See also: Can Thailand ever turn the tide on single-use plastic waste?

Say no to plastic straws

Plastic straws take 200 years to break down, and even then they turn into tiny pieces of microplastic that never truly decompose. (Read: These Bangkok restaurants are taking a stand against plastic)

Credit: www.fb.com/Kiddeeproject.Thailand 

Carry reusable shopping bags

Thais use over 70 billion plastic bags a year, each of which takes 10-1,000 years to decompose in landfill. Canvas tote bags are cheap and readily available—check out some hip local brands here.

Stop using plastic cutlery

Next time you order from Foodpanda or Polpa, let them know that you don’t need their plastic utensils.

Leegoal collapsible coffee mug - available here (B138)

Carry a reusable coffee mug or flask

Statistics indicate that the world uses 500 billion plastic cups each year; of those, 16 billion are disposable coffee cups coated with polyethylene.

Credit: www.fb.com/bangkoksoapopera

Avoid plastic packaging

Opt for 100-percent natural bar soaps (try Banh or Bangkok Soap Opera) instead of shower gels, shampoo bars (check out Lush) instead of shampoo bottles, and bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic ones. Or bring your own containers to Better Moon Cafe x Refill Station (Sukhumvit Soi 77/1, 086-375-3269).

Carcool reusable collapsible water bottle - available here (B127)

Ditch plastic bottles

This is a no-brainer. If you want to stay hydrated on your commute, at the gym or at your office, remember to bring your own reusable water bottle instead of getting the single-use plastic ones at
convenience stores.

Avoid using products with microbeads

Microbeads are tiny plastic particles found in many cosmetics and personal care products like exfoliating face scrubs and toothpastes. Microbeads don’t dissolve, but instead thousands of tons
are washed into the sea every year, harming marine life.