Family meetings to support and celebrate our amazing volunteers

by Lydia on 15/01/2024 1 comment

Trash Hero Kota Kinabalu leader, Zurainee, was excited to meet her volunteers in a different setting: “it felt good spending time with heroes in a different and ‘cleaner’ platform”.  

It’s true that when they usually meet – before, during and after cleanups – Trash Hero volunteers are engrossed in the task at hand. Most of their training is done on the job. 

Our Family Meetings, which were most recently held during the last quarter of 2023, give them a chance to spend time together in a different way. They allow for more in-depth discussions, planning and knowledge-building, as well as providing an opportunity to develop stronger friendships and support systems.

During November 24 – 26, Trash Hero Indonesia hosted its second Family Meeting of the year in Bali, for all active chapters within the country. Seventy participants joined the three-day event from 33 different locations. 

Seventy participants from 33 locations joined the 3-day event in Indonesia

The country team delivered a packed agenda focused on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of our activities. The volunteers learned the basic principles of zero waste communities and about the impacts of plastic pollution on climate, human health and biodiversity through interactive games and mini-workshops. They also honed their skills in effective communication, community engagement and strategic planning. 

Rima Agustina, Trash Hero World’s Programme Coordinator, who led the event, said: “It was probably our most successful family meeting to date in terms of engagement. I am so inspired by our volunteers’ energy and willingness to learn these challenging topics.”

Feedback from the volunteers confirmed this impression. Clara Keban, a participant from Trash Hero Belu, said that she “learned many things from great friends and mentors […] Other than that, the most important thing that I got from this activity is kinship, cohesiveness and togetherness”.

Trash Hero World covers all the costs for the national Family Meetings, including the participants’ travel, accommodation and food, as well as the planning and logistics. 

In other parts of the world, chapter leaders hosted local Chapter Family Meetings. These were first introduced in 2022 when COVID-19 restrictions eased, but travel restrictions meant we couldn’t host national Family Meetings. The feedback we received from volunteers was fantastic, so we have made them a regular event. The budget is again provided by Trash Hero World and, in some cases, local sponsors.

Chapters can make their own agenda for the meetings: some focused on team building with active volunteers, while others extended invitations to the public, community leaders and local government representatives, to broaden and strengthen their support base.

For example, Trash Hero Mersing in Malaysia organised a zero waste picnic at their local beach. They invited kids who had previously joined their cleanups – and their friends. The picnic, with fun games and prizes, was a great example of how to host events without creating waste, as well as a nice way to thank the children for their participation and engage more kids in their activities. Other Malaysian chapters, Trash Hero Cherating and Trash Hero Tuaran, also organised zero waste picnics for their teams. 

Trash Hero Langsuan in Thailand held a full day of activities for their volunteers and involved representatives from the local government, temple and even the district hospital who gave a presentation on the health dangers of trash. 

Trash Hero Tha Sala, Thailand, Trash Hero Bern, Switzerland and Trash Hero Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, used the Chapter Family Meeting to reflect on what they achieved in 2023 and what they hope to accomplish in 2024.

Chapter Family Meeting numbers so far:

Thailand: 28 adults, 21 kids, 4 locations

Malaysia: 31 adults, 32 kids, 4 locations

Switzerland: 8 adults, 1 location

Chapter Family Meetings continue to take place in early 2024. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in, organised and supported these events. Now we are fully charged and ready for another year of action!

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LydiaFamily meetings to support and celebrate our amazing volunteers

Volunteer training 2023 kicks off with over 100 participants

by Lydia on 13/06/2023 No comments

The incredible impact that Trash Hero has had is due to the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. They are the movement’s driving force, and their positive attitude and hard work is inspiring

To keep this spirit alight, Trash Hero World holds regular on-site “Family Meetings”, which allow active volunteers inside our major countries of operation to meet and share new knowledge and experiences. In April and May this year, we hosted a one-day event in Switzerland and 3 x three-day residential events in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. 

“It was great to see the Swiss Trash Hero Family again, share different experiences, learn from each other and spend a great time together.Fabio, Trash Hero Bern, Switzerland

In Southeast Asia, volunteers got to know each other through small group work and games, mixing serious learning with plenty of fun. The first day was spent introducing the principles of zero waste systems, including the importance of waste separation, debunking false solutions such as incineration and mapping the problem of waste management in a small island community. Of particular interest was the composting workshop: many participants were keen to try this out on their return home. 

The focus of the second day was improving community engagement – exploring how the Trash Hero values and consistent approach establishes trust. This can then be built on to create long term change, for example with the kids’ book programme or the water bottle refill network. The workshops covered social media skills to help increase participation in activities and how to provide meaningful education through cleanups.

“Professional speakers and very good material for us to make improvements in our respective chapters”. Jack, Trash Hero Biak, Indonesia

On day three, volunteers were asked to reflect on the new knowledge and skills they had learned and prepare a strategic action plan to take back to their chapters. Together with support from our mentor teams, this will help to guide their activities over the next six months.

With new friendships formed and new energy found, we see the network stronger than ever moving forward. We are thankful to everyone involved in organising the transport, accommodation and food, creating, facilitating and presenting the sessions, and of course to all those who took time off work to join us.

“This Family Meeting is very extraordinary for each of us chapters to motivate each other more” Trash Hero Volunteer, Indonesia

In total 108 participants joined the Family Meetings from 54 chapters

Trash Hero Switzerland Family Meeting

Date: 23 April 2023

Location: Luzern, Switzerland

Participants: 15

Chapters: 6

Trash Hero Indonesia Family Meeting

Date: 5-7 May 2023

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Participants: 67

Chapters: 33

Trash Hero Malaysia Family Meeting

Date: 12-14 May 2023

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Participants: 9

Chapters: 4

Trash Hero Thailand Family Meeting

Date: 19-21 May 2023

Location: Pattani, Thailand

Participants: 24

Chapters: 11

Thank you to CFLI for supporting the event in Thailand

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LydiaVolunteer training 2023 kicks off with over 100 participants

Our Impact up to 31st December 2022

by Lydia on 15/02/2023 2 comments

Every week volunteers around the world put on their yellow t-shirts and commit to working towards a world free from plastic pollution – but what does it really mean to be a Trash Hero?

It means that we are a global movement. Trash Hero is currently active in 139 locations in 17 countries. To date, our movement has mobilised 466,578 volunteers, 120,673 of whom were under 16! We are passionate about including a wide range of people in our activities, and we celebrate this diversity as much as possible. 

Being a Trash Hero also means taking regular action against plastic pollution. In 2022 alone, Trash Hero volunteers organised 3,296 cleanups – an average of 9 cleanups a day and  45 kgs per event! This brings our total number of cleanups since 2013 to an incredible 18,206, removing a total of 2,302,862 kgs of trash

We help people reduce single-use plastic through our refill and reuse programmes. To date, we have distributed 106,188 reusable water bottles through our partner network, which includes 673 points where people can refill their bottle for free. This has prevented an incredible 38,8 million single-use plastic bottles from being used and has reduced 2017.572 tonnes of CO2 emissions. We have also distributed 29,520 reusable Trash Hero bags, preventing the use of 10.8 million single-use plastic bags

Trash Hero is also committed to inspiring a new generation of activists! Our dedicated kids programme, which began in 2018, has helped 23,330 kids build sustainable habits. This is done through our story and activities book

As well as hands-on action within communities, Trash Hero is committed to collecting data that can be used to influence policy change on plastic. Trash Heroes have conducted 402 brand audits that have been included in reports holding corporate polluters responsible. These reports have been submitted to the UN negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty.

But it’s not just about the numbers. Being a Trash Hero means that we feel connected with your fellow volunteers, we are motivated to create change and we are thankful to everyone who supports and contributes to our movement.

And most of all, it means that we are family! 

Thank you to all of our volunteers who have been part of the incredible impact that we have had. We can’t wait to see what 2023 brings!  

We have been collecting data since December 2013; as of 31st December 2022 these are our numbers! 

  • 18,206 cleanups
  • 139 active chapters in 17 countries
  • 466,578 volunteers, including 120,673 under 16s
  • Responsibly collected and disposed of 2,302,862  kg of trash
  • As part of the Trash Hero Bottle program, 106,188  reusable bottles have been distributed, avoiding 38.8 million single-use plastic bottles and reducing 2,107 tonnes of CO2 emissions
  • As part of the Trash Hero Bag program, 29,520 reusable Trash Hero bags have been distributed, saving 10.8 million single-use plastic bags 

Do you want to be part of a movement that is dedicated to creating change? Trash Hero cleanups are open for everyone to join – no cost, no sign-up, just show up! Find your nearest chapter here.

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LydiaOur Impact up to 31st December 2022

Nearly 100 participants join our second round of training in 2022

by Lydia on 12/12/2022 No comments

Volunteers are the heart of Trash Hero and the movement’s driving force. 

They organise cleanups, educate kids about plastic pollution, and build essential community ties – all in their free time. We want to ensure that Trash Hero volunteers are well-equipped to engage their communities in reducing plastic and feel confident in their skills to lead a successful chapter. To do this, we host a biannual volunteer training workshop – Trash Hero Family Meetings. 

In October and November, we went to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and brought together leaders of our Trash Hero chapters for the second time this year. In total, 96 participants attended from 51 chapters in 4 countries. 

We host Family Meetings in countries with a high concentration of active chapters. Chapter leaders are invited to attend, free of charge, and are provided with the opportunity to learn new skills or refresh ones they gained at previous Family Meetings. The meetings help participants strengthen their relationships and support systems, and the local knowledge shared at the events is used to help develop Trash Hero programmes and goals. 

The training was attended by a mixture of old and new chapter leaders. Throughout 2022 there have been many new Trash Hero chapters that have started in Southeast Asia, and there have also been many that have been reactivated since COVID restrictions were lifted. 

Throughout each weekend, we provided leadership training, information about the importance of zero waste and how to share their knowledge with others at their cleanups. There was the chance to develop skills, such as training their regular volunteers and building their core team. One of the workshops that received the best feedback was the opportunity to develop a strategy for their chapters, examine their goals and dreams for their community with regards to waste, and create a plan that will see these come to life. 

There were also team-building activities, the opportunity for discussions and feedback and – of course – a cleanup! 

The feedback we received from participants was fantastic, and, as always, we can’t wait to see everyone again next year!

Find the full details for each location below

Trash Hero Indonesia Family Meeting

Date: 14-16 October 2022

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Participants: 67

Chapters: 36

Trash Hero Thailand Family Meeting

Date: 28-30 October 2022

Location: Pattaya, Thailand

Participants: 23

Chapters: 9

Thank you to the CFLI for their generous contribution towards this event

Trash Hero Malaysia Family Meeting

Date: 4-6 November 2022

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Participants: 11

Chapters: 6

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LydiaNearly 100 participants join our second round of training in 2022

Brand Audit Report 2022: the results are in!

by Lydia on 09/12/2022 No comments

In November, Break Free From Plastic released their 5th annual Brand Audit report. As well as documenting which companies are responsible for the majority of plastic counted this year, it analyses which corporations have been responsible for the majority of plastic pollution for five consecutive years. 

The 2022 report consisted of 397 brand audits on six continents; 14,760 volunteers participated, counting and auditing 429,994 pieces of plastic from 4,645 parent companies. 

The reports found that these companies were the top polluters for 2022

  1. The Coca-Cola Company
  2. PepsiCo
  3. Nestlé
  4. Mondelēz International
  5. Unilever
  6. Procter & Gamble
  7. Mars, Inc.
  8. Philip Morris International
  9. Danone
  10. Colgate-Palmolive

Trash Hero contributed significantly to these findings. We submitted 30% (120) of the brand audits used in the report, 6.8% (29,504) of the plastics counted, and 18.2% (2,968) of volunteers that took part were Trash Heroes!  

As this is the fifth annual brand audit report, Break Free From Plastic took the opportunity to analyse longitudinal data trends from the five years of data they have collected. They found that Coca-Cola, Nestle and Pepsico have consistently been the top single-use plastic polluters over that time. 

Coca-cola has been the worst plastic polluter by a significant lead, with the amount of Coca-Cola branded plastic increasing each year! According to the report, they accounted for 31,000 pieces of plastic collected during the brand audits – representing a 61% increase since 2021! This is unsurprising as a recent report found that their plastic production has increased by nearly 10%! 

Break Free From plastic members submitted data from this report at the first annual INC meeting – a meeting of UNEA member governments to discuss the global plastic treaty. This crucial meeting started the negotiation process for the treaty’s terms and included representatives from the plastics industry and civil society groups. The information from the report highlights the need for large corporations to take responsibility for their role in plastic pollution, and it shows that the only way to reduce plastic pollution is to reduce the production of plastic.

We are so proud to be part of such an important movement and play a role in influencing policies that will address the plastics crisis. We want to say a massive thank you to all of the Trash Hero volunteers who have contributed to this data over the years. We have been collecting data for this project since it began, and seeing it be part of such an important event makes the hard world worthwhile.

Thank you to Break Free From Plastic for analysing all the data and representing our views at the INC1 this week.

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LydiaBrand Audit Report 2022: the results are in!

Trash Hero helps to find world’s top plastic polluters

by Lydia on 13/10/2022 No comments

At the end of September, we concluded our brand audit data collection for the year. This year we conducted 120 Brand Audits! These were completed by 57 chapters in 6 countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Switzerland, Poland and Georgia. There were 1,620 volunteers that took part and they recorded 29,504 pieces of plastic. 

A brand audit categorises the plastic we collect at cleanups (food packaging, household products, personal care, smoking materials) and, most importantly, records the name of the parent company that manufactured it. We share this data with Break Free From Plastic, who use it as part of their annual Brand Audit Report.

Break Free From Plastic released its first annual Brand Audit Report in 2018 to identify and hold the top plastic polluters accountable. The globally collected data can be used as evidence to push large corporations to take responsibility for the waste that they create. It drives a movement towards systemic change and a zero waste economy and generates pressure to create real solutions to the plastics crisis. 

The 2021 report named The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Mondelēz International, Philip Morris International, Danone, Mars, Inc., and Colgate-Palmolive as the top plastic polluting companies. Coca-cola, PepsiCo, Unilever and Nestle have been in the top five since the reports began. 

We want to say a huge thank you to all the Trash Hero chapters and volunteers who took the time to conduct a brand audit. Trash Hero has been one of the top contributors to Brand Audit data collection for the last five years and we couldn’t do it without the incredible commitment of our Trash Hero volunteers.

The full report will be released later in the year. Who do you think will be named the top plastic polluters? Let us know in the comments!

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LydiaTrash Hero helps to find world’s top plastic polluters

Programmes Administrative Assistant – Full Time, Remote

by Seema on 07/09/2022 No comments

Trash Hero World is hiring! Please see below for job description. 100% remote, so all locations considered, though (other things being equal) preference will be given to candidates resident for tax purposes in Thailand, Indonesia or Myanmar.

This is a full time position (40+ hours a week), available immediately. Applications will remain open until the position is filled.


Salary
– Based on location (local salary rates) and experience

About Trash Hero
Trash Hero World leads, supports and governs the global Trash Hero volunteer movement, which works for a clean world, free from plastic pollution.

The movement started with a beach cleanup project in Thailand in 2013 and has now grown to around 160 chapters (local groups) in communities in 17 different countries. A weekly cleanup is still the main focus, but volunteers also do other activities such as running a water bottle refill network, kids’ education and various forms of community outreach and zero waste advocacy.

Trash Hero World is registered as a non-profit association in Switzerland; registered Trash Hero country organisations also exist in the UK, Czech Republic, Serbia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar. Our global coordination team consists of around 10 people, with both full-time staff and volunteers.

Work Culture
We have an open, friendly and supportive work culture, with staff and volunteers working together at all levels of the organisation. We live the values of our Trash Hero Family and we are all personally committed to a zero waste future.

Our team works remotely, across borders and cultures. We have no physical offices. Team members connect over chat and meet regularly online during the week, at times that accommodate our respective time zones.

Working hours are flexible and overtime and occasional weekend / out of hours work are considered part of the job. All working hours need to be documented.

Role description

This is a data support role inside the Programmes team. This means that you will be responsible for the collection, storage and management of all programme-related data and materials.

You will work with Trash Hero country coordinators and chapter leaders to ensure that data is collected regularly, efficiently and accurately.

And you will support the Programmes team with reliable data that allows us to make informed decisions and communicate our activities and results to volunteers, funders, partners and the general public.

Having access to quality data is essential both to the efficient running of our organisation and to demonstrating our impact.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

  • Checking and management of data relating to:
    • Cleanups, including waste and brand audits
    • Bottle refill points & refill point map
    • Trash Hero Kids programme
    • Trash Hero Communities programme
    • Any other Trash Hero activities or events (e.g. Family Meetings)
    • Accounting for country organisations and events (in coordination with country coordinators and chapter leaders)
  • Administration associated with the creation of new Trash Hero chapters
  • Maintenance of chapter map and chapter minisites
  • Updating website resource library with new materials
  • Creation and maintenance of volunteer contact lists
  • Creation and maintenance of programme materials list
  • Collating social media and website analytics for monthly review
  • Assisting with the production of monthly, quarterly, yearly and ad hoc data reporting as required
  • Updating and maintenance of team filing systems
  • Identifying new or improved ways of data collection and reporting, file organisation etc.
  • Undertaking training and development and other activities to support the Programmes team as required

Experience & Skills
Essential

  • Upper intermediate level of English (B2) both written and spoken; other languages an advantage
  • High level of accuracy, efficiency and organisation
  • A proven background in administration
  • Data entry and record management experience
  • A good level of numeracy
  • Clearly presented work
  • Able to organise and prioritise work methodically and independently
  • Good knowledge of Excel (formulas), Word (and Google equivalents) 
  • Comfortable with cross-cultural communication

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Mailchimp, Salesforce and database software
  • Willingness to try different projects alongside their day to day work when required
  • Experience of working in a non-profit environment
  • Understanding of issues surrounding plastic pollution, zero waste and circular economy
  • Familiarity with Southeast Asian culture

Applications & recruitment timeline
STEP ONE: Applications should be made by email to info @ trashhero.org and include:

  1. your CV with 2 references
  2. a cover letter
  3. a short (< 2 minutes) video introducing yourself and explaining why you want to work for Trash Hero (simple recording with phone, no editing needed)

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

STEP TWO: Successful candidates will be contacted for an initial online interview.

STEP THREE: The second round will involve a period of (part-time) volunteering. Trash Hero is an organisation that depends entirely on volunteers, so this is a great opportunity to understand that dynamic, as well as allowing both sides to get to know each other before making a commitment. If all goes well, a formal job offer will follow.

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SeemaProgrammes Administrative Assistant – Full Time, Remote

Trash Hero Thailand Country Coordinator – Full Time, Remote

by Seema on 07/09/2022 No comments

Trash Hero Thailand is hiring! Please see below for job description.

This is a full time position (40+ hours a week), open to Thai citizens only.
Available immediately – applications will remain open until the position is filled.


Salary
– Based on location (local salary rates) and experience

About Trash Hero
Trash Hero Thailand (THT) is a registered association that leads, supports and governs the Trash Hero volunteer movement within Thailand, working for a clean world, free from plastic pollution. It is part of the Trash Hero World (THW) network, which has been active since December 2013.

In Thailand, there are around 30 Trash Hero chapters (local groups) in communities all over the kingdom. Activities focus on a weekly cleanup involving the local community, but volunteers are also involved in other projects, such as running a water bottle refill network, kids’ education, outreach work and zero waste advocacy.

Our country coordinator manages those chapters and activities and works closely with the global programmes team, which includes around 10 people, both volunteers and full-time staff.

Work Culture
We have an open, friendly and supportive work culture, with staff and volunteers working together at all levels of the organisation. We live the values of our Trash Hero Family and we are all personally committed to a zero waste future.

The Trash Hero Thailand country coordinator will work remotely from home (we do not have any offices). Team members connect over chat and meet regularly online during the week, often with international colleagues from Southeast Asia and the global programmes team.

Working hours are flexible and overtime and occasional weekend / out of hours work are considered part of the job. All working hours need to be documented.

Role description

The Trash Hero Thailand country coordinator helps to support and deliver our programmes within Thailand. It is a demanding position that will suit someone who enjoys multi-tasking and using a wide range of skills from people management to admin.

Country coordination requires a high level of organisation, excellent communication and networking skills, experience in (volunteer) training or coaching, as well as a passion for, commitment to and knowledge of zero waste and the Trash Hero mission.

You will work both independently, and as part of the global programmes team, to ensure that our operations in Thailand run smoothly, that our work is consistently of a high standard and that it creates the maximum impact possible. You will report directly to the Trash Hero World Programme Coordinator.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

PROGRAMMES SUPPORT & DELIVERY

  • Mentor new chapters and provide day-to-day support to existing chapters
  • Manage and expand bottles & bags and kids & education programmes
  • Monitor activity of existing chapters and identify potential issues with compliance; or good work that deserves praise or mention to THW
  • Stay informed about issues related to plastic pollution, zero waste, national policies, and potential solutions.
  • (With support from THW) Prepare and lead webinars, workshops and other volunteer training activities
  • (With support from THW) Create training materials, presentation slides and other programme materials as needed
  • Send out and collect chapter and programme surveys as required
  • Provide input for programme improvement to THW

 

PROGRAMMES ADMIN

  • Coordinate with suppliers and organise delivery of Trash Hero products and marketing materials
  • Process orders from volunteers and customers and make sure they know and follow correct procedures for payment etc.
  • Maintain stock reports of bottles, bags, kids books and other programme materials
  • Maintain a national contact database of refill points
  • Maintain up to date local language versions of all written and graphical programme materials (e.g. chapter handbook)
  • Collate and check cleanup data for all chapters on a monthly basis
  • Collate and check brand audit data for all chapters on a monthly basis
  • Produce weekly cleanup schedule for social media
  • Collate best photographs of all activities for THW image library
  • Administer the Meta Business Manager for all chapter social media accounts

 

COMMUNICATION

  • Act as first point of contact for the public, volunteers and other stakeholders
  • Filter emails, calls and social media messages and reply or forward to relevant people
  • Be in regular contact with chapter leaders via group chats and private channels
  • Write and send any general THT correspondence (e.g. invitation letters, thank you letters)
  • Manage THT’s social media channels, including developing and posting daily content
  • Analyse and report on social media engagement
  • Coach chapters to use the correct brand voice and narrative and monitor their (social) media posts

 

FINANCIAL ADMIN

  • Prepare all expenses claims to Trash Hero standards
  • Monthly and annual bookkeeping for the Association
  • Organise salary, insurance and tax payments and related admin
  • Lead the accounting at Family Meetings
  • Give input for the Association annual budget

 

GENERAL ADMIN

  • Organise volunteer Family Meetings (invitations, hotel, travel, meals, other logistics)
  • Organise regular meetings for the Board, mentor team, THW etc.
  • Take minutes at meetings i.e. Board and family meetings
  • Translate (or arrange translation of) key documents into Thai / English when required
  • Keep contact info, organisation chart and other records of the country up to date
  • Organise travel for Board and chapter leaders as required

 

Experience & Skills

Essential

  • Thai native speaker, with good English (B2 level)
  • Excellent communication skills (written, spoken and non-verbal)
  • 10-12+ years of work experience, in an administrative, customer service or communications role
  • Good IT skills (Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Google equivalents, including Forms)
  • Basic design skills (Canva)
  • Ability to work with people of different ages, backgrounds and cultures
  • Good time management and ability to prioritise tasks
  • Accurate, thorough and efficient way of working

Desirable

  • Experience of volunteering with Trash Hero or other NGO in a similar field
  • Networking skills
  • Public speaking / presentation skills
  • Translation skills (English to Thai)
  • Video editing skills

 

Applications & recruitment timeline
STEP ONE: Applications should be made by email to info @ trashhero.org and include:

  1. your CV with 2 references
  2. a cover letter
  3. a short (< 2 minutes) video introducing yourself and explaining why you want to work for Trash Hero (simple recording with phone, no editing needed)

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

STEP TWO: Successful candidates will be contacted for an initial online interview.

STEP THREE: The second round will involve a period of (part-time) volunteering, alongside the current country coordinator. Trash Hero is an organisation that depends entirely on volunteers, so this is a great opportunity to understand that dynamic, as well as allowing both sides to get to know each other before making a commitment. If all goes well, a formal job offer will follow.

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SeemaTrash Hero Thailand Country Coordinator – Full Time, Remote

183 participants from 80 chapters join Family Meetings in May

by Lydia on 23/06/2022 2 comments

After two and a half years of online meetings, this year we were finally able to have our Trash Hero Family Meetings in person! 

Family Meetings are our regular volunteer training and team-building events that celebrate our chapters’ achievements and facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience and skills that will benefit both their community and the wider Trash Hero mission.

Pre-pandemic they were held in person in our major countries of operation: Czech Republic, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Switzerland and Thailand.

In 2020 and 2021 we moved these meetings online, which allowed us to reach volunteers in other countries that had never previously attended a family meeting. They saw fantastic levels of attendance with 276 people in 18 different countries attending a series of online meetings in 2020. In 2021, 174 people from 15 different countries joined the Trash Hero global meeting, and Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Switzerland hosted their own Family Meetings. These meetings helped to keep our movement vibrant during a challenging period, but nothing could match the energy of in person discussion and interaction.

Once restrictions eased, many chapters held their own Chapter Family Meetings which allowed them to build their local teams and address the particular issues they face in their communities. 

Then, finally in May, we were able to plan and host a full series of face-to-face meetings with our volunteers in Svatý Jan pod Skalou, Czech Republic (13 – 15th), Batu Buruk, Malaysia (13-15th), Bali, Indonesia (20 – 22nd) and Chumpon, Thailand (27 – 29th).

After reviewing feedback from past Family Meetings, and from our own experience of our 2020-21 zero waste training, this year in Asia we aimed to increase the levels of interaction within the meeting – facilitating more discussions and increasing knowledge sharing. 

“I enjoyed the opportunity to plan together with team members, in order to properly divide tasks and have people help each other – [it] makes the job a lot more fun and easier.”

Nan – Trash Hero Ao Nang, Thailand

The meetings started with introductions: after 2 and a half years there were some new faces joining us! It was fantastic to finally meet people in person who we had previously only met on a screen. 

Then it was time to get to work! We explored our values as a movement, cleanup organisation, strategic planning, social media best practices, brand audits and the big picture of waste. The volunteers got to know Trash Hero World and the work we do globally and there were also sessions where they could share their experiences of delivering programmes on the ground. This provides essential input that helps to shape the way in which we work and our activities moving forward. 

One of the most popular workshops was strategic planning, guiding the leaders through ways to increase the influence of their chapters and how to get more people involved. This started with a presentation, then a session to put their knowledge into practice and create a long-term plan. We encouraged the chapter leaders to assess their current situation, set goals and create a step-by-step plan for achieving their aims. 

As well as being an opportunity to share knowledge, the Family Meetings help our volunteers form connections with each other – creating a fantastic network of support and ideas. The friendships formed at the events last far beyond the three days spent together. 

Each Family Meeting was organised as a zero waste event. People who attended brought their own reusable water bottles, or there were glasses for use, and refill stations were readily available. All food and drink was served with reusable tableware and snacks were wrapped in banana leaves. Across the 4 events we had 183 participants from 80 chapters. This means, based on a conservative estimate of each participant having 2 water refills a day, at least 1,098 single-use plastic bottles were prevented from being used. 

In Czech Republic, the meeting was held in an idyllic location just outside of Prague. The team listened to lectures from guest speakers, discussed ideas and visited the Bohemian Karst Protected Landscape Area. From their guide, Pavel Skala, who joined the Family Meeting as a representative of the Třesina association, they learned about local butterflies. Other guest speakers were Martin Trávníček from the Pestré Polabí association and Arthur F Sniegon from the non-profit organisation Save Elephant. It was also great to see a large number of the volunteers at the Family Meeting were Trash Hero Kids! 

The feedback we received and the knowledge we gained during the events help us create a stronger global Trash Hero Family and will be used to shape our programmes as we continue our fight against plastic waste.

Malaysia: 27 Participants, 13 Chapters

Czech Republic: 35 Participants, 8 Chapters

Indonesia: 88 Participants, 45 Chapters

Thailand: 33 Participants, 15 Chapters

“I increased my knowledge about how polluted and how threatened planet Earth is. The most important thing for me from this meeting is how honest and transparent financial management is in THI and THW. I also felt the family atmosphere that is so close between the participants.” 

Arnold – Trash Hero Nagekeo, Indonesia

 

 

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Lydia183 participants from 80 chapters join Family Meetings in May

Camping sustainably with Trash Hero Pattani

by Martyna Morawska on 10/02/2022 No comments

The average city-dweller in Thailand produces 1.3kg of waste per day. Trash Hero Pattani organised a camping trip for 125 people that generated just 40g of waste per person, per day!

How did they manage it? They started training several weeks before the trip to the beautiful region of Yala, in southern Thailand. A group of volunteer coordinators were taught about zero waste principles and how they could apply them during the stay. Rules were drawn up for participants to firstly avoid bringing any waste to the camp and then committing them to separate and rinse any trash generated into 7 different categories.

While this may sound cumbersome, in fact the photos show the group had a fantastic time, with plenty of family activities, water sports, and music and fire shows in the evening – they even did a cleanup! The camping project is a really wonderful example of learning by doing, and demonstrating to local people that zero waste is possible in all kinds of situations.

In total the waste generated during the camp (4-6 Feb inclusive) was 31.6kg, with 16.6kg of organics and recyclables and 15kg of residual waste. 10.5kg of trash was picked up during the cleanup in the camp grounds. The trip was the sixth such event in Trash Hero Pattani’s “Zero Waste Camping” project, which they describe as a work in progress, refining the details each time. Already this year the amount of trash generated was halved, compared with the 2021 trip, where 95g of trash was logged per participant. Kudos to all involved, and for more information (in Thai) please visit the Trash Hero Pattani page.

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Martyna MorawskaCamping sustainably with Trash Hero Pattani