March 10, 2020

Since January 1, 2020, many Thai retailers have banned the free distribution of plastic bags at checkout. With plastic in their sights, Thailand has no intention of stopping there. And for good reason, as it is ranked the sixth largest contributor to ocean pollution worldwide. Here's more to help you understand what's happening…

A baby dugong found dead with its belly full of plastic as a wake-up call

Each Thai person uses an average of 8 single-use packaging items per day. A staggering figure when you consider that most of this waste ends up in the ocean. It was indeed during the summer of 2019 that Thailand experienced a shock when a baby dugong was found dead, its stomach filled with plastic. Images that stirred emotion throughout the country and went viral on social media worldwide.

Faced with the situation, many retailers decided to ban plastic bags in their stores. And this is not counting the support from Ralyn Satidtanasarn, Thailand's Greta Thunberg. After successfully convincing the Central Group, (one of Bangkok's largest supermarkets) last year to stop giving plastic bags to customers once a week, her influence has managed to add other retailers to the list…

The ban on free plastic bag distribution

So it's 75 members of the Thai Retailers Association who committed on January 1st to stop distributing plastic bags to their customers. To replace them, merchants are using reusable fabric bags.

The goal? Reduce the number of plastic bags used in Thailand by 13.5 billion annually. Given that out of 45 billion plastic bags used in Thailand each year, 40% come from fresh produce and 30% from stores, this restriction is far from trivial. Among the most well-known retailers participating, we can mention the popular convenience store 7-Eleven or the operators of the Mall Group.

By 2022, the government has committed to completely banning the use of plastic bags, joining the 60 countries that have already prohibited the distribution of single-use plastic packaging. In the meantime, awareness and mobilization campaigns continue to be conducted. Television channels have even censored the appearance of plastic bags on screen by blurring them in the same way as alcohol, cigarettes, or nudity scenes.

Florine Dergelet

Florine Dergelet

A web writer for over 10 years, Florine Dergelet is a traveler driven by the desire to discover the world with an open heart. Each of her articles is an invitation to slow down, to listen, to understand. Because for her, traveling is not about ticking off countries on a map, but weaving links (often invisible but always powerful) with places, peoples, and all sorts of creatures from the animal kingdom. Her philosophy? Advising travelers with ethics, raising their awareness about animal welfare, respect for cultures, and the importance of humble and sustainable tourism. Because the most beautiful memories are often born far from the spotlight, in the shadow of a trail, at the edge of a conversation, or in the quiet breath of a world we finally take time to listen to…