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Trash Hero startet seine erste Crowdfunding-Kampagne

by Leslie Finlay on 02/11/2017 2 comments

Bildung ist das wichtigste Instrument um lebenslanges, nachhaltiges Verhalten zu generieren. Aber wir möchten den Kindern ebenso zeigen, dass es einfach nur viel Spaß ist, ein Trash Hero zu sein!

Dies ist unsere Inspiration hinter dem neuesten Trash Hero-Projekt: das Trash Hero Kinderbuch!

Das farbige Bilderbuch verbindet Kinder-Phantasie mit realer Aktion durch eine mitreißende Story über eine/n „Trash Hero“. Unser Trash Hero braucht die Hilfe der Kinder um die Ozeane vor der Plastikverschmutzung zu schützen. Zusammen mit ihren Familien und Freunden beginnen die Kinder, aktiv zu werden, Plastikmüll aufzusammeln und zu vermeiden indem sie kleine Aufgaben aus dem Aktivitäten-Teil des Buches erfüllen. So gewinnen sie Preise wie ein Trash Hero T-Shirt oder ein Zertifikat.

Die Bücher werden kostenlos an Schulen und Gemeindegruppen verteilt. Unsere Trash Hero Gruppen vor Ort übernehmen die Supervision der Aktivitäten. Um einen Preis zu erhalten ist es erforderlich dass die Kinder über einen längeren Zeitraum motiviert „am Ball bleiben“ und die Aktionen wiederholen. So macht es Kindern Freude, ihr Verhalten langfristig zu ändern während sie gleichzeitig unterstützt, ermutigt und von ihrer Gemeinschaft gefeiert werden.

Um dieses wichtige Projekt zu ermöglichen brauchen wir eure Hilfe! Das Geld fließt in den Druck der Bücher auf Englisch, Thailändisch und Indonesisch sowie in die entsprechenden T-Shirts für alle teilnehmenden Kinder-Heroes.

Insgesamt benötigen wir für dieses großartige Projekt 8.000 Euro – jeder Euro geht ausschließlich in den Druck und die Portokosten. Es gibt keine Gemeinkosten da alle in Trash Hero beteiligten Personen ausschließlich Freiwillige sind.

Einen neuen, kleinen Trash Hero zu ermöglichen aktiv zu werden, kostet nur 4 Euro – den Preis eines Sandwiches! – aber diese Erfahrung und kleinen Geschenke bilden einen lebenslangen Eindruck.

Dies ist unsere offizielle Crowdfunding-Seite: https://www.100-days.net/en/projekt/trashhero-children-s-book/project

Bitte unterstütze den Wandel für die Zukunft schon heute durch eine Spende und / oder teile diesen Post in sozialen Netzwerken damit andere dies ebenso tun können!

Zusammen können wir eine neue Generation von Trash Heroes ins Leben rufen!

แทรชฮีโร่ เปิดแคมเปญระดมทุนเป็นครั้งแรก

by Leslie Finlay on 02/11/2017 No comments

การศึกษาเป็นสิ่งสำคัญในการสร้างพฤติกรรมอันยั่งยืน แต่เราก็อยากบอกเด็ก ๆ ด้วยว่า การเป็นแทรชฮีโร่นั้น เป็นเรื่องสนุก!
และนั่นคือแรงบันดาลใจของเราในการสร้างสรรค์โครงการล่าสุด : หนังสือเด็กแทรชฮีโร่

หนังสือภาพอันสวยงาม เล่าเรื่องการต่อสู้ของเด็ก ผู้ได้ชื่อว่า “แทรชฮีโร่/ผู้พิชิตขยะ” ซึ่งอุทิศตนให้กับการช่วยเหลือเหล่าสิ่งมีชีวิตใต้ท้องทะเลให้หลบหนีจากขยะ และสถานการณ์อันเลวร้ายเมื่อขยะพลาสติกในมหาสมุทรเพิ่มขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ เขาได้รับการช่วยเหลือจากเพื่อน ๆ ในโรงเรียน ที่สัญญาว่าจะช่วยกันทำความสะอาดและลดการสร้างขยะ เพื่อให้งานของเขาง่ายขึ้น

แต่แค่เพียงสอนเรื่องคุณธรรมนั้นอาจไม่พอ : หนังสือจึงท้าทายให้ผู้อ่านได้ลงมือทำจริงด้วย โดยมีกิจกรรมที่พวกเขาสามารถลงมือทำได้ เช่น การเก็บขยะ, การใช้ถุงหรือขวดน้ำที่ใช้แล้วใช้ซ้ำได้, หรือการสร้างมูลค่าเพิ่มให้เศษวัสดุต่าง ๆ เพื่อช่วย แทรชฮีโร่ และได้รับรางวัล เช่น เสื้อยืด และประกาศนียบัตร เพื่อบอกให้โลกรู้ว่า พวกเขาก็เป็น “แทรชฮีโร่/ผู้พิชิตขยะ” เช่นกัน

หนังสือนี้จะแจกฟรีให้กับโรงเรียนและชุมชน โดยความร่วมมือของกลุ่มแทรชฮีโร่ทั่วประเทศ และกิจกรรมนั้นต้องทำซ้ำหลายครั้ง ก่อนจะได้รับรางวัล เพื่อกระตุ้นและสร้างแรงบันดาลใจให้เด็ก ๆ เปลี่ยนพฤติกรรม โดยได้รับการสนับสนุนและสรรเสริญจากชุมชนของพวกเขา

เพื่อทำให้โครงการอันสำคัญนี้เกิดขึ้นได้ เราต้องการความช่วยเหลือจากคุณ!

ในเบื้องต้นเราได้รับการสนับสนุนจากผู้ใหญ่ใจดี กล้วยน้ำไทมูลนิธิ ในการจัดพิมพ์หนังสือฉบับภาษาไทย แต่เรายังคงต้องการทำเสื้อยืดแจกให้แก่เด็ก ๆ ที่สามารถทำกิจกรรมนี้ได้สำเร็จ เพื่อเป็นแทรชฮีโร่คนใหม่อีกด้วย

นอกจากนี้ เรายังจะพิมพ์หนังสือในฉบับภาษาอังกฤษและภาษาอินโดนีเซียด้วย

โดยเรายังต้องการเงินอีกจำนวน 8,000 ยูโร หรือ 320,000 บาท เพื่อพิมพ์หนังสือ 3,000 ชุด และทำเสื้อให้แก่เด็ก ๆ

หน้าเพจสำหรับโครงการระดมทุน (เว็บในต่างประเทศ) : https://www.100-days.net/en/projekt/trashhero-children-s-book/project
หรือคุณสามารถบริจาคเป็นเงินบาทได้โดยผ่าน PayPal ที่ https://www.paypal.me/trashheroworld
เงินบริจาคเหล่านี้จะได้ผลแก่เด็ก ๆ ในไทย

ท่านสามารถช่วยบริจาคได้ และ/หรือช่วยกันแชร์โพสต์นี้ เพื่อให้เพื่อน ๆ คนอื่น ๆ ได้ร่วมบริจาคด้วย
ร่วมด้วยช่วยกัน เราสามารถสร้างแทรชฮีโร่/ผู้พิชิตขยะรุ่นใหม่ได้!

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โครงการหนังสือเด็กแทรชฮีโร่นี้ เป็นโครงการไม่หวังผลกำไร จัดทำโครงการผ่านการจดทะเบียนองค์กร แทรช ฮีโร่ เวิลด์ ในประเทศสวิตเซอร์แลนด์ และจัดพิมพ์หนังสือโดยใช้กระดาษรีไซเคิลทั้งหมด
ครู/อาจารย์ท่านใดสนใจเรื่องโครงการนี้ สามารถติดต่อแทรชฮีโร่ในพื้นที่ของท่านได้ โดยตรวจสอบได้ที่เว็บไซต์หรือเพจของแทรชฮีโร่ไทยแลนด์

Come Join The Trash Isles!

by Leslie Finlay on 22/10/2017 16 comments

This month, UN spokesman for the UN’s Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric was granted a certificate of honorary citizenship to an area that hopes to become the world’s 196^th nation – the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, or formally known today as The Trash Isles. He’ll join the ranks of other citizens like Al Gore (the first applicant) and actress Judi Dench.

Source: LADbible

The movement to designate the France-sized garbage patch as its own nation was spurred by advocates from the Plastics Oceans Foundation and UK-based entertainment company LADbible. Today it boasts its own flag, passport, currency (appropriately called ‘debris’), and more than 140,000 “citizens” from countries spanning the globe, making The Trash Isles the 25^th-smallest country in the world.

The “country” hopes to be the latest member to the United Nations. As a member-country, the other 193 UN nations would be compelled to help clean up the new nation per the UN’s charter.

Source: LADbible

The Trash Isles itself is actually a massive soup of floating microplastics, which renders it incredibly tricky to clean up and severely dangerous to the ecosystem. Through bioaccumulation, these microplastics have a good chance of winding up in our food supply, harming marine life along the way.

The campaign, and its vast multinational participation, draws attention to the enormity of our waste problem and the fact that it is our collective responsibility to mitigate and remedy it.

So what can you do?

We can stop adding to the problem by limiting our use of single-use plastics and employing sustainable alternatives, like Trash Hero bottles and bags.
Pick up trash in your community, either on your own or find a cleanup in your area.
Separate your trash. Recycle what is possible for your area, and find ways to use items that are non-recyclable. Ecobricks provide one solution for plastic waste, or up-cycle items to use for art, furniture, even stand-up paddle boards!
Encourage others to also develop sustainable habits.
Start a local Trash Hero chapter to establish enduring, consistent change at your local level.

Through this collective behavioral change we can keep this new nation from growing in size.

To help raise further awareness, “apply for citizenship” of The Trash Isles here.

Trash Heroes Join the International Coastal Cleanup

by Leslie Finlay on 18/09/2017 2 comments

This weekend was the International Coastal Cleanup, a global event organized by the Ocean Conservancy, and millions of volunteers worldwide took to the oceans and coastlines to remove waste.

According to the Ocean Conservancy, plastic has been found in 62% of all sea birds and 100% of sea turtle species. The organization records what types of trash are removed from the oceans to help guide awareness.

The top items collected globally are:

Source: The Ocean Conservancy

This year volunteers also found four drones, 56 toilets, eight microwaves, five selfie-sticks, and a piano.

Trash Heroes around the world were out this weekend, as they are every week, making big changes in their communities.

Trash Heroes in Borneo joining the International Coastal Cleanup on a camping cleanup trip

Trash Hero Kertalangu joined a cleanup event called AKSOMA at Biaung Beach in Indonesia removing more than 100kg of trash with community leaders, students of all ages, and the Indonesian National Army.
Trash Hero Bangkok hauled out their paddleboards to clean Khlong Bang Phli (Taco Lake,) removing 80 kilograms.
Trash Hero Borneo joined the International Coastal Cleanup for a two-day camping trip as part of the largest coastal clean up in Sabah. Volunteers gathered along Simpang Mengayau collecting waste along beaches spanning 8 villages.

Paddleboard cleanups in Bangkok.

Did your community participate in the International Coastal Cleanup? Let us know! We want to hear your stories and successes!

47,183 Volunteers Strong

by Leslie Finlay on 11/09/2017 No comments

This year, the Trash Hero family has swelled to an amazing 42 chapters across nine countries – Thailand, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, China, and the USA. More than 47,000 volunteers have removed 345,203 kilograms of trash from our oceans, waterways, roads, beaches and communities, and that number grows every single day through the efforts of heroes like you. Nearly 10,000 of these volunteers were children.

New chapters like Trash Hero Kertalangu, started just two months ago, are gaining momentum every week. More than 1,700 heroes have already supported the new chapter. Trash Hero Thailand’s bottle project distributed more than 3

3,000 stainless steel reusable water bottles to curb single-use plastic usage. More than 181 businesses joined in to supply free water refills, the whole effort saving an estimated 12 million plastic bottles from entering the ecosystem. The project is set to launch across other chapters this year!

Come join the movement with us. If there is no chapter yet in your area, you can organize your own team to clean, educate and change your community. We provide the resources and guidance, you provide your heroism. To make a difference in your community and join our global family, contact us at info@trashhero.org to take the first step toward a cleaner future.

It Only Takes One Hero to Make an Impact – From Bali Beaches & Beyond

by Leslie Finlay on 29/08/2017 No comments

Esther Thomet recently attended the National Geographic Student Expedition, a student travel program run through various locations around the world that aims to inspire and educate middle school and high school students.

While in Tulamben in Northeastern Bali, a representative from Trash Hero introduced the student group to the organization before they took to the beaches to help clean alongside local Balinese children. During the presentation, Esther said that the group was shown video of a sea turtle with a straw up its nose.

“I cried because it was devastating to watch the harmful human influence on nature,” she said. “I knew then that I wanted to help.”

While she participated locally, the spirit of Trash Hero instilled within Esther long after her trip. She said that the strongest part of Trash Hero’s message is not only that they actively clean and conserve, but they are teaching others in the process.

“From a single beach cleanup and small lesson I learned what kinds of plastics to look out for and where they are commonly hidden, how to help prevent the use of plastics in everyday activities, and what affects we will have on the ocean, and world in general, if we continue to use plastic at this rate,” she said.

Education of this sort is lasting and far-reaching, and inspires others, like Esther, that they can make a difference.

“I wanted to go home and fundraise because I was very inspired by the thought that someone like me could make an impact,” Esther said. “I wanted to spread Trash Hero’s message to my friends and family.”

Returning home, Esther coordinated donations totaling $500 for Trash Hero World, in the process living up to Trash Hero’s message of education and inspiration, eager to share what she had learned with others and incorporate changes into her everyday life.

“The trip mainly changed the way I view the world,” Esther said. “I am very conscious about how much trash I am producing, how to limit my trash production, and how to make others aware about how they can get involved and help as well.”

Collaboration and togetherness are the clear keys to transformative progress. For other aspiring heroes, Esther believes that by remembering the reasons for why we work for a passion, we can achieve anything.

“I once had a teacher who told me that it doesn’t matter what career or life path I choose, as long as I do so with pride, dedication, and hope for the future,” she said.

Update: Trash Hero Indonesia Accomplishments

by Leslie Finlay on 04/08/2017 2 comments

As we make our way through another successful summer, we want to pause to acknowledge some of the achievements and collaborations that have contributed to such a robust year to date.

Trash Hero Indonesia is stronger than ever – and still growing! In May 2015, Gili Meno and its 172 heroes collected 1,000 kg of trash, kicking off Indonesia’s involvement with Trash Hero. By May 2016, participation had ballooned to seven chapters. This May 2017, 10 chapters represented 8,000 heroes, together collecting more than 50,000 kg of trash. Active chapters include Ubud, Amed, Gili Meno, Lombok (Tanjung), Sanur, Komodo, Saba, Bandung, Jimbaran, and Candidasa.

Last year Trash Hero partners Bye Bye Plastic Bags and Ecobricks visited to discuss future collaborations, and this past May representatives from Indonesia’s 10 active chapters met to put plans into action. Bye Bye Plastic Bags could reach a general ban of plastic bags on Bali as early as 2018, and many chapters have demonstrated the efficacy of Ecobricks already.

Ecobricks on Gili Meno. Photograph Adina Malveklint

Other current projects in Indonesia include the promotion of Trash Hero @Work, a program launched in December 2016 through which companies ban plastic water bottles in the workplace and provide free water to employees, and the importance of up-cycling. Many local heroes also demonstrated huge amounts of creativity making items out of recycled materials – from speakers to chairs, beanbags to entire homes. There are even plans to release a Trash Hero children’s book, written in Bahasa for local children about marine life eating garbage. The project is in partnership with Green-Books, an environmental NGO promoting ecological literacy to children.

Trash Hero on Gili Meno. Photo Adina Malveklint

A Lasting Trash Hero Souvenir

by Leslie Finlay on 25/07/2017 No comments

The story below is from Trash Hero Blanka Szecsenyi.

I met Trash Hero in Thailand in 2014. It was a beautiful holiday I took with my boyfriend while living in London. I thought it was just a leisurely activity, a free boat trip to join Trash Hero, but it became much more than that.

I was devastated by the state of an uninhabited island, yet amazed by the motivation of all the people of Trash Hero, to keep cleaning up what they might never be able to stop coming.

When I got back to cold and gray London from the winter sun, it took me a while to adjust to the everydays. Not only that for 3 weeks I was able to live out of a back pack, but also that I spent a day cleaning up rubbish while probably generating more at home in a week than I collected in a day. Hoping of course that my rubbish does reach the recycling factories, but still disgusted by the amount of unnecessary packaging in every shop.

I started to get rid of plastic bags. Those were always my weak point. Of course, it feels good to hold dozens of bags after a shopping spree on Oxford Street, but it feels even better to put all into one bag when I get on the tube. When I get home with all the new stuff (most of them probably not necessary), I generate a bag full of other bags and cut of labels, stickers, etc. Then I keep packing those bags inside each other, keeping them in the cupboard, in case I will need it. When did all this start?

I remember having maybe one nice plastic bag in a year – I kept my piano notes in them for months of classes. The only reason for it was that they were too big for my school bag and I did not want to get them wet on the way. I also remember a classmate from uni – I used to train him as he always skipped classes, but it helped me to prepare for the exams. When he had to take some notes from my place, he refused a plastic bag for it as his father, captain of a ship said he would never want to be seen carrying anything in a plastic bag, it is so not masculine – compared to being a captain.

Feeling energized by Trash Hero event, I skipped using the plastic bags. When we got Ocado home delivery – where the driver takes your old Ocado bags – I just wanted to be so quick unpacking that he would take what he just got me as well. I just did not want to store one more of those monsters. I still had to convince my boyfriend, he would join me when we were together, but when he was shopping on his own, he would still end up bringing them home. Half success I guess?

2 years later we moved home, back to Budapest with my now husband. We spent the first 6 months in-between-homes, renovating and simply not settling properly. I ended up living out of boxes and with bags of bags once more – but not for long. I got my shopping bags again and recycling every single plastic bag I end up with.

I shared this story on the below event (speech is in English, title in Hungarian – to be updated soon) as an exercise for public speaking. I tried to find a topic which I believe is worthy enough to take the time of 80 people and maybe achieve something with my message.

I ended up with dozens of messages now, about how they, who heard my speech stopped using plastic bags now. I don’t even dare to imagine how many of those there might be who did not tell me their related actions.
You see, every little counts. I was just one city girl on holiday looking for a cheap trip – ended up motivating dozens to stop using plastic bags.

http://speakacademy.hu/speaker/szechenyi-blanka-speak-academy-galaest-2017-junius-21-marriott/

2 Years and 100 Cleanups in Ao Nang

by Amelia Meier on 26/02/2017 No comments

26 February 2017 – Trash Hero Ao Nang (Thailand)

This months marks two important milestones for Trash Hero Ao Nang: In the first week they celebrated their two-year anniversary, and now they’ve just completed their 100th cleanup!

In the words Seema, one of our most dedicated Trash Heros: “We have cleaned every week of those 2 years, with breaks only when the weather was so bad we couldn’t go out, or when major public holidays got in the way. Oddly, a lot of people still ask us why we do it. They ask us why w bother, when the trash is there again the next week. First off, we clean because we CAN. Why not do something good for our planet, if you can? Secondly, we do it because there is no better way of “educating” people about the impact of trash than to take them up and get them to pick it up. Our volunteers come from local communities, schools, or are tourists. They all experience first hand where litter goes, and they take that experience home. We’ve seen a change in behaviour in almost everybody who cleaned with us. It changes you.

Lastly, with weekly cleanups we make sure the issue of waste and its disposal is kept at the forefront of the local agenda. “Behind the scenes”, we’re constantly working on building relationships and creating positive, long-term solutions for the prevention of waste, because in the long run we have to stop producing it. These things however take time and “results” are not easy to show, but attitudes are definitely changing!”

THANK YOU to Trash Hero Ao Nang, all volunteers who have participated in cleanups there, and everyone who has supported their journey thus far and is eager to fulfill the mission of a cleaner Krabi – and a cleaner world.

Trash Hero Alex’s Birthday

by Amelia Meier on 09/02/2017 No comments

9 February 2017 – Trash Hero Indonesia

A few weeks ago, Trash Hero Indonesia volunteers received this message:

“Hey Trash Hero,

I need your help! My son, Alex, is incredibly concern with the trash on Bali and has truly taken it to heart. For some reason, he really wants a Beach Cleanup Party for his 7th birthday, which is on February 2. His exact words were “On my 7th birthday, I want to go to the beach and find a big table with all the things we need. I want to get many strangers to come, and we can then tell tell them what to do to clean the beach” We all want to make this happen, and are hoping that you guys can help. I want to make this event public and make my Alex’ dream come true. Please let me know if you can be a part of this. Thank you”

Hélène and the other volunteers of Trash Hero Indonesia immediately got on board and assisted wherever possible. Alex’ mom did an amazing job at making the event known to the public and inviting people, and last Sunday they all gathered at the beach in Canggu and enjoyed a cleanup and some real birthday fun.

Alex has since gone on to be a regular hero, as you can see here. How awesome is it that young Alex is already infected with the Trash Hero virus?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX, AND ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR TRASH-FREE FUTURE!