While Thailand seemed to have banned the use of plastic bags at major retailers from New Year’s Day, some stores, particularly 7-Eleven franchises, are still giving out single-use plastic bags to customers.
Retailers are able to skirt the ban because the measure never actually had enforcement mechanisms. No law or regulation was enacted, only an agreement between the government and 75 major corporate retailers to stop using single-use plastic bags as part of the government’s plastic waste management roadmap.
But now some retailers are treating the policy as more of a suggestion.
As the ban was not codified into law, retailers were left to set their own plastic policies. For instance, 7-Eleven continued to use plastic bags for hot food items initially, drawing no criticism as it appeared a necessary safety precaution.
Many 7-Eleven stores around Bangkok offer plastic bags for regular, “non-hot” items when customers do not have their own bags.
CP All, the operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand, declined to comment for this story. Whether the continued use of plastic bags at some locations is a directive from the company or a decision made by individual franchises is unclear.
“[CP All] should talk to each store and make it a clear company policy for every franchise to not give out plastic bags for normal use,” said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, vice-dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, who helped draft the roadmap to phase out plastics.
“I understand if you need a bag for something hot, but it seems Thais have adapted to living without plastic bags and are happy with carrying their own bags.”
While Mr Thon said the 7-Eleven in his neighbourhood does not give out plastic bags for regular purchases, he was concerned that all stores may not be following the policy.
A quick sweep of the Sathon neighbourhood found at least four 7-Eleven stores giving out plastic bags for regular purchases.
But 7-Eleven was not the only store breaking the pledge to ban single-use plastic bags. Grocery stores Villa Market and Foodland both give out plastic bags at some locations in Bangkok, albeit nowhere near as frequently as before the ban.
“I’m afraid without a clear, systemic direction on the ban, this policy could backfire on the government and the plastic waste management roadmap,” said Tara Buakamsri, Thailand country director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. “The government has to say more and has to have some kind of economic instrument to impose on retailers that causes a result.”
He said Greenpeace is planning to assess the plastic bag ban this year to gauge compliance and estimate the amount of plastic saved by the ban.