Trash Hero takes part in research project to discover “world’s top polluters”

by Seema on 03/10/2020 No comments

As Trash Heroes, we know a community cleanup is one of the most effective ways to help people understand the impact of plastic pollution and create the positive energy needed for change. But we also know cleanups on their own are not a long term solution to the problem of plastic waste. For that, we need to go to the source.

That’s why Trash Hero has joined forces with Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) again this year for a mass data collection project focusing on “brand audits”.

Brand Audits September 2020 in Baubau, Indonesia and Basel, Switzerland.

A “brand audit” is a detailed log of the plastic found during a regular cleanup. It records the date; location; type of material and the number of layers in each piece; and then the name of the producer, if it’s still visible. The data is collected in a systematic way and – for this project – from a wide range of locations on a global scale, involving many different NGOs and volunteers.

BFFP, as the coordinator of the project, will then compile and interpret the collected data for their annual Brand Audit Report (results of the 2019 report here). The results serve as evidence of the scale and provenance of consumer-goods-related pollution. They enable BFFP to push the biggest manufacturers of this plastic waste to change the way they make and deliver their products.

This year’s report is due out in early December. Trash Hero World has committed to make the findings available in Indonesian, Thai and Malaysian to amplify the media coverage in Southeast Asia.

Brand Audits September 2020 in Nagekeo, Indonesia and Tuaran, Malaysia

To broaden the dataset, Trash Hero World and BFFP provided brand audit training for Trash Hero volunteers in several different countries in August and September. It was a new experience for most of them: gathering and recording the information is a fairly labour-intensive process, but one that proved to be both eye-opening and fun. In the lead up to the official data collection period, Trash Hero Canggu in Indonesia collected 140 unrecyclable tubes of toothpaste from a single brand (Pepsodent, by Unilever) in just one hour!

The data collection period lasted six weeks, coming to an end on 30 September 2020. Although the results are still coming in, our estimates show that around 80 brand audits were carried out by Trash Hero volunteers in around 60 locations in the northern, southern, eastern and western hemispheres.

This is more than four times the number of brand audits we submitted as an organisation last year and should in the end make up around one-sixth of the total brand audits contributed to the project globally this year (final numbers TBC). We are very proud of our citizen scientists, many of whom were working under challenging conditions due to COVID-19. We will publish the outcomes of the whole project in a future post.

Brand Audits September 2020 in Koh Samed, Thailand and Saba, Bali

The Trash Hero chapters that carried out a brand audit for this project include:

INDONESIA
Trash Hero Ambon, Trash Hero Amed, Trash Hero Belu, Trash Hero Baubau, Trash Hero Blahbatuh, Trash Hero Bandung, Trash Hero Bunaken, Trash Hero Batubulan, Trash Hero Bogor, Trash Hero Canggu, Trash Hero Candidasa, Trash Hero Depok, Trash Hero Ende, Trash Hero Jimbaran, Trash Hero Kelimutu, Trash Hero Kendari, Trash Hero Kertalangu, Trash Hero Komodo, Trash Hero Kupang, Trash Hero Lembata, Trash Hero Larantuka, Trash Hero Lovina, Trash Hero Mamuju, Trash Hero Muba, Trash Hero Nagekeo, Trash Hero Pemuteran, Trash Hero Payangan, Trash Hero Raja Ampat, Trash Hero Saba, Trash Hero Sanur, Trash Hero Tanjung

MALAYSIA
Trash Hero Banting, Trash Hero Cherating, Trash Hero Ipoh, Trash Hero Johor Bahru, Trash Hero Papar, Trash Hero Perlis, Trash Hero Langkawi, Trash Hero Sintok, Trash Hero Temerloh, Trash Hero Tuaran

NETHERLANDS
Trash Hero Amsterdam

ROMANIA
Trash Hero Vatra Dornei

SERBIA
Trash Hero Beograd

SWITZERLAND
Trash Hero Basel, Trash Hero Bern, Trash Hero Fribourg, Trash Hero Luzern, Trash Hero Solothurn, Trash Hero Winterthur

THAILAND
Trash Hero Bangkok, Trash Hero Pattaya, Trash Hero Koh Phi Phi, Trash Hero Hua Hin, Trash Hero Chumphon, Trash Hero Koh Jum, Trash Hero Koh Samed, Trash Hero Koh Samui

UK
Trash Hero UK (London and Newcastle)

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 of rubbish was collected for proper disposal by this enormous collaborative effort.

Six Senses Yao Noi Donates Trash Hero Bottles to All Kids on the Island

by Leslie Finlay on 31/08/2019 No comments

If Trash Heroes are certain of one thing, it’s that change happens when we band together!

The Trash Hero Kids Movement is going strong in Koh Yao Noi, Thailand, where kids at local schools are taking action to save the world and learn how to live more sustainably.

The excitement grew even stronger this month thanks to Six Senses Resort, which bought new reusable Trash Hero Water Bottles for all the kids on the island! The resort also installed water filtration systems in every school on Koh Yao Noi.

Making the switch from single-use plastics to reusable alternatives is critically important to the global fight against pollution. By teaching kids this importance, Trash Hero is actively working toward a sustainable future – and building the leaders of tomorrow!

Of the 20,000 plastic drink bottles purchased globally every second, it’s estimated that 19,000 are destined for a landfill at best – or otherwise likely to wind up in the sea. By using a reusable bottle, we can each save hundreds of plastic bottles every year from this fate!

To learn more about how to get your own Trash Hero Water Bottle and our participating partners, please visit our Bottle Refill Program page.

To join the Trash Hero Kids Movement, check out https://trashhero.org/kids/

Thanks again to Six Senses Yao Noi! If you’d like to support sustainability and the Trash Hero movement in your community, get in touch!

Trash Heroes in Myanmar Integral to Nation’s Ambitions for a Sustainable Future

by Leslie Finlay on 05/06/2019 1 comment

Our Trash Heroes in Myanmar met President U Win Myint at a World Environment Day event in Nay Pyi Taw. The President was originally introduced to Trash Hero in 2018, then honoring the growing national movement and its local chapters for their fantastic work, and for promoting the spirit of sustainability within their individual communities.

Trash Hero Myanmar Updates President U Win Myint on the year’s project successes

Addressing more than 400 stakeholders representing state and regional ministries, academic institutions, businesses, and special interest groups, the President urged the Burmese people to look at their own relationships with waste in their everyday lives. His message mirrored the spirit of the Trash Hero mission: that lasting, high-level change occurs from collective adjustments to our mindset and behaviours.

The President’s message is supported by a record of growing public action and awareness against waste. Myanmar’s first Trash Hero community clean was organized in Yangon in July 2016, coordinating 135 volunteers who collected more than 400 kg of rubbish. Today, Trash Hero Myanmar has expanded to 10 national chapters, who together have collected 46,517 kilograms of trash with the help of almost 17,000 volunteers – more than 5,000 of which are children.

The President’s support for movements like Trash Hero is predicated on a national ambition to develop the country as a climate-resilient, low-carbon, low-waste society.

Trash Hero Myanmar has grown quickly with 10 national chapters actively reducing the waste problem in their communities

He announced two new policies that recognize the increasing threat of extreme weather and other climate change impacts this economic and social development. These policies – called the National Environmental Policy and the Myanmar Climate Change Policy – recognize the need for collaboration among ministries, civil society, businesses, and academia. But the President also highlights the importance of public participation – through initiatives like Trash Hero – to establish a sustainable national mindset.

“I would like to urge Myanmar citizens, including all of you, to participate for the current and future sustainable development of our country by changing your daily lifestyles in order to support environmental conservation,” he said while addressing participants at the World Environment Day event.

The Heroes of Trash Hero Myanmar in Action!

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.

Bag yourself the new Tasini x Trash Hero turtle

by Seema on 05/02/2019 1 comment

We are delighted to launch the Trash Hero edition of #tasini and #inibags, as part of our ongoing Bottles & Bags programme. The bags are a collaboration with the social enterprise Making Oceans Plastic Free, with the idea of reusing plastic bottles to help reduce plastic bag waste.

The branded resuable shoppers come in two versions: in a plain yellow pouch (Inibag) or with a cute turtle pouch (Tasini), to promote awareness of the ecosystem we want to protect.

⭐️ With this bag you save two✌️ plastic bottles from polluting the environment 👉 Each Bag is made from 2 recycled plastic bottles ♻️!
⭐️ Handmade in Indonesia!
⭐️ Attached to a keychain 🔑 so you won’t forget your reusable bag any more. Save 💯s of plastic bags each year!
⭐️ And the #tasini Trash Hero Turtle 🐢 helps you spread the message of awareness about plastic pollution and inspire the change in people around you!

Bags are distributed at cost by our chapters in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Switzerland, New York and Finland. Get in touch with your nearest chapter for more information.

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.

Schnarwiler AG and Trash Hero World fight plastic waste in the hotel industry

by Rahel Schaub on 05/02/2018 No comments

Schnarwiler AG and Trash Hero World launch four refillable beauty products with 100% natural ingredients. Together they make a valuable contribution to reduce plastic waste in the hotel sector.

–Für Deutsch bitte runter scrollen–

Love Earth, Love Water, Love Air and Love Fire – these are the sounding names of the four new products that Schnarwiler AG and Trash Hero World are launching together. The reusable glass dispensers contain a hand and body soap, a shampoo, a conditioner and a body lotion.

4 tons of plastic waste for a hotel with 200 beds – per year
Trash Hero World and Sandro Schnarwiler, Managing Directors of Schnarwiler AG, are both aware of the increasing amount of single-use plastic that pollutes our environment. Schnarwiler sees great potential in saving plastic in the hotel industry: “Many hotels provide guest-amenities in small plastic bottles and tubes – most of them end up as trash even though they are still half full”. He calculates that a hotel with 200 beds and 80% occupancy provides around 500 such plastic containers per night. This results in more than 180,000 pieces per year and thus almost 4 tons of plastic waste. For this reason, Trash Hero World and Schnarwiler decided to launch a joint beauty line.

Hotels will equip all rooms with refillable dispensers rather than small plastic bottles and tubes. By placing small brochures in every room, they will inform their guests about the global plastic pollution and increasing usage of single-use plastic. Schnarwiler and Trash Hero World hope to sensitize the guests for the issue and thus expect that guests will appreciate the dispensers.

Each year, about eight million tons of plastic end up in our seas. Studies from Plastic Soup Foundation in Holland prove that out of these eight, two million come from microplastics from cosmetics and car tires. “To prevent our seas and fish from filling up with more and more tiny pieces of plastic, we all must switch to cosmetics free from microplastic.” says Lea Allemann from Trash Hero World.

Become a Trash Hero at home
But refillable dispensers in hotels are just the beginning – hotel guests and everyone else can buy the products at the reception in participating hotels, on schnarwiler.ch, and from the Swiss online shop siroop.ch. Refills can be ordered on schnarwiler.ch or by simply returning an empty dispenser to Schnarwiler. Furthermore, Trash Hero World and Schnarwiler plan to cooperate with Zero Waste Shops in Switzerland to make the distribution and purchase as simple as possible. For each dispenser sold, Trash Hero World receives a certain amount which is then used to fight global plastic pollution.

Schnarwiler is a Swiss manufacturer and distributor of exclusive brands for health, beauty and sleep and primarily supplies hotels, spas, pharmacies, drugstores, and therapists. Their promise “100% natural products” was made 30 years ago and is still the common denominator of all products.

Medienmitteilung

Inwil, Luzern, 4. Februar 2018

Trash Hero World und Schnarwiler AG sagen dem Plastikmüll den Kampf an

Trash Hero World und Schnarwiler AG lancieren gemeinsam vier nachfüllbare Beauty-Produkte mit 100% natürlichen Inhaltsstoffen. Damit leisten sie einen wertvollen Beitrag gegen Berge von Plastikabfall im Hotelsektor.

Love Earth, Love Water, Love Air und Love Fire – das sind die klingenden Namen der vier neuen Produkte, die Schnarwiler AG und Trash Hero World ab sofort gemeinsam vertreiben. Die wiederverwendbaren Glasspender beinhalten je eine Hand- und Körperseife, ein Shampoo, ein Conditioner und eine Bodylotion.

Pro Jahr 4 Tonnen unnötiger Plastikmüll für ein Hotel mit 200 Betten

Trash Hero World und Sandro Schnarwiler, Geschäftsführer von Schnarwiler AG sind sich beide der zunehmenden Verschwendung von Plastik bewusst. Schnarwiler sieht insbesondere bei Hotels grosses Potential: «Pro Gast und Nacht fällt eine grosse Menge an kleinen Plastikfläschchen und -tuben an – die meisten wandern noch halbvoll direkt in den Müll». Er rechnet vor, dass ein Hotel mit 200 Betten und 80% Belegung pro Nacht rund 500 solcher Plastikbehälter benötigt. Pro Jahr ergibt das über 180’000 Stück und somit knapp vier Tonnen Plastikmüll. Vor diesem Hintergrund haben Trash Hero World und Schnarwiler die gemeinsame Beauty-Linie lanciert.

Hotels werden in allen Zimmern die Spender anstelle der kleinen Plastikfläschchen- und tuben für ihre Gäste bereitstellen. Genau gleich wie bei den Handtüchern, werden sie ihre Gäste mit Informationstafeln über die globale Plastikverschmutzung und zunehmende Verschwendung von Plastik informieren und auf die Spender aufmerksam machen.

Geschätzte acht Millionen Tonnen Plastik fliessen jährlich in die Weltmeere. Studien von Plastic Soup Foundation aus Holland belegen, dass zwei Million Tonnen davon von Mikroplastik aus Kosmetikprodukten und Autoreifen stammen. “Um zu verhindern, dass sich unsere Gewässer und Fische immer mehr mit Mikroplastik füllen, sollten wir alle nur noch Kosmetikprodukte ohne Mikroplastik kaufen.” meint Lea Allemann von Trash Hero World.

Auch zu Hause zum «Trash Hero» werden

Aber Nachfüllbare Seifenspender in Hotels sind längst nicht alles – Hotelgäste und alle anderen können die Produkte in teilnehmenden Hotels an der Reception, auf schnarwiler.ch und im Schweizer Onlineshop siroop.ch kaufen. Nachfüllungen bestellt man ebenfalls bei schnarwiler.ch oder man retourniert ganz einfach die leeren Spender an Schnarwiler und erhält die gefüllten Spender per Post zurück. In Zukunft möchten Trash Hero World und Schnarwiler auch mit Zero Waste Shops in der Schweiz zusammenarbeiten, um den Vertrieb und die Nachfüllungen noch einfacher zu machen. Mit jedem verkauften Spender geht ein Beitrag an Trash Hero World und wird zur Bekämpfung der globalen Verschmutzung durch Plastik eingesetzt.

Schnarwiler ist Hersteller und Distributor von exklusiven Marken rund um Gesundheit, Schönheit und Schlafen und beliefert vor Allem Hotels, SPAs, Apotheken, Drogerien und Therapeuten. Ihr Versprechen «alles 100% natürliche Produkte» wurde vor 30 Jahren abgegeben und ist auch heute noch der gemeinsame Nenner aller Produkte.

Trash Hero World ist eine Nonprofit-Organisation, sich für eine Welt frei von Abfall und insbesondere für eine Reduktion von Plastikabfall einsetzt. Trash Hero World ist mit unterschiedlichen Projekten an 42 verschiedenen Orten in 9 Ländern (Thailand, Indonesien, Myanmar, Malaysia, Tschechien, USA, Schweiz, China, Singapur) aktiv.

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.

Trash Hero Koh Samui: A Growing Community

by Leslie Finlay on 14/01/2018 2 comments

One of the most impressive abilities of our Trash Hero leaders is their talent for collaborating and uniting an entire community against unnecessary waste, across cultures, languages, businesses, and a number of other interests. Last month, Trash Hero Koh Samui hosted a community-wide event to further network the organization alongside like-minded interests on the island and make way for an even more productive 2018.

Their goal is to bring community members together to educate all about recycling, waste-free living, and the dangers posed by trash. Full community involvement increases opportunities for effective clean-ups and fundraising to invest in initiatives like reusable bottles, bags, and water refill stations. Trash Hero Samui is also working to increase involvement of local students, including those from the International School of Samui (ISS), to empower them to assume leadership roles driving the cleaning and sustainability of their local communities.

In spite of inclement weather and heavy rains, more than 200 people joined to clean an area of Hua Thanon, including the Mayor of Koh Samui, representatives from major businesses and the Army, members of other local organizations like Samui Clean, and many Thai schools.