TOWARD ZERO WASTE
After a ban on plastic shopping bags, Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa has set his sights on cups, straws and styrofoam food containers in a continued push to end plastic waste
‘Could you make sure that the punching bag will be seen?” Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa requested while posing for a photo shoot.
“I want people to know I am a fighter,” the 47-year-old minister and sports enthusiast said jokingly.
Alongside the red punching bag near his desk sat a stationary bike in an otherwise sparse-looking office, modern but minimal.
Varawut, the only son and political heir apparent of the late former prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa, has been in the news since the start of the year thanks to his decision to ask major malls and retailers to stop giving away free plastic bags.
The ban was introduced earlier than planned in the government’s 20-year roadmap which seeks to end the use of plastic shopping bags in 2022.
Although Varawut’s decision has been hailed as a positive game-changer in the country’s attempt to curb plastic waste, complaints about inconvenience, and debates whether the ban is an end-of-the-pipe solution that serves major merchants’ bottom line more than it does the environment, are abound.
Criticism that the no-plastic campaign may have gone too far intensified after TV stations blurred out single-use plastic bags on programmes to discourage their use. Many people said the move was “useless” and “ridiculous”.
“We have no more time to waste”, “At what price is our environment”, and a more provocative “Nobody has ever died because they don’t get to use plastic bags” peppered the minister’s answers to most questions concerning the say-no-to-plastic-bags campaign.
Speaking a week after the campaign was launched, Varawut noted that it’s too early to tell whether the ban was a success or a failure. In terms of public awareness and response, however, he said it has hit home strongly.
Reactions towards the campaign may have been diverse, ranging from total agreement to snubbing, but he would gladly say that the feedback has been on the positive side overall.
“I know that it is a lot to ask people to change their habits or adjust their daily routines, to carry tote bags or reusable bottles when they lea their houses.
I know full wellit’s not easy to change people’s mindset. But it’s not impos sible. It may be inconvenient, yes, but it’s not like I am asking people to move mountains,” Varawut said.
THERE IS A COST TO DISPOSING OF PLASTIC BAGS, AND IT IS PAID FOR BY TAXPAYERS
Varawut added that he is appreciative of people’s humorous take on the campaign, dusting out baskets, buckets, even wheelbarrows to use as containers when shopping. He said the creative streak and good-natured wit are uniquely Thai.
For those who questioned the no-plastic-bags campaign, saying it only benefits store owners who save costs on bags while passing the burden on to consumers, Varawut asked what about the cost of waste disposal in general?
“If people keep using more plastic bags, the government has to dispose of them. There is a cost to that and it is paid for by taxpayers. It’s everyone’s money,” Varawut said, insisting that it’s in everyone’s interest to generate less waste.
Thailand is ranked sixth in the world among marine polluters. In 2018, the country generated 27.8 million tonnes of waste, about 2 tonnes of which are plastics, according to the Pollution Control Department.
In terms of numbers, Thais use up to 45 billion plastic bags a year. About 30%, or 13.5 billion of them, come from grocery stores, while an equal amount comes from shopping malls, supermarkets and convenience stores.
About 40%, or 18 billion plastic bags, are from fresh markets.
Minister Varawut believes that if his campaign, which targets 60% of the sources of plastic bags, is successful, the country would reduce tonnes of plastic waste each year.
“I think it’s totally worth it , ” Varawut said. “I don’t want people to just focus on who is benefiting from the campaign, because it’s our nature and natural resources that matter most eventually. These are the capital of our life. We can’t put a price on the environm He also reminded people to think about the wild animals that ha died because of plastic waste. “Think about Mariam,” Varawut said, referring to the 10-month-old orphaned dugong which captured many people’s hearts when she was found beached in Krabi in April last year.
After being nursed back to health, Mariam died in August. A post-mortem found pieces of plastic blocking her intestines, causing an infection and later septic shock.
Varawut also urged people to consider the pilot whale and deer that also died because of plastic blockage.
“What price are these wildlife? Don’t just look for vested interest. If we could prolong the health of Thailand’s environment, if we could ensure that the soil will still be rich and land lush for a long while, why shouldn’t we do it?” Varawut said.
As for business disruptions or inconinsisted venience, the minister everyone will have to adjust to the new reality.
“Don’t forget that plastic bags were first produced in 1965. They have been around for only 55 years. People had long survived without plastic bags,” he insisted.
“I understand it’s not easy and it’s not as convenient as before. But it’s the price we have to pay if we are to conserve our environment.”
One of the strongest criticisms against the campaign is it’s too little and fails to tackle the problem at its source. While the government seeks to reduce the use of plastic bags, it allows increasing imports of plastic scrap for recycling, for example.
A more systematic approach that will ensure there is little or no waste from the start of production to the end of material use — including taxes on plastic, compulsory recycling and circular-economy model — is also lacking, many people commented.
“This is a crisis. I have to do what I can,” Varawut replied.
He said it will take time for new laws on plastic taxes, pricing or recycling to be enacted but he has no more time to wait.
“Neither do the dugong, the whale or the deer. Each life is too valuable, priceless. I understand that a lot more needs to be done, but I have to take the first step. How many more animals will have to die if we sit idly while waiting for a full-scale measure?”
Varawut’s next targets are plastic straws, single-use plastic cups and styrofoam food containers.
He estimated that if half of our 67 million population drinks two cups of coffee a day, the amount of used cups comes to more than 20 billion a year.
To rid the country of this amount of garbage, it only takes each one of us to carry our own cup.
“It’s probably heavy and again not very convenient. But if this means we can get rid of 20 billion used cups, I think it’s worth a try,” Varawut said.
Earlier, representatives of plastic-related industries called on the government to provide assistance to companies, especially SMEs, reeling from the ban, which took place earlier than agreed.
While Varawut said his ministry stands ready to support the plastic industries, he insisted they have to adapt to this disruption and reinvent themselves to stay afloat just like other businesses. Also, he believes there will be no difference whether the ban on plastic bags would be implemented now or in the next two years.
“Would there be an uproar, had the ban taken place in 2022? I believe so. That is why I think the sooner, the better,” Varawut said.
As a long-term solution, the ministry is studying experiences from other countries that banned single-use plastics in the hope of launching a law of our own in 2024. Under the plastic waste reduction master plan, the country should see all plastic waste returned to the manufacturing system — the so-called zero-waste state — in 2027. Will we be able to achieve the goals? “I don’t ask whether we will make the deadline. I ask how we are going to make it,” said the minister, who believes in what his late father taught, that nothing is impossible.
“We are in the process of considering which laws can be applied to our country. There are certain limitations and concerns but we are working together with industries and business operators to iron them out.
“It’s our mission to attain zero waste in 2027. We must achieve it. Considering past trends, I am confident it’s within our ability,” Varawut said.