BANGKOK – From 1st January next year, major shopping malls and convenience chain stores will discontinue providing single-use plastic bags to customers. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has launched a campaign on Silom Road promoting the plastic bag ban, and encouraging families to float only a single Krathong for the whole household this Loy Krathong Festival, to reduce waste in canals and rivers.
The Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP) has led private companies in a parade promoting the initiative to discontinue the offer of single-use plastic bags. The parade took place in front of the United Center building on Silom Road, and along Soi Lalai Sap, encouraging the general public to carry multiple use tote bags to the shops instead of receiving single-use plastic bags from the stores each time they make a purchase.
From 1st January 2020, 46 major shopping malls and convenience stores will discontinue providing customers with single-use plastic bags, with the goal of eliminating such bags from Thailand by 2021.
The opening ceremony of the event today was presided over by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Warawut Silpa-archa.
“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,” said Warawut while adding that “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 the upcoming Loy Krathong day on 11th November, 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 minimizing the environmental impact.
