Plastics

Bangkok is a fan of the plastic bag. Something that I'd never seen before coming to Bangkok is that street vendors sell sodas and juices in small plastic bags with a straw. At first I thought it was too impractical because of how flimsy it is, but this method actually proves to be quite handy because people can hold their drink by the handles or hang it from their motorcycle handlebars as they zoom away. At least two plastic bags are used for other foods that are purchased on the street. 10 baht worth of pineapple will be put into a small bag, then that bag will be put into a another small bag with handles. These smaller bags are nearly impossible to reuse, especially because we collect so many each day and they are typically dirty after one use. Larger bags from the grocery store can be reused as trash bags, but my roommate and I hardly generate enough trash for all of the plastic bags we get! I usually carry a couple plastic bags around with me wherever I go so I can avoid getting new bags, but it's inevitable that I'll be handed a few plastic bags each day. I wonder if the city will ever consider alternate solutions for their plastic bag addiction.