Thammasat University in Thailand has implemented several strategies and actions to reduce single-use plastic on its campus. These include banning plastic bottle cap seals, plastic bags in campus stores, plastic straws, and plastic cups in campus canteens. Later projects extended the bans to include plastic utensils. Through partnerships and campaigns, these policies have helped reduce single-use plastic consumption on campus significantly. Thammasat believes these small individual actions can create larger impacts and help address the global plastic pollution crisis.

1. I S C N 2 0 1 9 | 1 2 J U N E 2 0 1 9
REDUCE SINGLE
USE PLASTIC
PRINYA THAEWANARUMITKUL,
PRANISA BOONKHAM
THAMAMSAT'S
STRATEGIES AND
ACTIONS TO REDUCE
SINGLE-USE PLASTICSTHINK BIG, ACT SMALL, RESULT BIGGER

2. THAMMASAT
UNIVERSITY
35,000
2,950
PEOPLE
TONS
782 TONS
182 TONS
W W W . S U S T A I N A B L E . T U . A C . T H
is a small city with 35,000 people, half live on campus.
Thus, campus life-style plays an important role in the
steps toward sustainable university.
Among related issues, single-use plastics is the most
serious one that we wanted to toggle.
Rangsit campus

3. Plastic cap seal
(pvc shrink film)
2,600
2.16
MILLION
MILLION
Beginning with smallest things, we eliminated
water bottle cap seals, the most useless single-
use plastics in our campus life. And through
the partnership with the Pollution Control
Department, this action extended out as
nationwide policy, and all cap seals in Thailand
will be banned by 2019.
BAN
PLASTIC CAP SEAL
At present, Thailand has about 2600 million plastic cap seals per
year, with a weight of about 520 tons per year or 260,000 kilometers
in length.

4. 6,577,400
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8
Our next small move, but big impact started in 2017, was
the banning of plastic bags in all campus convenient
stores.
Say no to
single-use plastic
Say no to
plastic bag
"Voluntary-paid plastic bag fees"
4,526,400
FROM
TO
2016 -2017
2017-2018

5. No more
single-use plastic
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9
No more single-use
plastic bags
"Baned plastic bags"
4,526,400
920,684
FROM
TO
2018-2019
2017-2018
Later in 2018, this project was broaden out as an MOU
between the largest corporate in Thailand, CP All Public
Co., Ltd., and the members of Sustainable University
Network of Thailand. Initiated by this action, CP All started
their nationwide policy, campaigning for customers not
requesting plastic bags, and the cost saving is donated to
Thailand largest public hospital, Sirirach.

6. No more
single-use plastic
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9
Reusable cloth bags
Donated by students & staffs for public uses
Reducing carbon footprint on new productions

7. No more
single-use plastic
advertisement campaign
No more
single-use plastic
87,000,000
reduced
Sustainable University
Network of Thailand

8. No more
single-use plastic
advertisement campaign
Sustainable University
Network of Thailand

9. No more
single-use plastic
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9"Ask before give away "
1,700,000
720,000
FROM
TO
2018-2019
2017-2018
No more single-use
plastic straws
Other actions for life-style changes at Thammasat
includes price reduction for using personal cups at
campus canteens and cafés, replacing plastic straws with
paper or biodegradable ones, campaign ‘bring-your-own-
lunchbox’ at weekly food markets, campus-wide policy for
using refilled glasses and washable utensils in place of
plastic ones in every meetings and seminars.

10. No more
single-use plastic
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9
No more
single-useplastic

11. No more
single-use plastic
Beginning at the unversity canteens
Banning single-use plastic cups in all canteens &
providing reusable cups as a choices
Providing biodegrable cups for beverage kiosks for
take-aways (with extra fee)
TAKE-AWAY CUPS, pay extra fee
PERSONAL CUP, reduice prices
Reducing the rent fee for stores that follows our
sustainable policy (reuseable cups and paper straws)
Notes: 30% of plastic cups still be used in other stores
outside the canteens --- "Our next steps"
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9"Baned "
2,160,000
648,000
FROM
TO
2018-2019
2017-2018
No more single-use
plastic cups

12. No more
single-use plastic
provide a set of portable, reusable utensils for every
first year students and within dormitory community
Trial project : voluntary-paid plastic utensils fee
Providing washing stations in cafeteria and near food
stalls area for cleaning reusable utensils & wares
Providing biodegradable utensils for public use
2017 | Self-service utensils station (take if you need) --
Result: more utensils taken!
2018 | Give utensils only when requested.
University campaigns & actions for to support the use of
reusable utensils :
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9"Ask before give away"
1,075,320
397,868
FROM
TO
2018-2019
2017-2018
No more single-use
plastic utensils

13. "ECOLIFE" APP Tracking the reduction of single-use plastics for the
whole campus
Incentives for students to cooperate with our
sustainable policy

14. No more
single-use plastic
With these actions, Thammasat strongly believe that little
by little, we can create ripple effects, starting from
individuals to the society as a whole. Most importantly, we
must take immediate actions to stop this plastic pollution
cricis … because ‘there is no planet B’.
P R O J E C T 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9
SET GOALS TOWARD SDGS
MOU WITH PRIVATE (CONVENIENT STORES) & PUBLIC SECTORS :
OTHER UNIVERSITIES/POLLUTION CONTROL DEPARTMENT
ฺBUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK, LINE@
CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITIES
MOBILE APPLICATION "WWW.ECOLIFEAPP.COM"
Thammasat Tools
CREATING THE RIGHT COMMUNICATION

15. BEAT PLASTIC
POLLUTION
IF YOU CAN’T REUSE IT,
REFUSE IT.