April 23, 2008
Bangkok - Thai environmentalists ride along the anti-plastic bag campaign by emphasizing the climate change globally, trying to convince consumers to give up their convenience.
Public awareness of climate change is growing in Thailand. Bangkok has hosted major UN climate meetings this year and last year, while the city has joined in international campaigns such as Earth Hour, which encouraged people to turn off their lights to save energy.
Major shopping malls and other businesses are eager to show off their green credentials, and cloth bags have become one of the most popular ways to do so.
Just a generation ago, Thais carried baskets or fabric bags to markets to do their shopping, and bought food wrapped in banana leaves, Anake Nawigamune, an expert on traditional Thai culture at the Cultural Affairs Association, told AFP.
However, plastic bags started replacing those containers in the 1970s. They later became common all over Thailand.
Krittachamai Ratanaphupha, 40-year-old owner of a company called Goodearth, said orders for her fabric shopping bags have her scrambling to meet demand.
Companies are ordering as many as 500,000 bags at a time, and she's selling them for up to 50 baht (1.58 dollars) each.
But demand is driving up the cost of the fabric used to make the bags, which jumped from 18 to 26 baht per yard within a week in March.
Many people expressed concerns over the no-plastic bag campaign, fearing it would not last long if lacking government’s support.
Concern for the environment is about changing habits and taking responsibility. That won't change in just a few days or weeks because of trendy campaigns," said Vorragorn, an environmentalist at the environment ministry.
