BANGKOK, Dec 2 (TNA) — Seventy-five shops will stop handing out single-use plastic shopping bags from Jan 1, 2020, onwards, the Thai Retailers Association has announced.
Worawut Oonjai, president of the association, said the new measure to reduce plastic waste would build on its campaign not to distribute such bags at about 40 shops, convenience stores, shopping centers and supermarkets on the fourth day of every month over the past year.
The past campaign reduced the amount of used plastic shopping bags by more than 2 billion which accounted for only 4.6% of all single-use plastic bags distributed. The expanded measure to stop handing out such bags next year should cut the number by 9 billion bags a year, equivalent to 20% of all discarded plastic bags, he said.
The association reached a consensus with the operators of department stores, shopping centers, supermarkets, convenience stores and shops of its members to launch the “Everyday Say No to Plastic Bag” on Jan 1, 2020.
Besides, the consensus increased the number of participating shops from 42 to 75, Mr Worawut said. (TNA)
