HHTel]

[Nereus]

Make plastic lovers pay

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opi ... lovers-pay

In a bold, drastic move to help the country cut back on plastic consumption, a major retail chain announced it will no longer give away single-use plastic bags to customers, but instead encourage them to bring tote bags or reusable carrier bags.

The new policy of the Mall Group which operates The Mall, Paragon, Emquartier, Emporium, and others, is to take effect tomorrow.

Those who do not bring a tote bag and want a plastic one will be asked to pay one baht per bag. The money, the group said, will go to a WWF campaign to reduce plastic use.

The Mall Group's new policy has drawn mixed reactions from netizens.

Some complained that the paying for bags will rob customers of convenience, pushing the burden on the customers. But many have thrown their support behind the move, saying that the measure will bring about a change in consumers' behaviour which will be good for the environment.

It is widely expected that other retail chains and convenience stores will stick to their longstanding policy.

Yet, the move by the Mall Group is noteworthy at a time when the government is being sluggish in handling plastic pollution problems, ruling out a law that will introduce an outright ban as "impractical". Other retail chains fiercely stick to bringing bags on a voluntary basis for fear of losing customers amid stiff business competition.

The government's policy on plastic waste management is too passive. It is reluctant to introduce tax or financial penalties that will enable it to achieve the goal of reducing plastic pollution.

In 2017, the regime kicked off a campaign to reduce use of plastic bags with Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as the poster boy.

The campaign conducted in collaboration with hypermarket operators encouraged people to use cloth bags three days a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The government claimed the campaign resulted in 166 million fewer plastic bags being used last year. At a glance, this figure may appear a major success, but Thais use more than 70 billion bags each year.

Thailand is one of the worst offenders among Asian countries for plastic waste ending up in the ocean.

On June 5, World Environment Day, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) boasted of having reduced plastic waste in a year-long campaign.

Suwanna Tiasuwan, deputy director-general of the PCD, said she was satisfied with voluntary bans on single-use plastic bags and "better law enforcement related to plastic waste management".

Many criticised her statement, which was made to mark World Environment Day, as too optimistic.

Among the achievements cited by Ms Suwanna was a massive 80% reduction in plastic rings used in drinking water bottle caps.

Yet, she stopped short of mentioning measures against single-use plastic bags, which are a major contributor to the environmental crisis.

It was reported that a sub-panel under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment rolled out a plastic waste management plan covering 2018-2030, with an aim to reduce plastic waste and promote reuse and recycling.
It sets a target that all plastic waste in Thailand must be fully recycled by 2027.

There are concerns that this will be impossible to achieve in that time without a drastic change in consumers' behaviour such as adopting bold measures like those being introduced by a certain major retail chain.

[HHTel]

Consumers are not going to change their behaviour without legislation and the government here is not going to do that.

[caller]

Most of the Thais that shop in the likes of TOPS, VM and Gourmet Market can easily afford alternatives to plastic bags, it's elsewhere that there are problems.

[HHTel]

Most of the Thais that shop in the likes of TOPS, VM and Gourmet Market can easily afford alternatives to plastic bags, it's elsewhere that there are problems.

With regards to affordability. It costs a one time charge of 20 baht (sometimes less) for a bag that will potentially last for years. I don't really see that affordability is a valid excuse.

[Nereus]

Plastic not so fantastic

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/17 ... -fantastic

Retailers in Thailand are making a concerted effort in refusing to provide plastic bags to shoppers.

The Mall Group has completely stopped handing out plastic bags at its department stores, while Tesco Lotus started a plastic-bag-free campaign at some branches.

Almost all business units under Central Group are now plastic-bag-free stores.

The moves come amid growing concern over the increasing plastic waste crisis in Thailand, where 2 million tonnes of plastic waste is disposed yearly. The country ranks sixth in dumping such waste.

Environmental awareness among Thais has been promoted for a while, but the issue caught fire after a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology reported that plastic particles were found in food, water and the air.

According to the report, an average of five grammes of microplastic per week enter the human body.
The widespread microdust problem in the first half of the year also raised concern among the public.

"Producing some 2 million tonnes of plastic waste with half in the ocean, Thailand ranks among the main culprits for dumping a huge amount of trash in the ocean," said Voralak Tulaphorn, chief marketing officer of The Mall Group.

The group on Thursday announced that it will no longer provide plastic bags at department stores of The Mall, Paragon, The Emporium and BluePort.

If customers need a plastic bag from a department store, they have to donate one baht for each plastic shopping bag, with the proceeds supporting environmental organisations.

Meanwhile, Salinla Seehaphan, corporate affairs director at Tesco Lotus, said the company stopped giving plastic bags at all three Tesco Lotus Express stores on Koh Chang, expecting nearly 500,000 bags a year to be cut from those three stores alone.

Including outlets on the island, the chain now has eight plastic-bag-free stores.
"We will introduce more plastic-bag-free stores in the future, focusing first on stores near coastal areas and universities," Ms Salinla said.

Aside from single-use plastic bags, Tesco Lotus aims to reduce packaging and stop using non-recyclable packaging materials. All Tesco Lotus stores stopped using polystyrene foam trays this week.

Phattaraporn Phenpraphat, vice-president for marketing at Central Food Retail Co, the operator of Tops Supermarket, said the company has stopped giving plastic bag to shoppers for five days a month since June. Last year the campaign ran for one day each month.

According to Mrs Phattaraporn, customer awareness has improved with some 2.2 million customers saying no to receiving plastic bags at Tops in the first half of the year, compared with 1.1 million customers for all of last year.
"We will gradually increase the number of plastic-free days in the near future," Mrs Phattaraporn said.

The company is cooperating with suppliers to replace disposable plastic bags with eco-friendly products and packaging for certain products such as cotton buds and shampoo and will use plant plastics for fresh food and drinks.

In addition, 10 branches of FamilyMart convenience stores run by Central Group are also plastic-bag-free.
"Central Group is serious about environmentally sustainability in the long term," Mrs Phattaraporn said.

Vipada Duangratana, deputy chief executive of Big C Supercenter, said Big C plans to reduce plastic bag usage with the aim of slashing the volume of plastic bags at its stores by 100 million bags over the next five years.

Worawoot Ounjai, president of the Thai Retailers Association, said the group wants the new government to issue laws to compel retailers to cease giving plastic bags to customers, following in the footsteps of retailers in other countries.

A levy for customers who need a plastic bag should also be set for all retailers to apply and the proceeds directed to a fund to finance the activities of environmental preservation organisations, he said.

But the government should allow retailers at least one year to prepare if they agree to the initiative, Mr Worawoot said.

[migrant]

And yet when we asked today for toothpicks we were directed to the sale on....plastic toothpicks, not a wood one in site.

[Big Boy]

This is the point I tried to make a few weeks back. We can reduce, but elimination is almost impossible,

[MDMK]

This is the point I tried to make a few weeks back. We can reduce, but elimination is almost impossible,

in the short term yes, but we're still in the baby steps of getting rid of single use plastics and replacing things like plastic straws, plastic cotton buds, plastic tooth picks. In time these things will be easier to find.

Two years ago I couldn't find cotton buds that didn't use plastic, I looked in 3 European countries in LOADS of shops, nowhere to be found. Now I can get them all over the place. In fact I doubt I could find plastic ones now.

Big inroads are being made.

[migrant]

The banning of the plastic bag in California, one of the most liberal states, passed in 2014 and became effective in 2016/ I'm actually pleasantly surprised Thailand is acting so quickly.

It will take time to extend to other plastics but, hey, we got to start somewhere.