In Thailand, the fight against plastic continues to save its blue paradise from this scourge
If you’ve ever stayed in Thailand, you’ve surely noticed the significant use of plastic. Unlimited plastic bags in supermarkets, plastic straws and cups in markets… plastic is everywhere. On average, a Thai person uses 8 plastic bags per day. And do you know where all this plastic ends up? A large part of it finds its way into the oceans…
However, 2020 marks a change: since January, a law has banned single-use plastic bags in supermarkets, and many shops and restaurants have started offering alternatives to single-use plastic: bamboo or steel straws in restaurants, cardboard cups and plates at the market, banana leaves as packaging… Additionally, people are becoming more aware of plastic pollution and are willing to change their habits.
But due to the pandemic, progress has not been smooth. With most restaurants and markets closed, the population had to revert to its bad habits and struggled to adapt during the crisis. Bulk grocery shopping at the supermarket, taking food to go from local vendors, and home food delivery in confined cities… All of this has significantly increased the amount of plastic waste.
Several Thai environmental protection organizations are brainstorming other projects to address the plastic scourge affecting the entire country. Lilly, a 12-year-old environmental advocate, has already convinced a major retailer in Bangkok to stop providing single-use bags once a week. Other distribution chains have also committed to eliminating single-use bags starting this year. The goal by the end of the year is to reduce single-use plastic by one-third.
For several years, the Department of National Parks in Thailand has been working to protect its wildlife and flora by implementing annual closures of several months, usually during the low season, in various national and marine parks to allow better ecological recovery, preserving Thailand’s green and blue paradise. Most diving sites are therefore not accessible during this period, but it’s for the greater good.
But in the meantime, don’t forget: we are all masters of our actions. Adopting good habits is also helping the planet: refusing single-use bags at the supermarket, always carrying a reusable bag, drinking without a plastic straw, buying in bulk, etc. There are so many ways to say no to plastic.
And at Andaman Scuba, we also want to contribute our bit. For every scuba diving liveaboard you do with us, we offer you a reusable stainless steel water bottle to use without moderation!
