In an article published on August 13, 2016 by the Bangkok Post, journalist Supoj Wancharoen reports on a Thai community campaign called “Say Yes to Recycled Food Containers” aimed at discouraging food vendors from using styrofoam and other plastic food containers and urging them to use more environmentally friendly packaging in the scope of a greater effort to reduce waste. The campaign was initiated by the Research Centre for Community Development at Siam University, Bangkok, Thailand, in collaboration with the Bangkok district Phasi Charoen, and is supported by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. The food containers promoted by the campaign are compostable and “made from naturally grown renewable sugarcane,” Wancharoen writes. Somchai Puengsin, a Phasi Charoen food vendor who joined the campaign, reported that the number of customers increased after switching to biodegradable food containers. Mr. Somchai admitted that he was initially worried about the additional cost of the sugarcane food containers (about four times the price of styrofoam containers) and that the biodegradable food containers’ physical strength and heat resistance are not as good as with plastic containers. However, the new food packaging was positively received by his customers and takeaway orders increased. Mr. Somchai believes that biodegradable food containers are popular because modern consumers “have become more concerned about their health and the safety of containers.” Also, he sees a growing realization among people “to carefully manage natural resources.”

Whether and what kind of additives and processing aids are used in the sugarcane food containers and how disposed containers are managed was not discussed in the article.

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Supoj Wancharoen (August 13, 2016). “Phasi Charoen leads the way in food packaging.Bangkok Post

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