Effective January 1, Thailand’s plastic bag ban in major stores follows a yearlong campaign against single-use plastics after several incidents in which animals died from plastic blocking their digestive systems (Reuters

In Mumbai, municipal authorities have criminalized the use of plastic bags with fines of up to $US 366 and jail sentences for repeat offenders. India has a low consumption of plastic compared with Western countries, but the ban has potential to reduce the 26,000 tons of plastic waste that is produced daily in the country. Authorities have already collected $US 5000 in fines from 87 shops since the ban was enforced. The city's residents and businesses were given a three-month period beginning in March to phase out their use of plastic bags and find sustainable alternatives instead.