March 10, 2020

Since January 1, 2020, many Thai retailers have banned the free distribution of plastic bags at checkout counters. With plastic firmly in its sights, Thailand has no intention of stopping there. And rightly so, as the country ranks sixth globally as a contributor to ocean pollution. Here's what you need to know about these developments…

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

Each Thai person uses an average of 8 single-use packages per day. A staggering figure when you consider that most of this waste ends up in the ocean. It was during the summer of 2019 that Thailand experienced a wake-up call when a baby dugong was found dead, its stomach filled with plastic. Images that shocked the entire nation and went viral on social media worldwide.

Faced with this situation, many retailers decided to ban plastic bags in their stores. And this comes with the support of Ralyn Satidtanasarn, Thailand's Greta Thunberg. After successfully convincing the Central Group (one of Bangkok's largest supermarket chains) the previous year to stop giving plastic bags to customers once a week, her influence has helped add other retailers to the list…

The ban on free plastic bag distribution

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

The goal? To reduce the number of plastic bags used in Thailand each year by 13.5 billion. Considering that of the 45 billion plastic bags used in Thailand annually, 40% come from fresh produce and 30% from retail stores, this restriction is far from insignificant. Among the most well-known retailers participating, you'll find the popular 7-Eleven convenience stores and Mall Group operators.

By 2022, the government has committed to completely banning plastic bag use, joining the 60 countries that have already banned the distribution of single-use plastic packaging. In the meantime, awareness and mobilization campaigns continue to be rolled out. Television networks have even censored the appearance of plastic bags on screen by blurring them in the same way they do for alcohol, cigarettes, and nudity scenes.

Florine Dergelet

Florine Dergelet

A web writer for over 10 years, Florine Dergelet is a traveler driven by a desire to discover the world with an open heart. Each of her articles is an invitation to slow down, to listen, to understand. For her, traveling is not about checking countries off a map, but about weaving connections—often invisible but always powerful—with places, peoples, and all manner of creatures from the animal kingdom. Her motto? Advise travelers with integrity, awaken their consciousness 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, in the midst of conversation, or in the quiet breath of a world we finally take time to listen to…