Trash Hero Indonesia | Trash Hero World

Turtle release and cleanup in Bali

by Seema on 14/09/2018 No comments

On 8 September 2018, Trash Hero Canggu led a very special cleanup in conjunction with Gangga Surf Community and a neighbourhood school.
With 120 children and 15 adults, they cleaned a section of Yeh Gangga beach on Bali, followed by the release of 50 baby turtles into the ocean.

Rima, our local chapter leader, said “It was just wonderful! Seeing those kids with their energy and spirit made us so happy!”

It was indeed a perfect opportunity for kids to see for themselves the direct benefits of their efforts, as they watched these vulnerable, adorable creatures make their way across the clean sand and into the sea.

Trash Hero Family Meetings Report | Apr-May 2018

by Seema on 18/06/2018 No comments

Special occasions call for a special report!
Read all about our recent #trashhero Family Meetings in Southeast Asia below (click on the link to view or download PDF), and find out how they were funded and supported.
Thanks to all our sponsors who made it happen and of course to all our amazing chapter leaders who brought so much knowledge, enthusiasm and love to the events 💛💛💛

Trash Hero Family Meeting Report – April – May 2018 [PDF]

Four Family Meetings and a Book Launch

by Seema on 14/05/2018 No comments

Over the past three weeks, more than a hundred of our amazing local leaders across Southeast Asia came together in their countries for a series of summits, that we call “family meetings”, due to the incredible spirit and emotional connections that they foster.
Exchanging news, knowledge and ideas, they left energised and excited to do even more in their communities to take action on waste.

We kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand, from 27 – 29 April; then moved on to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia from 1 – 2 May; Bali, Indonesia from 4 – 6 May; and finally Yangon in Myanmar from 11 – 13 May.
Alongside presentations on Trash Hero’s progress, values and objectives, we enjoyed lively discussions on community waste banks; burning trash; water filters; and greenwashing.

And we were able to start the process of registration of legal entities to represent Trash Hero within each country – a step that will allow the movement to professionalise and scale under the governance of Trash Hero World.

The family meetings also provided the opportunity to launch and distribute our kids’ book and activity program, sponsored by last year’s crowdfunding campaign. The response from our chapters was overwhelming, with all 3000 books snapped up – and in some areas, such as Trash Hero Candidasa below, already in use!

Trash Hero Candidasa kids

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!

Trash Hero Expands to 52 Chapters Globally

by Leslie Finlay on 22/02/2018 No comments

It’s true that not all heroes wear capes. In fact, many of them wear yellow – more than 63,000 of them to be exact!

Until the end of 2017, 52 Trash Hero chapters around the world rallied 63,098 volunteers who removed more than 408,137 kilograms of waste from our beaches, waterways, and communities. Reports estimate that most of this debris would inevitably find its way to the ocean, where it accumulates en masse and is much more difficult to remove from the environment. Much of this waste our heroes removed is plastic, which scientists agree never truly degrades but fragments into smaller and smaller bits, sustaining within the world’s ecosystems for thousands of years. Plastic of any size can be ingested by wildlife, killing the animal or cycling chemicals into the food chain.

That’s why our Trash Heroes didn’t stop at participating in 2,459 cleanups, but made active efforts to live a more sustainable, zero-waste lifestyle that eliminates trash from entering the ecosystem in the first place. More than 44,900 reusable water bottles were sold at over 256 participating businesses, saving an estimated 16-million single-use plastic bottles; 5,400 Trash Hero reusable bags were also sold, reducing single-use plastic bag use by at least 540,000 by some estimates.

Our heroes also spoke at three TEDx Talks around the world, relaying their own stories about the impact of waste in their communities and the importance of moving toward a waste-free lifestyle. Trash Hero is committed to active waste management and removal, but our mission encompasses the importance of education – spreading the attitude of sustainability. In fact, about 14,206 of our heroes in 2017 were kids, whose involvement is an enormous bright spot and the key to a cleaner future.

Talking trash in Yangon | Phone Kyaw Moe Myint | TEDxYangon

All in all, 2017 was an exciting year for us! Will you be joining the yellow-shirted heroes this year? Get in touch to find out how!

A breakdown of our 2017 numbers:

52 active chapters in 9 countries – Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, USA, Czech Republic, Switzerland, China, Singapore
63,098 heroes attended 2,459 cleanups, removing 208,137 kilograms of trash from the environment
14,206 of those heroes were kids
44,900 reusable bottles were sold at 256 participating businesses – this means that more than 16 million plastic bottles were not produced
5,400 Trash Hero reusable bags were sold, keeping 540,000 single-use plastic bags out of the environment
Speakers at 3 TEDx Talks spread the philosophy of sustainability and zero-waste to their communities at large

THANK YOU to all of our incredible heroes, and we hope to see you in 2018!

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.

The Trash Hero Kids Book: On to Phase 2!

by Leslie Finlay on 08/12/2017 No comments

With your generous support, we have made it through the first stage of our project! Reaching the 8000 euro target means we can now CONFIRM that the Trash Hero Kids book will be printed, distributed and taught to kids in Thailand and Indonesia.

Now we aim to extend the project’s impact to include even more kids! Since starting the project, we have had interest from our teams in Myanmar and Malaysia to create local language versions of the project, as well as requests for more books in Thailand.

We still have a few more days to take this project even further. So let’s keep this momentum and continue to raise funds so your contribution has even more impact!

The Trash Hero Kids Book is a story and activity book with a powerful call to take action on plastic waste in the environment. Children will be inspired and challenged to change their behaviour, and receive incentives like the coveted Trash Hero T-shirt as a reward.

The book and shirt package will be distributed free to children in Southeast Asia, where plastic pollution is reaching critical proportions. Awareness of the issue in Southeast Asia remains low, and education is limited or not put into practice. Children are taught “don’t litter” at school, but don’t seem to make any connection between these words and their everyday habits. The real life consequences of plastic leakage are rarely explored; and there are no positive role models or clear paths to drive behaviour change.

The labour and skills overheads for this project – like all Trash Hero projects – is ZERO. Our dedicated volunteers have already prepared the book and its translations; and more volunteers in our local chapters stand ready to oversee the distribution and activities.
That means that every single Euro you donate will be spent on creating the physical products to put into the hands of children.

Contributions can be made at either of these sites:

https://www.100-days.net/…/projekt/trashhero-children-s-bookor https://www.paypal.me/TrashHeroWorld

Help us make our holiday dreams come true and reach even more kids!

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!

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.

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.