News | Trash Hero World

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

Trash Heroes’ Work Increases Environmental Health

by Leslie Finlay on 24/09/2017 No comments

September 26 is World Environmental Health Day.

In March, Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said that air pollution is a “major public health issue of our generation,” and that poor air quality affects more than 80% of the world’s population.

While industrial carbon outputs, motor vehicle exhaust and coal emissions account for a large portion of poor air quality, the practice of burning plastic waste is incredibly dangerous to both environmental and human health. Estimates indicate that about 40 percent of waste globally is dealt with by burning. Historically, small and rural communities burn biodegradable waste, but the introduction of nonrenewable items like plastic have added a new danger.

The toxins released by burning waste have been linked to lung and neurological diseases, as well as heart attacks and some cancers.

Trash Hero Amed has been a leader in community waste management. Last year, they collaborated with a local non-profit, Peduli Alam, and developed a collection system for non-organic waste, provided to the community free of charge. Peduli Alam has built and installed more than 200 public rubbish bins and another 350 individual bins across 700 families, local restaurants and schools. The waste is collected almost daily and transported by Peduli Alam to a regional sorting station and a landfill site. Trash Hero World supported Peduli Alam to finance a new truck so they can continue the waste removal service for the Amed community.

Is trash burning a problem in your community? Contact us so we can help collaborate to work toward a solution.

Estimates indicate that about 40 percent of waste globally is dealt with by burning.

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.

“Trash Monsters” at Wonderfruit Festival Dazzle and Inspire

by Leslie Finlay on 23/08/2017 No comments

The three day “Wonderfruit Festival Pattaya” is the biggest music- and arts festival in Thailand with a mission to “encourage, develop and innovate creative solutions for sustainable living and bring together a global community to celebrate them. We use our platform to catalyze creativity and make a meaningful, positive impact.”

Alongside well-known musical acts, workshops, art installations, banquets and presentations are also held in the spirit of this ethos. Topics encourage participation and range from sustainability and the environment to social responsibility.

This year, well-known Thai artist Tom Potisit created a 3-meter long “trash monsters” on behalf of Trash Hero Thailand that came to life for several performances with the help of professional dancers.

The “Little Monsters”, named DukDik and KukKoo, were inspired by deep-deep sea animals such as Anglerfish and extinct shrimp-like animal called the Anomalocarididsx to raise awareness about how the waste we create affects all living organisms – even deep seas creatures. He worked to collaborate between active Trash Hero chapters along the coast of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman coast to collect trash from the ocean, including fishing equipment, lighters, toys, sunglasses, and more. His production team carefully assembled DukDik and KukKoo and created a personality for both creatures in order to make them truly come alive at the festival, fully equipped with LED lights to light up the campaign.

The founder of Wonderfruit, Pranitan “Pete” Phornprapha, was originally inspired by environmental projects from his community, but sought to celebrate social awareness in a fun, relevant and contemporary way.

The attitude is put into practice at the festival, as well. On-site water filtration allows festival-goeers to refill reusable water bottles on sale, and all drinks and food are served in biodegradable or reusable containers. A local organization, Thailand Young Farmers, provide locally-grown, organic produce for the banquets, and a portion of each ticket sale is contributed to the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve in Borneo, Malaysia, to offset carbon emissions and make Wonderfruit a carbon neutral event. A collaboration between the festival and Johnnie Walker contributed a portion of drink sales to the planting of more than 1,000 mangrove trees in Myanmar. Several Trash Hero volunteers held presentations during the festival, as well, about their experiences in the field to raise more awareness about waste issues.

12 Million Plastic Bottles Saved… and Counting

by Leslie Finlay on 17/08/2017 No comments

As Trash Hero aims to change the behaviors that lead to unsustainable waste production, we strive to enable individuals and communities with the tools to do so.

Many regions of the world, particularly in Southeast Asia, have experienced a rapid growth of tourism that has left the capacity of local trash management far behind. The “Love Thailand” water bottles are just one tool available to curb unsustainable production of plastic bottles that will never break down fully in our environment. The program has been steadily growing since December 2014, first launched by the communities of Koh Lipe, Koh Lanta and Chaing Mai. Today, 14 locations in Thailand distribute the bottles.

Sold at cost price at cleanups, hotels and restaurants, distributors make a commitment to provide refilling stations where the Trash Hero bottles can be filled without charge. As of the end of July 2017, 33,000 bottles had been sold at 181 participating businesses throughout Thailand. This equates to more than 12 million plastic bottles that were not produced.

The success in Thailand spurred Trash Hero Indonesia’s interest to also supply the reusable bottles. The first order of 2,000 “Love Indonesia” Trash Hero bottles began distribution earlier this year.

Find out where you can get your own Trash Hero reusable bottle or how to become a participating business.

Local Business Support on Koh Phangan

by Leslie Finlay on 11/07/2017 No comments

Trash Hero Koh Phangan in Thailand has been actively organizing beach, reef and jungle cleanups since its inception, and has successfully arranged partnerships and cooperative projects with other local organizations as well. Now local businesses are throwing in their support as well.

Local businesses so often are at the forefront of our regional success stories, and their impact can have incredible effects on behavior change toward waste. Chad and Colleen, owners of Veranda Phangan, joined Trash Hero Koh Phangan to increase awareness to an ever-growing population of tourists. Within just 30 days, their yoga center distributed more than 1,200 free liters of water to its yoga therapy teacher candidates and managed to generate zero plastic through the duration of the course.

It’s steps like these that can lead to an ongoing pattern of awareness and change. Read Chad and Colleen’s story below to see what small changes business owners and individuals alike can make toward spreading awareness of the issues and reducing physical waste and plastic.

To see more news or get involved with Trash Hero on Koh Phangan, check out its Facebook page.

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Great things are happening on Koh Phangan in Thailand!

A movement of potential has dawned.

With more and more people visiting our gorgeous island, more and more trash is accumulating And more people are becoming aware of this challenge. **Progress** The awesome thing about awareness is that is also increases what people ASK for.

We are Chad and Colleen. Owners of Veranda Phangan in Chaloklum Koh Phangan, Thailand. We’ve been coming here for 15 years and finally decided to stay 1 yr ago. Our single concern becoming business owners and permanent residents of Koh Phangan was our impact on the island.

Within the first month we joined Trash hero. We were the 3^rd business on the island to join and were surprised to find we were the 1^st yoga and wellness related business to join.

So…we hopped on the campaign and spent A LOT of time increasing awareness through social media channels and word of mouth supporting the 2 Trash Hero volunteers who were working hard build a cohesive community here.

We ran our specialised trauma-informed yoga therapy teacher training in January and supplied our students with **FREE** Trash Hero bottles. Over the next 30 days during this intensive and professional yoga therapy teacher training we supplied over 1200 litres of FREE drinking water to our students. Amazing to realise ZERO plastic was generated in any way throughout this entire course.

What else does Veranda Phangan do to support sustainable tourism?

We clean our beach front property every day (which is common for all business owners on the island). We also know that tourism is increasing, which is great for Thailand being a tourism-driven economy. If an increase in tourism is going to be sustainable we must be aware of our Entire footprint extending beyond the environment too. For this reason we have developed a sustainable tourism policy.

What do we know for sure?

Small Family Run Businesses Do Make a Difference. Choose to support them on your travels.

What do we hope to see next?

We’re really looking forward to continuing our Trash Hero World and sustainable tourism efforts on Koh Phangan with our upcoming teacher training courses and retreats.

We also really hope people will start ASKING for recyclable bottles, or travelling with their own and making educated choices for the wellbeing of the countries they visit.

If you find yourself on Koh Phangan, stop by for a coconut and water refill. We’d love to meet you.

Safe travels

Chad and Colleen

Verandaphangan.com

#ReduceReUseRecycle #BringYourBottle #Verandaphangan #yogateachertrainingthailand #AmazingThailand

Trash Heroes on Gili Meno

by Leslie Finlay on 27/06/2017 No comments

GILI MENO, INDONESIA: MAY 2017- One Trash Hero was visiting Gili Meno in Lombok, Indonesia, and encountered a cleanup underway.

“If this is an indication of what Trash Hero can do, the world is in good shape.”

The group of volunteers attracted attention from tourists, as well.

“I saw at least a couple of tourists who spontaneously joined in by throwing something in one of the sacks. Later in the evening I met a couple of newly-weds from Britain. They had seen the group – pretty hard to miss! – and thought it was a good way to also meet people. The couple had been on the island all day and hadn’t spoken to anyone else than each other, as people (many couples) seemed mostly in to each other. This would be a good thing to start in the UK, they said.”

The weekly cleanup attracts many locals and their children, as well. Educating children on a waste-free way of life early on is a tremendously important part of Trash Hero’s mission.

“One man on the walk came every week for the clean-up from neighboring island Lombok. And the group of kids did this every Sunday, on their one day off from school.”

Local residents understand the value of up-cycling as well. Adina came across a man who has constructed a garden wall out of 9,000 plastic bottles, all filled with soft plastic of different colors.

“The house owner even wants to make bungalows with this, for tourists to stay in. Garbage turned into a tourist attraction! He looked very pleased when I told him plastic doesn’t break down for 200 years.”

Keep up the great work, heroes of Gili Meno!

Trash Hero at TEDxYangon

by Leslie Finlay on 23/06/2017 No comments

MAY 21, 2017: YANGON, MYANMAR

Trash Hero Myanmar Coordinator Phone Kyaw Moe Myint, who goes by Carl, tells the audience at TEDxYangon about the words that changed his life: “Become a Trash Hero.”

The sailing champion has spent his life on the water, and admits that he hadn’t truly considered the problem of pollution very much until it directly impacted his life – a tendency he criticizes too many of us are guilty of, but understands all the same. Then the waters of his Inya Lake became so overrun with trash that it threatened his beloved sport and livelihood.

Since that day, Carl is a firm believer in Trash Hero’s global movement of mobilizing the hands and hearts of individuals to enable change. In his talk, he champions the power of building awareness and influencing others through small behavioral changes – that together we can solve the global garbage crisis.

His words are dedicated the more than 20,000 heroes out there! Check out his speech below.

Myanmar Coordinator on the Cover of MYANMORE Magazine

by Leslie Finlay on 16/06/2017 No comments

16 June 2017 – Trash Hero Myanmar

In its inaugural year, Phone Kyaw Moe Myint (Carl) led Trash Hero Myanmar to meet some impressive goals. The multiple Southeast Asian gold-medal winning sailor has had a lifelong love affair with his local Inya Lake, but now as a coach and mentor to Myanmar’s next generation of athletes, he takes its preservation even more seriously.

In its June 2017 issue – just one year after the chapter’s founding – MYANMORE Magazine featured Carl on its cover heralding his immense contributions to the country as an athlete, businessman, and now as a Trash Hero.

The article chronicles some of the chapter’s awesome achievements in the last 12 months:

Carl promoted Trash Hero at TEDx Yangon – May 21, 2017
Trash Hero Myanmar now functions in four cities** – Yangon, Mandalay, Ngwe Saung beach and Pyin Oo Lwin – with events scheduled monthly. Enthusiasm may drive weekly events soon, however.
Altogether the chapters boast more than 5,000 heroes and have removed more than 20,000 kg of trash
The Yangon chapter has cleared nearly 2,000 kg of waste from Inya Lake alone (using paddle boards!)
Following the successful TEDx, Trash Hero is working with City Mart to reduce the company’s plastic bag usage
Carl is systematically removing plastics from the Inya Lake Sailing Club and from the Vantage Tower (his office)

**Since the article, the beautiful mountain city Lashio has joined the Trash Hero family as well!

Read the full MYANMORE Magazine article below.