Evaluation of Plastic Waste Management in Thailand Using Material ...

From Figure 4.33, the revenue from plastic bags and foam charges is collected by the
plastic bag and foam fund. This revenue is provided to local administration, bio-plastic
company, and recyclers to support the plastic waste management. Minimarts and
department stores play the important role on charging plastic bag fees and reducing plastic
bags because 70% of Thai consumers get plastic bags from minimarts and department
stores (Thai Health Promotion Foundation, 2011).
In China, the government forced the plastic industry, and consumers to produce, sell, and
use HDPE bags, so 66% of plastic bags were reduced in 2009 (China Daily, 2009).
However, the amount of plastic bags was increase again in 2011 due to lack of monitoring,
awareness of consumers, and strict regulation (Jinran, 2011). While, the big department
stores in England; Marks and Spencer volunteered to charge the plastic bag fees from
consumers (BBC News, 2008). Therefore, the project’s monitoring and voluntaries of
stakeholders lead to success on the plastic bag taxation in Thailand.
Moreover, in Thailand, the “No Bag No Baht” campaign was promoted by BMA office in
2012. This project stimulates department stores in BMA to reduce the plastic bag used.
Department stores can propose their projects to BMA office. For example, Central Retail
Ltd., Co. charged one baht from customers who want to use plastic bags, and all charges
are given for the environmental foundation (VOLUNTEERCONNEX, 2013). Some 5,000
to 8,000 shops in Chatuchak willingly participated in the project. Bangkok Governor gave
away 5,000 cloth bags and flyers to customers in order to promote the scheme at the
market (PATTAYA TODAY, 2013). This project confirms that the department store and
small shop are the important stakeholders who help the government to promote and
achieve the goals of plastic waste reduction.
There are two types of waste shops such as informal and formal waste shops. The formal
waste shops register with the government followed by the antique trade law. The informal
waste shops do not register with the government, and they do not pay any tax or fee for
their business. Form the field observation, the informal waste shop collects and cleans
plastic bags from municipal bins, and then it sells those plastic bags to the recycling
factory. This activity of informal waste shops will support the plastic bag taxation if the
government decides to use that taxation. Like the formal waste shop, it plays the roles on
collecting the recyclable plastic wastes and supporting the government to increase
recycling rate by 30% within 2016.
Consumers, department stores, minimarts, and plastic producers can sell their plastic
wastes and bags to waste shops, and then waste shops supplies their wastes to recyclers.
The recycling sector is the highlight of this scenario because it helps to increase the
recycling rate of plastic wastes. The incentives for increasing the recycling business are
provided to recyclers such as revenues from a plastic bag and foam fund. The
environmental organizations force consumers to reduce, reuse and sort plastic wastes at
sources followed by the 3Rs law, and they also control the environmental pollution from
recycling factories. Moreover, they force producers to follow that law as well as
consumers.
Lastly, the public-private sector institutions of this scenario consist of TPFRIA, TIPMSE,
TBIA, PIT, and TPIA. The organizations relate to promoting the bio-plastic used are TBIA,
PIT, and TPIA because the bio-plastic companies/industries set the cooperation
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