Thailand is to start charging for plastic bags from next year in a bid to cut down pollution.<br /><br />Stores across the country have already been running trials to reducing single-use plastic bag by providing them only on given days.<br /><br />But now one of the world's biggest polluters - churning out more than two billion bags a year - will see supermarkets charging for them from January 1, 2020.<br /><br />Retailers will move forward with the plans following a meeting last Friday (September 6) afternoon between the biggest chains.<br /><br />Customers will be charged for 2 -3 baht (0.05 - 0.07 GBP) in supermarket chains for using plastic bags.<br /><br />Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-Archa said that the small amount of money might not change the customer's behaviour but the plan would encourage people to reduce plastic use.<br /><br />He said: "We are aware that as long as retail stores still provide plastic bags there will always be a plastic waste.<br /><br />"However, there were positive signs from the last campaign that began last year as we were able to reduce more than two billions plastic bags or over 5,755 tons of waste.<br /><br />"We will issue the new campaign to support the agreement on charging for a plastic bag, and we will call the action the 'Mariam action' named after the shocking death of the manatee Mariam who died from consuming plastic.<br /><br />"The present goal is to eliminate plastic use by the end of 2022 and substitute all plastic material to the recyclable by the end of 2027."
