Today is the first day of the ban on single use plastic bags at 75 popular retailers in Thailand

Starting today, 75 department stores, convenience stores and other shops with more than 24,500 branches nationwide have agreed to stop giving away single use plastic bags and from today they will stop giving these bags away for free. This includes some of the biggest players such as Big C, 7-11 and Family Mart.

As well as the “Every Day Say No to Plastic Bags” campaign, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) has introduced a 20 year-action plan on plastic waste management from 2018-2037, which includes measures to stop Thais using seven plastic items and types.

A ban on plastic straws and cups is due due to take effect next year as well according to the Thai Government.

Locally, there is concern by many in Pattaya that the retailers who have committed to the stop plastic campaign may not be completely ready for the change. Some retailers will be providing plastic bags for a small fee, some have switched to paper bags and many offer reusuable bags.

There is concern from some franchise owners of the larger chain stores that customers may buy less items and spend less if they are not given a reasonable alternative to plastic bags.

It remains to be seen how successful the program will be but day one officially launches today to start off 2020.

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Adam Judd
Mr. Adam Judd is the Co-owner of TPN Media since December 2017. He is originally from Washington D.C., America, but has also lived in Dallas, Sarasota, and Portsmouth. His background is in retail sales, HR, and operations management, and has written about news and Thailand for many years. He has lived in Pattaya for over nine years as a full-time resident, is well known locally and been visiting the country as a regular visitor for over a decade. His full contact information, including office contact information, can be found on our Contact Us page below. Stories please e-mail Editor@ThePattayanews.com About Us: https://thepattayanews.com/about-us/ Contact Us: https://thepattayanews.com/contact-us/