Mr. Rodrigo Gaston Espinola : Environmental Impact Assessment of Single-use and Reusable Bags in Chiang Mai and Policy Recommendations

ABSTRACT

More than 130 countries regulate the use of single use plastic bags. With this, it is crucial to understand to what extend the plastic bag ban policy, which will be introduced in Thailand in 2021, is helping the environment. In relation to that entry point, this study aims to elaborate the environmental impacts of such bags through empirical evidences by examining the life cycle of bags available in Chiang Mai supermarkets. It was found that the quality, design and material of the bag are crucial and need to be included into the policy design. With those empirical and behavioral evidences, the bags should include a visible “Printed Tag” with the amount of times that the bags should be used to minimize it environmental impact and a color that will tell users about the bag sustainability score. Apart from that, an index with a score band from 0 to 5 and 5 different colors for the bag sustainability quality should be included.

Keywords: Environmental impact assessment, Single-use bags, Reusable bags, Life Cycle Assessment

>>>>>> Download Full Paper<<<<<<<<