A place for a PET bottle
In order to limit the increasing amount of waste, promote recycling and increase the green area in the district, the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok has started the campaign 'Waste for plants'. Residents receive a free plant in exchange for all types of waste: bottles, paper, cardboard, electronics, electrical wire, CDs, plastic bags, styrofoam.
The district office uses a terms of trade. For example, one kilogram of waste paper is good for two plants, five CDs for one plant. It is not yet a storm at the office with 20 people a day, but the campaign is barely a month old. 500 kilos of waste is collected per week.
The plants are only provided on Fridays and Saturdays. The residents don't have to worry about running out, because the office has its own nursery of 4 rai (1 rai is 1.600 square meters). The office offers a wide range, ranging from perennials to ornamental plants. Edible plants are the most popular, such as agasta, basil and sweet basil.
With its 123 square kilometers, Lat Krabang is the second largest district in Bangkok. About 170.000 persons are registered as permanent residents and another 80.000 are believed to live there without registration. They naturally produce a considerable mountain of waste and more and more: 220 to 230 tons per day three years ago to 250 to 260 tons this year, while the collection service has not been expanded in that period.
In addition to the plant campaign, the district tries to make residents aware of the hidden value of recyclable waste in other ways. When Rittapan Nantasupakorn was appointed head of the cleaning and landscaping service three years ago, he started organizing workshops in which residents learn to separate waste, process waste into bio-fertilizer and donate unused items to the Wat Suan Kaeo foundation.
Arrangements were made for dealers in scrap metals to collect waste at fixed locations and the district office, in collaboration with the Faculty of Science at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang learning center on sustainable waste management. Electricity is also generated from waste in the centre.
What do the residents think? Onsi Nimsongtham, a resident of the Luang Phrot Thaenliam neighborhood, is delighted with the waste for plants campaign. She fosters a love of trees and helps clean up the neighborhood. What still stands in the way of success is insufficient public relations activities. I would like to see more places where you can exchange waste for plants.'
(Source: Bangkok Post, Sept. 13, 2014)
Then it's a bit easier here on the land... since I've been living here we separate paper, glass, plastic and aluminum and take it to one of the two buyers I know in the area. It always brings in a 60-80 baht. Not much, but we're going to buy a nice ice cream for it or whatever. Actually quite a lot, because you can also buy two meals for that money.
The most important thing, however, is that we don't just throw it away. I don't know how it will go on, but we have contributed a bottle and I hope that recycling will continue.
Of course a great idea for the start of a cleaner Thailand because what could annoy you more than all that junk on and along the road in a beautiful country.
It will take years before people realize that you can't just drop or throw away everything you no longer need.
It is a matter of learning and educating. We live here among 50 Thai people and you will not find a plastic bottle, beer bottle cap or even a cigarette butt lying on the floor because people are called back to clean it up.
Wouldn't it be great if this could be the case throughout Thailand?
I am 61 but I can still remember that afterwards there was never a garbage truck at our house. Then the waste mountain was much smaller without all the plastic, but you just had to see where you went with your waste.
So let's hope that Thailand will soon become a clean country.
Nice to read this message from the Netherlands. Will the big cleanup really start? Last year I spent 3 months recycling waste in my then temple, separating plastic, cans, etc. When you were done in the evening, another mountain of plastic cups and other waste was dumped. Did it with love and hope that it will be copied and see, attention is now also being paid to it in the big city.
My Thai Ega and I have been recycling for years, even before I came to live here on retirement.
Everything, absolutely everything, is recycled.
Plastic bottles , glassware , metal and ferrous parts , waste oils , old batteries , and so on .
The garbage truck comes to our street in the countryside once a week to collect the rest of the rubbish.
But the bag is never heavy.
Most of plant waste disappears under trees and plants.
However, I must admit that my Thai Ega is doing much better than me in terms of recycling and environmental stewardship.
But ultimately we all hope for a better and cleaner world.
It would also be good if the government in the north of Thailand would REALLY TAKE MEASURES against the annual clean burning of the fields.
Because until now it's just sticking big posters along the road.
With the text , STOP THE BURNING .
And the government itself, certainly thanks to the hermandat, stood by and watched it.
My hope is also that Prayuth and his new government will be able to eliminate this annually recurring very negative phenomenon.
Certainly benefits the health of the population living in the northern part of Thailand.
And certainly good for tourism, because who likes a holiday or backpacking tour in the smog.
Jan Beute.