Thailand Retailers to Stop Providing Single-Use Plastic Carriers from 1 Jan 2020

You may not know this, but the Earth is dying.

Our planet can thank one single species for her impending death: humans.

We’ve made great strides in science and technology, but many of our inventions are bad for the environment.

For instance, everyone knows that cars contribute to our carbon emissions, which is bad for the environment.

But did you know that simply buying a new smartphone takes as much energy as recharging and operating a smartphone for an entire decade? That’s because the production of a smartphone greatly contributes to our carbon emissions as well.

Reader: Woah. I can’t go back to a Nokia, though.

Well, I’m not asking you to, dear reader. But the very least you could do is to stop using plastic.

Thailand Retailers to Stop Providing Single-Use Plastic Carriers from 1 Jan 2020

The Thai environment minister has announced a major agreement with large retailers, plastic manufacturers, and department stores to stop handing out single-use plastic bags to customers.

The new program will start from 1 Jan 2020, according to The Thaiger.

This agreement includes around 75 brands under the Thai Retailers Association and aims to reduce the whopping 13.5 billion, or 30 per cent, of plastic bags used in Thailand annually.

The Department of Pollution Control added that 40 per cent or 18 billion plastic bags come from the fresh market annually, while the rest 30 per cent of 13.5 billion bags come from local grocery stores.

If you’re like me, these statistics don’t really mean much to you because we don’t know how many plastic bags Singaporeans use every year.

But in Bangkok alone, each person uses eight plastic bags on average per day, creating around 80 million pieces of plastic waste daily.

Wait, did that sentence say 80 million pieces of plastic waste daily?

*googles Thailand’s population*

Oh, ok. Everything makes sense again. I’m actually impressed that they managed to keep it under 80 million a day with these many people. 

The anti-plastic campaign is called “Every Day Say No to Plastic Bags”, under which all its 75 members will stop providing plastic bags through 24,500 distribution channels. This is part of the country’s drive to become a plastic waste-free society.

So, from next January, customers will have to bring their own bags to carry goods from these stores.

But is plastic really that bad for the environment?

In a word, yes.

Non-biodegradable

That’s because, unlike diamonds, plastics are forever.

Plastics are non-biodegradable and can survive harsh conditions such as freezing in the Arctic for years.

So, even after humanity goes extinct, plastic products will be floating around the Earth, waiting for their next masters.

Kills wildlife

Plastics also kill wildlife, whether it’s from consumption or becoming entangled in such products.

According to the Ocean Conservancy, in less than 10 years, scientists predict there will be 250 million metric tons in the ocean and by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish.

So, unless you want to experience a dramatic change in your diet and sushi restaurants all over the world, we should probably take this plastic problem seriously.

What Can We Do?

Well, stop using plastic.

Small changes can make a huge difference. Don’t use plastic straws, and bring your own reusable bag when shopping or marketing.

If carrying around a metal straw can save the planet, you’ll do it, won’t you? We shouldn’t wait for the government to start banning things to change because it might be too late by then.

Isn’t that right, PMD riders?