State hospitals to ban plastic bags

BANGKOK, June 5 (TNA) – Thirty state hospitals under the Department of Medical Services will stop giving plastic bags to patients for carrying their medication home from Oct 1. Patients are urged to use cloth bags to reduce plastic garbage, causing pollution to the environment. The initiative was announced to mark the World Environment Day on June 5. This year’s theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution” with a slogan “If You Can’t Reuse It, Refuse It”. Department’s Director-General, Somsak Akksilp said that overuse of plastic bags and styrofoam boxes has contributed to the large amount of garbage and pollution. It takes up 450 years for plastic bags to decompose. The ban of plastic bags will be implemented on Oct 1 in hospitals under its administration. Patients will participate in saving environment and hospitals can cut cost in buying plastic bags. Last year, the department reported agencies under it authority used nine million single-use plastic bags. So far, 18 hospitals have already stopped handing out plastic bags to patients. Those hospitals include Lertsin Hospital, Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, Somdej Phra Sangharaj Nganasamvara Geriatric Hospital, Chiangmai Neurological Hospital, Lopburi Cancer Hospital, Thanyarak Khonkaen Hospital. Cloth bags made by volunteers are given away at some hospitals and are also available for selling. (TNA)