Thailand: From January 1, 46 shopping centres and convenience chains stop giving out single-use plastic bags

• Nov 11, 2019

It’s slowly happening, but the out-cry over single-use plastics is gathering pace and some of the ‘big names’ are now changing their policies. Yesterday’s announcements are certainly a step in the right direction.

From January 1, 2020, major shopping malls and convenience chain stores will discontinue providing single-use plastic bags to customers.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment launched a campaign on Silom Road, Bangkok, promoting the scale-up of the plastic bag ban. The Department of Environmental Quality Promotion invited private companies in the parade to promote the initiative to discontinue the offer of single-use plastic bags.

The opening ceremony of the event today was presided over by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Warawut Silpa-archa.

The parade took place in front of the United Centre building on Silom Road, and along Soi Lalai Sap, encouraging the general public to carry multiple use tote bags when they do their shopping, instead of receiving single-use plastic bags from the stores each time they make a purchase.

From January 1, 2020, 46 major shopping malls and convenience stores will discontinue providing customers with single-use plastic bags, with the goal of eliminating these types of bags from Thailand by 2021.

“If we can reduce and discontinue plastic bags, we will reduce plastic waste volume by half. Participating companies will not have to worry about generating plastic waste anymore. This will also help reduce Thailand’s social costs.”

“We would like to remind our 60 million populations that there are only some 50 days left until the discontinuation, which we can help change and conserve our environment. Today marks a very good start.”

For tomorrow’s Loy Krathong day (November 11), the general public is being asked this year to float only one Krathong per family group, to help reduce waste in rivers and canals, and thereby minimising the environmental impact.

SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand