Trash Hero Saba Teaching the Heroes of Tomorrow Through Illustration

by Leslie Finlay on 17/04/2018 No comments

Experts have agreed for years that kids learn material differently than adults, and they also insist that how a child is educated bears great impact on his or her understanding of the world, shaping behaviours that will stay with a person throughout his or her life.

Trash Hero Saba has been working to fully engage its hero children from the classroom to the beaches.

In Saba, Indonesia, the local Trash Heroes have launched an innovative new program aimed at educating the local kids about how to responsibly manage trash in their communities, especially plastic waste, driving an overall message of zero-waste living.

Wayan Aksara’s team has developed a series of comic-style cartoons they release online, free for download and use. Wayan says that the comics are designed as supplementary materials for parents and elementary school teachers as a way to instill lifelong sustainable behaviours among the next generation of heroes in a more fun and interesting way.

Wayan Aksara says that new original comics created by his team will be posted on the group’s Facebook page, available for free to parents and educators alike.

Check out the Trash Hero Saba Facebook page and its partner BALIAN to follow the comic creations from the team, and let us know what creative, innovative ways your local community engages its heroes!

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

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.

Trash Hero Commits to I Care Initiative

by Leslie Finlay on 02/12/2017 No comments

Trash Hero is proud to announce our participation in the global I Care initiative among various organizations, companies, associations and individuals around the world dedicated to a cleaner ocean.

I Care participants commit to tackle the problem of marine plastic through three steps:

Reduce daily consumption of disposable plastic items
Remove of plastic waste from our shorelines
Rescue animals injured by or caught in plastic marine waste

All types of marine life are affected by plastic entering our oceans

As Trash Heroes, we can honor this commitment in simple, everyday ways. Choose reusable and sustainable alternatives to items like produce bags, straws, plastic bottles, single-use coffee cups, personal care products containing microbeads, and microfiber clothing. Each individual commitment means less kilograms of plastic waste entering our oceans.

Live more sustainably by using reusable bottles and bags and clothing made from environmentally-friendly materials

I Care is a commitment developed by OceanCare, an organization working toward marine protection since 1989 through research, campaigns, environmental education and participation in international committees. Their work has been recognized by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the organization granted Special Consultative Status on marine issues. Through this distinction, it advocates for updated policy and regulations to reduce plastic waste on national, regional, and global levels.

This video produced by OceanCare describes its mission and introduces I Care participants, including Trash Hero at the 10:00 minute mark! This compilation was recently shown to the 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species in Manila #cmscop12 on 26th October 2017.

How do you demonstrate your commitment to a cleaner ocean?

Trash Hero at ASEAN Conference on Reducing Marine Debris

by Leslie Finlay on 27/11/2017 No comments

Last week, Trash Hero was among representatives from across Southeast Asia to attend the first ever ASEAN Conference on Reducing Marine Debris. Members of regional and international NGOs, academics, governmental bodies, private companies, and the UN Environmental Programme gathered in Phuket, Thailand to “share experiences, best practices, and views on tackling marine debris issues,” according to General Surasak Karnjarat, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand. The exhibition and panel discussions celebrated the rich marine biodiversity of the ASEAN region and focused on the development of innovative policy and management solutions.

Trash Hero on display at the first ever ASEAN Conference on Reducing Marine Debris

Members of the Trash Hero family were invited to present global chapter successes and initiatives, including the continual growth of grassroots clean ups, the production and use of Ecobricks, and the development of our greatly anticipated Trash Hero kid’s book. An interview series featuring our own Trash Heroes was also produced to be shown at an upcoming UN meeting.

Trash Hero was invited to present about its mission and work to reduce marine debris globally, from a community-oriented perspective

Our own Frida Ongre, who spoke on behalf of Trash Hero at the conference, said that there was an incredible energy and eagerness of participants to learn more about Trash Hero and its mission – in fact, one of the most common questions she got was “is there a chapter where I live?”

You can check out our current list of chapters here. Don’t have a chapter presence in your area? No problem! It’s easier than you think to get started. Check out our how-to guide written by the heroes themselves based on their experiences.