Cleanups | Trash Hero World

Massive 3-Day Cleanup Restores Koh Chang After Flooding

by Leslie Finlay on 24/09/2019 1 comment

Extremely heavy rainfall hit the small island of Koh Chang, Thailand over September 15-16 causing major flash flooding throughout the island. The flooding was so strong that dozens of homes were damaged, and more than 100 motorbikes and three vehicles were washed away, as reported by the local government. According to residents, it was the most dramatic weather seen in decades – as was the aftermath of destruction and debris. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and locals happily report that the island has already bounced back to normal – in no small part due to the huge, collaborative effort launched community-wide following the storm.

Clean-up efforts began across the island immediately, and Koh Chang’s Trash Hero representatives worked closely with the local government and officers from the National Park to coordinate an unprecedented three-day cleanup event – coinciding with September 21st’s international World Cleanup Day.

Debris and rubbish swept up in the floods emerged all across Koh Chang as the floodwaters receded. Runoff was particularly severe in areas like the beautiful Klong Phrao Beach, where water levels were reported to be up to 50cm deep during the storm. Without urgent removal, this waste would simply be carried by tides out to sea, where it enters the ecosystem and is unlikely to ever be recovered. Left unattended, this debris also carries health risks for humans, animals, and marine life alike.

More than 1,000 volunteers assembled over the three-day cleanup, including participants traveling from all across Thailand who had seen reports about the flooding. A number of electricians, kitchen staff, and cleanup volunteers headed to Koh Chang to join the local community, eager to help restore the beautiful island quickly, brought together through a community spirit of collective action!

Thirty-five Koh Chang hotels donated rooms to accommodate these non-local volunteers, while dozens of restaurants and local businesses provided ongoing food, fresh water, and supplies. Local authorities continued to offer constant support to the effort, with both the Koh Chang and Trat Province mayors on-site for the cleanups, leading by actionable example.

Over the next three days, rainy drizzle abated opening up to sunny blue skies, revealing the immense progress made. In total, more than 13 tonnes – or 28,600 pounds – of rubbish was collected for proper disposal by this enormous collaborative effort.

Trash Heroes Gearing Up for Sept. 21st’s World Cleanup Day!

by Leslie Finlay on 19/09/2019 No comments

All across the world Trash Heroes are getting ready to join the massive international cleanup effort this Saturday, September 21.

World Cleanup Day began in 2008 when 50,000 people united in Estonia to clean the country in 5 hours. Today, this effort has expanded, bringing together millions of people across 157 countries to address our shared problem of global waste by harnessing the impressive power of collective action.

This vision is led by Let’s Do It World, an organisation that believes in a spirit of unity to address the issues that come with unsustainable waste. We couldn’t agree more with this tenet at Trash Hero. Through collaboration and positivity, we can look beyond differences and come together under what unites us all – our planet, and the fight for its bright future.

These cleanups involve a rigorous data collection element, as do many Trash Hero cleanups, to provide ongoing analysis into the greatest challenges faced in reducing marine and coastal litter.

By recording what we collect, we can see over time the items that are most frequently wasted – motivating us to make everyday swaps to reusable, sustainable items like canvas bags and stainless steel water bottles and straws.

It’s been reported that up to 80% of environmental impact is generated by everyday household consumption, meaning its reduction – and the movement toward a waste-free future – is very much in our control!

To get involved, check for events organised by your local Trash Hero chapter, World Cleanup Day teams, or other organisations in your area. Or grab some friends and go! There’s no limit on how to make a positive change to your local area.

But don’t lose motivation after September 21st! Global waste is a growing issue, but it’s one that we can tackle together through collective, ongoing action and awareness.

Consider what reusable swaps you can make in your everyday life to reduce your personal plastic consumption. And help reduce the risk of plastic ending up in the marine environment – where it can be near impossible to recover – by disposing of it responsibly, and collecting it if you see it out in your local environment! The action of one individual may seem insignificant, but multiply that by the thousands of Trash Heroes of all ages across the world – and that impact turns into real, systemic change.

Microplastics in Maya Bay!

by Seema on 10/04/2019 No comments

Maya Bay is famous throughout the world: first as “The Beach” in the Leonardo Dicaprio movie of the same name and, more recently, as the beach that was closed to the public due to excessive damage from tourist traffic.

Trash Hero Koh Phi Phi had the privilege of holding a recent cleanup on the now deserted beach, by invitation of the Marine National Park Research Centre 3 and the head of the Maya Bay Rehabillitation Project, Supaporn Prempee.

Together with the National Park rangers and Ocean Quest, an international NGO who are overseeing the coral nursery program in the bay, 26 volunteers carried out the first ever microplastic survey on the beach.

“Despite the beach having been cleaned of all visible debris several times since the closure in June 2018, we were able to find 1.5kg of micro plastic particles [small pieces < 5mm in length], in an area of 150sqm [30m x 5m],” said Caroline Lecky from the local Trash Hero team.

That’s thousands of buried pieces of plastic, mostly invisible to the naked eye as you walk along the sand. The majority of these were “secondary microplastics”, or fragments of larger plastic items such as bottles and foam boxes that have broken down in the sun and ocean currents. Plastic never biodegrades. There are likely to be more, even finer particles that slipped through the sieves.

Anuar Abdullah, the founder of Ocean Quest, said of the micro plastic survey that: “the data will be saved and we will do regular sifting of the designated area to see if there is any reduction.”

In total, the team collected and removed 308kg of trash from the stunning Thai beach.

Thanks to Blue View Divers and also Barakuda Diving, who sponsored the transport and cleaning materials for the day, and to David and Parn for the beautiful video. Our thanks also to the Maya Beach Protection Unit 5 (National Park) for hosting Trash Hero, providing fruit and refreshments and joining the cleanup.

20 Trash Heroes show us their butts!

by Monika on 05/11/2018 No comments

27 October 2018, Chalatat Beach, Songkhla, Southern Thailand: 20 Trash Heroes collected 15 kg of trash… and then patiently counted the number of cigarette butts. The total?

2146!

They published their findings to social media, pointing out that it is worth not only collecting big pieces of trash but also to pay attention to small pieces on beaches and streets.

This number may seem shocking but if you try to collect cigarette butts on your beach or in your street, you will also end up with a surprisingly full bag.

“We hopefully make a good impact on people and make them walk and clean around the beach. We want to make them aware of their environmental community and take care of beaches,” said Arnont, the Trash Hero Songkhla leader.

What are the effects of discarded cigarette butts?

Discarded cigarette filters are full of dangerous toxins that can easily leach into the ground, the rivers or the oceans. The toxins work like poison for living organisms – one survey found that only one cigarette butt in approximately two gallons of water is strong enough to kill water fleas (source CleanVirginiaWaterways). Cigarette butts can also harm animals or small children, who may accidentally eat them.

What to do with cigarette butts?

After your cigarette, throw the butt into the nearest trash bin. Or get a small tin or pocket ashtray, where you can collect cigarette butts and throw them in the bin later. Completely extinguished cigarette butts can also be used to fill ecobricks.

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We are happy that so many Trash Heroes all around the world care about the environment and don’t want to overlook these small pieces of trash like cigarette butts.

Thank you!

Have you collected cigarette butts and counted them? Send us a picture from your next clean-up!

Paddling the Thames – Source to Sea

by Leslie Finlay on 18/06/2018 1 comment

Our friends over at The Whale Company are currently carrying out a 300 kilometer mission to deliver “a message in a bottle” to the UK Parliament about the rising tide of plastic pollution.

The team is stand-up paddling its way along the famed UK river route – from source to sea – aboard their trademark plastic bottle boards. Along the journey they’re stopping by local communities to conduct workshops and clean-ups, visit schools and constituencies, and collect letters from the public urging their government leaders to prioritize the fight against plastic pollution. The “message in a bottle” will be delivered to Parliament on June 26, just before completion of the 300 km stretch.

The Whale Company travels the world aboard SUP boards made entirely of plastic bottles removed from the environment. Check their website for detailed how-to guides on creating your own SUP board!

Follow their journey on their website or Facebook page, and check out their route.

“It’s been great to see public awareness of plastic pollution growing, but we need our politicians to stop dragging their heels and act now,” said Carolyn Newton, co-founder of The Whale Company. “The longer we delay in taking action, the more difficult it will be for our oceans and waterways to recover from the damage we’re causing through not only our plastic use, but also our poor recycling rates.”

Currently, just 24% of the five million tons of plastic used in the UK each year is recycled.

Founders Carlos de Sousa and Carolyn Newton are no strangers to plastic pollution, having travelled the world making SUPs out of plastic bottles and completing 12 marathon paddles in 12 countries across Europe in 2017 on their Bottle Boards.

Carolyn and Carlos, founders of The Whale Company, discuss the goals of their journey with the BBC

Education is an important part of their philosophy, which led to the creation of their Bottle Boards workshops. By talking about how to use plastic waste in a different way and highlighting the problem to children and teenagers, Carlos and Carolyn hope to inspire the next generation.

Ahead of their Source to Sea paddle they have given several assemblies in schools and ran a Bottle Boards workshop at the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, resulting in their first expedition board produced with the help of more than 200 kids.

Along their route, The Whale Company is stopping by local communities, schools, and constituencies to spread their message and collect letters to Parliament from members of the public

For more information about their epic paddle, their plastic bottle SUPs or their efforts to promote more sustainable lifestyles, contact Carolyn Newton on 07870685994, visit their Facebook page, or send a message to supmarathon@gmail.com.

Day 8. 15km. 4 hours paddling + 2 wonderful school assemblies Ep Collier Primary School At Caversham& Thameside Primary School. Huge thanks to all the teachers & pupils for their amazing welcome & enthusiasm to our cause. Finally, a big shout out to @riverandrowingmuseum for allowing us to store our bottle boards. Their fantastic Wind in the Willows exhibit made our day & was the best end to Little Nat's journey with us….until next time!

Gepostet von The Whale Company am Samstag, 16. Juni 2018

About The Whale Company

The Whale Company is a charity founded by Carolyn Newton and Carlos de Sousa to promote a more sustainable lifestyle, encourage more people to connect with nature and to change attitudes surrounding plastic use. They believe that education is the strongest tool to do this, because we protect what we love.

Running Bottle Board workshops is one aspect of this – they want people to realise that enjoying watersports doesn’t have to be expensive, and to inspire creative thinking about how we deal with our plastic waste. For more information about their activities, visit https://thewhalecompany.co.uk/.

Koh Lanta Gets Creative with Upcycling

by Leslie Finlay on 02/04/2018 1 comment

Many countries around the world have banned the use of polystyrene – also commonly known as styrofoam – because of its extremely negative environmental impact.

For years the material was a popular packaging for food items, electronics, furniture, and disposables because of its light weight, low expense, and wide availability. However, the material is essentially non-biodegradable meaning it can take hundreds or even thousands of years to decompose, and can also easily break apart into little bits that are ingested by animals and sea life. What’s more, both the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have classified polystyrene as a possible human carcinogen.

Polystyrene is one of the most difficult nonrenewable materials to responsibly dispose of. Its light weight and bulkiness means it easily travels around via wind or waves.

In 2016, the Thai Office of Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) launched its Safety Without Polystyrene Foam in Food Packaging project to encourage the domestic food industry to quit using the product in its packaging. The government has also been open to discussions about subsidizing more sustainable alternatives for vendors like cardboard. The subsequent reduction nationwide has been dramatic in some areas, but our Trash Heroes continue to collect vast amounts of the discarded material washing up on the beach. The point source is almost impossible to estimate, as winds can waves can easily carry the lightweight chunks over hundreds of kilometers of ocean.

Trash Hero Koh Lanta meets every Sunday at 4:00PM at Long Beach park to preserve this stunning paradise.

Even when collected polystyrene is incredibly difficult to dispose of responsibly, especially considering that it’s usually quite bulky. So our heroes on Koh Lanta rose to the challenge and found this creative way to up-cycle the waste while making ultra-cosy bean bag chairs for lounging around after an afternoon clean!

With a little ingenuity and creative spirit, the team built this polystyrene shredder that easily breaks those large chunks down into useable pieces perfect for stuffing plush bean bag chairs. It’s a great answer to taking a local challenge and turning it into a cheap, new indulgence for their paradise.

Trash Hero Koh Lanta developed a polystyrene crusher to help dispose of the chunks they collect during cleanups, and create awesome new additions to their beachfront!

While these awesome methods help manage our waste in the present, the best option is to always aim to reduce our single-use waste in our everyday lives. Shop for items that aren’t wrapped in plastic and carry your own reusable containers and cutlery to limit the need for single-use takeaway items. It’s these small changes on the individual level that can help us all ensure a beautiful future.

What local waste challenges does your community face, and what sort of ways have you found to manage it?

Mein Trash Walk Durch Israel

by Leslie Finlay on 25/03/2018 No comments

/// BILD 1

Meine erste Begegnung mit Trash Hero hatte ich in Thailand, wo ich bei diversen Clean Ups mitgeholfen habe. Diese Bewegung hat mich dermassen inspiriert, dass ich auf meinen Trails wie z.B. dem Pacific Crest Trail in den USA, der herumliegende Abfall zusammengesammelt habe. So auch auf dem Israel National Trail, wovon ich euch heute von meiner besonderen Reise – meinem Trash Walk quer durch Israel berichte.

Der Israel National Trail zählt zu den zehn schönsten Fernwanderwegen der Welt. Mehrere tausend Wanderer und Pilger begeben sich jährlich auf diesen Pfad um die Schönheit und Stille des Landes zu geniessen. So wie auch ich, ausgestattet mit Wanderschuhen, einem Rucksack und: Abfallsäcken! Denn dieser Trail sollte nicht nur eine Bereicherung für mich werden, sondern auch für die Natur, welche mir überhaupt dieses Erlebnis ermöglichte.

Und so startete ich mein Abenteuer in Tel Aviv.

Stefanie Waser hiked 800km along The Israel National Trail, collecting 36 bags of trash.

/// BILD 2-4

Mich überraschte die Menge des Abfalls. Je näher man an ein Stadtgebiet kam, desto mehr häufte sich der Müll. Mir wurde schnell klar, dass ich nicht den ganzen Abfall auf dem Trash Walk mitnehmen konnte. So musste ich mich auf einen Abfallsack pro Tag beschränken.

/// BILD 5

Gewisse Hinterlassenschaften waren jedoch schlichtweg zu schwer und sperrig für meinen Abfallsack und musste ich schweren Herzens zurücklassen.

Stefanie unfortunately realised she would be unable to collect everything she encountered, so limited herself to filling one bag per day.

/// BILD 6-7

Auf dem Mount Tabor, eine einst berühmte vorchristliche Kultstätte der Antike, ging ich den Plastikflaschen an den Kragen. Gesamthaft 34 PET-Flaschen wanderten in meinen Abfallsack.

Mount Tabor is an important site to both Jewish and Christian texts. In spite of efforts by the country over the last 100 years to restore the area’s lush pine forests, Stefanie encountered heaps of rubbish discarded by visitors.

/// BILD 8-12

Der See Genezareth ist mit 212 m unter dem Meeresspiegel der tiefstgelegene Süsswassersee der Erde und scheinbar ein beliebter Picknickort auf dem Trail. Plastikteller und –besteck, welche praktisch bei jedem Einkauf automatisch ausgehändigt werden, füllten meinen Trash Hero Bag.

/// BILD 13-15

Vom tiefstgelegensten Süsswassersee zum höchsten Berg innerhalb der international anerkannten Grenzen, dem Mount Meron (1208 müM): Der Abfall ist der Gleiche.

/// BILD 16

Not macht erfinderisch. Ich erleichterte mir die Müllsammlung mit einer Grillzange.

/// BILD 17

Der Norden ist geschafft! 200km und 14 Abfallsäcke später erreichte ich die kleine Siedlung Kibbutz Dan. Im Süden, in der Wüste, erwartete mich weitaus weniger Müll. Dies ganz zu meinem Glück, da ich bereits viel Gewicht mit gefüllten Wasserflaschen bei mir trug.

Stefanie combines her passions: hiking and preserving the world’s natural beauty.

/// BILD 18-20

Nach über 800 intensiven Kilometern und 36 gefüllten Abfallsäcken blicke ich auf meinen Trash Walk im malerischen Israel zurück und wünsche mir für die Schönheit des Landes, dass es künftig von herumliegenden Abfall etwas verschont bleibt.

“Denn dieser Trail sollte nicht nur eine Bereicherung für mich werden, sondern auch für die Natur, welche mir überhaupt dieses Erlebnis ermöglichte.” – Stefanie Wasser

My Trash Walk Through Israel

by Leslie Finlay on 25/03/2018 No comments

Stafanie Waser first encountered the Trash Hero movement while in Thailand, where she participated in various cleanups. An avid hiker, Stefanie began to collect trash whenever she was hiking, from the Pacific Crest Trail in the US to her most recent effort conquering The Israeli National Trail – rated as among the 10 most beautiful long-distance hike in the world extending from the Lebanese border to the North all the way to the Southern tip of Israel along the Red Sea. During her 800 kilometer trek, Stefanie encountered the beauty and quiet of this extensive and expansive route through the country, which attracts thousands of hikers and pilgrims annually, and she shared her story with us.

Stefanie is an inspiration of how we can all practice sustainable and restorative activities in our everyday activities – whether those activities include a quick walk across a parking lot to the store or tackling some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth.

/// BILD 1

My adventure began in Tel Aviv.

Stefanie Waser hiked 800km along The Israel National Trail, collecting 36 bags of trash.

/// BILD 2-4

I was completely taken aback by the amount of trash I encountered. The closer you got to the city area, the more trash you saw. It quickly became evident to me that I would not be able to gather all the trash on my Trash Walk. I decided to limit myself to one trash bag per day.

Stefanie unfortunately realised she would be unable to collect everything she encountered, so limited herself to filling one bag per day.

/// BILD 5

Various items were simply too heavy or bulky to pack into a trash bag, and had to be left behind unfortunately.

/// BILD 6-7

On Mount Tabor, one of the most famous pre-Christian sites of worship of ancient times, I decided to go up against the plastic bottles. A total of 34 PET-bottles wandered into my trash bag.

Mount Tabor is an important site to both Jewish and Christian texts. In spite of efforts by the country to

/// BILD 8-12

Lake Genezareth at 212m below sea level is the lowest-lying freshwater lake of the world and obviously a very popular picnic spot on the trail. Plastic plates and cutlery, which are distributed with any purchase for free, is what I filled up my trash bag with there.

Millions of tones of single-use plastic items are thrown away every year. Even if heroes like Stefanie pick them up, there is nowhere for them to go. We can remedy this by refusing single-use plastic items like cutlery and cups, and carrying our own, reusable versions.

/// BILD 13-15

From the lowest-lying freshwater lake to the highest mountain within the internationally acknowledged border, Mount Meron stands at 1208m elevation: The trash is the same.

/// BILD 16

Necessity is the mother of invention. I made my trash-collecting life easier thanks to a barbecue tong.

/// BILD 17

The North accomplished! 200km and 14 trash bags later I reached the small settlement Kibbutz Dan. In the south, in the desert I was met by far less trash. That was just as well, as I was quite weighed down already by the water bottles I was carrying.

Stefanie combines her passions: hiking and preserving the world’s natural beauty.

/// BILD 18-20

After more than 800 intense kilometers and 36 filled trash bags I completed my journey. Looking back now on my Trash Walk in scenic Israel I can say that I hope that in the interest of this beautiful part of the world, trash can be avoided as much as possible going forward.

“This trail was not intended to be just an enrichment to me alone, but should also be preserved for future hikers.”- Stefanie Waser

The Whale Company Paddles with Trash Heroes

by Leslie Finlay on 02/03/2018 No comments

The Whale Company is a conservation organization started by two passionate conservationists who wanted to connect their love for the ocean with an inspirational message about sustainability.

Carolyn and Carlos spent 2017 paddling their way through 12 Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) marathons on their own, handmade Bottle Boards. The boards are entirely constructed of plastic bottles and other recycled materials, and through their use The Whale Company seeks to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.

During the last few months, they’ve traveled around Thailand visiting Trash Hero chapters and running workshop to teach communities how to build SUP boards out of plastic bottles. The process is surprisingly easy and the boards are incredibly durable – they lasted through marathon events, after all.

Courtesy of The Koh Tao International Primary School

The Whale Company hopes to see more people up-cycling to create useful and ergonomic products, and instill a love for the marine environment among the upcoming generation of kids. They also produce a line called “Whalebags” and “Whaletreads,” that focuses on organic, reusable products, and even includes flip flops made out of recycled tires.

The organization plans to release a full tutorial detailing how to make its boards free for anyone to follow, so stay tuned for updates from their Facebook page.

Courtesy of The Whale Company

Trash Hero Indonesia Joins Zero Waste Indonesia 2020 Movement at National Jamboree

by Leslie Finlay on 19/01/2018 No comments

Last November, Greeneration Indonesia hosted the 4th annual National Zero Waste Jamboree 2017 in Banda Aceh. By participating in this jamboree, Trash Hero Indonesia is now listed as national movement that is supported by the Indonesian government.

“We are citizens of countries, but we are also citizens of the world,” said Trash Hero Rima Agustina, reflecting on the message of unity at the event. “Waste is not only a regional or national problem, but also world problem, as waste doesn’t recognize any political borders. Trash Hero Indonesia introduces the concept of collaboration between local people, local government, and volunteers from all over the world to create a better environment.”

Focus group discussion at the National Zero Waste Jamboree 2017 in Banda Aceh.

The event was held November 10-12 in coordination with Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Maritime Affair and Fisheries, Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, and Ministry of Health of Indonesia. The 289 zero waste activists all over Indonesia gathered to share news and experience, and meet with government representatives. The event facilitated momentum of important stakeholders in the country to network and to collaborate to find sustainable solutions of waste problems in Indonesia.

At the end of the jamboree, all the participants read out loud The Declaration of Zero Waste Indonesia 2020:

“As an effort to provide the better environment for the future generations, we, Indonesian citizens determine to realize the target of Zero Waste Indonesia 2020.

Together we are ready to:

Reduce, separate, and put the waste in the proper place.
Responsibly manage our own waste.
Actively participate in waste management activities held by Indonesian government.”

To complete the trip Trash Hero Indonesia conducted a clean up at Lampu Ulee Kareng Beach, Banda Aceh, a day after the jamboree finished. Some new heroes came to participate and share some fun time at the beach and learned more about the Trash Hero movement. This kind of curiosity and collaboration is how new chapters are born!

Clean up at Lampu Ulee Kareng Beach, Banda Aceh – one of the places hit by the tsunami in 2004.