Reducing Plastic Bags

New hope For Clean

Chao Phraya River

By Minyoung

Introduction

The river pollution is being very serious global issue. River pollution happens in many places in Thailand, and Chao Phraya River is the best example. Chao Phraya River is the longest river in Thailand. This river’s length is about 372km. Chao Phraya River starts from the mountains of Chiang Mai(or Ping River), and ends on the Gulf of Thailand. Chao Phraya River plays very important role in Thailand because it provides lots of advantages in such ways as fishing, transportations, and irrigation. However, it is found out that this river became increasingly dirty full of garbage that are dumped waste, such as plastics. This may affect the environment and also the economy and society greatly in negative way.

In order to improve the health for Chao Phraya and make the river back to crystal clear, we should use cotton bags or other reusable plastic bags while shopping. Also, shop has to make about 5% discount for those people who bring reusable bags.

INDICATORS of the PROBLEM

In February 2014, Year 7 NIST International School students went to the Chao Phraya and observed the water quality of Chao Phraya River. They observed Nitrates, Phosphates, pH, Dissolved oxygen (DO), Water Temperature, and Total dissolved solids (TDS). They observed that Nitrates, Water Temperature, and TDS was bad, and Phosphates, and pH was good. So they knew that the quality of Chao Phraya was cleaner than they thought, but still poor. Also, NIST students measured plastic bags have and negative affect to the river as the table shown below:

Test Optimal Values W.F. Raw Data Q Value WQI

Nitrates Under 10ppm=Good

Over 1ppm=Bad

0.10 50 10 1

Phosphates 0-1 ppm=Good Over 1 ppm=Bad

0.10 0.5 70 7

pH 6.5-8.2=Good 0.11 6.9 88 9.68Dissolved

oxygen(DO)Over 8 ppm=

GoodUnder 4 ppm=

Bad

0.17 6.5 50 8.5

Water Temperatur

e

5 degrees-25degrees=Good

0.10 26 90 9

Total dissolved

solids(TDS)

<300 Excellent301-600 Good601-900 Fair

901< Poor

0.07 29.2 86 6.02

Total 119.1 394 41.2

Quality indicators of my problem

Current level

Predicted positive trend if innovation is implemented

Plastic bags lots Fewer

Empty plastic bottles some None

Dead fish lots None

Coconuts some None

Systems

EFFECTS OF PLASTIC BAGS

The systems map above shows how plastic bags floating in the river cause problems with the river and environment. Plastic bags harm river creatures’ lives. It is easy for them to misunderstand the garbage as food. As the result, the creatures underwater are most likely to suffocate because the plastic bags will block their throats or branchiate. When they die, they will get rotten inside the river, and the river will get dirty. This gives disadvantage to the fishermen because catching less fish affects their financial profits. Also, the river full with garbage and dead fish won’t give good impression to residents and also the tourists. Furthermore, it affects the ecosystem, because the fish won’t be able to exist no more in the river and also other creatures that eats the fish. Lastly, it needs more

money to clean the water from the river because people actually drink river water.

PERSPECTIVES ON PLASTIC BAGS

Fish Fish don’t like plastic bags. Fish eat plastic bags and suffocate because of the block of throat.

Fisherman Fisherman don’t like plastic bags. Fishes die because of the plastic bags. When fishes die, fisherman will have less fish to catch and sell. So they can get less money or lose job.

People living near river People living near the river might like the plastic bags but they also doesn’t like it. Plastic bags help them to put stuff inside after shopping. However, when they see those plastic bags floating on the river, they will feel bad and dirty.

Businesspeople Businesspeople like plastic bags. Businesspeople usually buy foods from the street and also buy foods from the supermarkets. And plastic bags help those put foods or other stuff inside, and easy to bring.

WHY THIS IS THE IDEAL POINT TO MAKE A CHANGE

As mentioned in the system map, there are many causes of plastic bags floating around the river which are:

People buy food or other things in the market or restaurants, they gain much of plastic bags and disposal materials. When they are all gathered together, they usually are threw into the river.

People don’t have responsibility to throw trashes in the bin. Many people who visit the river just throw their garbage in the river.

There are not much laws related to protecting the environment.

The part that is going to be changed is the supermarket people or street food vendors using cheap plastic bags. This part is going to be changed because the markets and food vendors keep use plastic bags, so the amount of plastic bags are getting massive. It is also an ideal point because many creative innovations can come out from this point.

Innovations

The proposed innovation is to discount by 5% for the people who bring cotton bags or other reusable plastic bags to the supermarket or street food vendors.

This innovation will affect following sustainability compass points:

NATURE

Plastic bags contain lots of toxic materials and also other bad things which do harm the nature. When the plastic bags are thrown in the nature, they will spill toxic materials. These toxic materials will harm the plants in such ways as skins. Also, it takes 100-1000 years for plastic bags to break apart and completely disappear. Also, when the plastic bags are thrown into the river, fishes or other creatures in the river might think of the plastic bag as a food. On eating the thrown garbage they would come to die. Actually the small piece of plastic bag is found in batagur’s body, which is an endangered animal.

If those supermarkets and street food vendors buy the plastic bags or reusable bags by the means of discounting for people who bring them, which could gradually change the river systems. Even the supermarkets might get some decrease on their income in a short term, which innovative action could save the river, and further the environment in the long term.

ECONOMY

Plastic bags are really cheap and easy to get. Those plastic bags are also easy to bring for the customers. The cost of one plastic bag is about 10THB or less. Customers like plastic bags because they are convenient to carry stuff and easy to bring. So supermarkets or street food vendors like to use plastic bags.

Although, cotton bags or reusable plastic bags are also convenient to carry stuff and easy to bring. Also, it can be cheaper than plastic bags because people can use it forever until it breaks. Supermarkets would reduce some plastic bags by means of giving some discount in return for the people who bring reusable bags. People who bring reusable bags will be happy because they will get some discount for just bringing the reusable bags. This happiness might spread in a relay of good circle.

SOCIETY

Cotton bags or other reusable plastic bags are convenient and can use it forever. It also doesn’t contain any toxics or other harmful materials. People don’t use them because they are lazy to bring it every time they go shopping. However, when supermarkets declare the discount for reusable bags, people will start to bring reusable bags. And when many people start to use reusable bags, there might appear a new job like making cotton bags with a recycled cottons.

WELL BEING

There are many danger of health by plastic bags. In Thailand, there are many street food vendors who sell drinks inside the plastic bags. They are really convenient to drink. Even though those drinks are hot, it makes the plastic bags melt and toxic materials comes out from it. So it’s the same thing as drinking the toxic materials. Toxic materials cause many diseases and even the death.

Changing to the innovation, using cotton bags or reusable bags can shift these diseases and problems. Plastic bags produce lots of toxic materials and other bad chemicals. However, reusable bags doesn’t cause any problems because they are made out of biodegradable materials. When supermarkets or street food vendors use less plastic bags by means of ‘innovative discounting strategy, they will be proud themselves of supporting some money for the river, and for the environment.

Conclusions

As it is shown, plastic bags cause many problems such as harming fish’s lives, causing environmental problems etc. Plastic bags affect fish, fisherman, businesspeople, and people living near the river. Plastic bags can be used really well and convenient for busy people. Busy business people can get food or drinks easily with plastic bags by buying it from the street or buying it from the supermarkets. However, for fish, plastic bags do harm their life. For example, when fishes look at the plastic bags, they think it’s a food and eat it. When they eat the plastic bags, it stuck on fish’s throat and causes them to suffocate. And fishes would die. Also, when fishes start to die, fisherman will have less fresh fishes to catch and sell. Maybe some fisherman can be unemployed worker. For the people who live near the river, they will feel bad and embarrassed when dead fishes and plastic bags float around the river. The innovation can cover all of these problems, which is bringing reusable bags to the markets is to be given 5% discount for the customers. When people start to bring reusable bags to get discount, the amount of plastic bags thrown to the river will get lesser. Considering the sustainability compass points, it impacts the NATURE point in a good way from the biodegradability stopping pollution, this form of packaging is environmentally friendly and helps the earth. This also affects the ECONOMY well because by this solution, they can be a new job which is making a cotton bags with cottons. This solution also affects SOCIETY because when the river change more cleanly, new group of tourist will come and tour in the river. Finally, it helps the WELLBEING of people by having healthier and more beautiful nature. When people protect people’s lives and environment’s life Thailand can be much better place.

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