Trash Hero Thailand | Trash Hero World

Trash Hero Thailand Country Coordinator – Full Time, Remote

by Seema on 07/09/2022 No comments

Trash Hero Thailand is hiring! Please see below for job description.

This is a full time position (40+ hours a week), open to Thai citizens only.
Available immediately – applications will remain open until the position is filled.

Salary
– Based on location (local salary rates) and experience

About Trash Hero
Trash Hero Thailand (THT) is a registered association that leads, supports and governs the Trash Hero volunteer movement within Thailand, working for a clean world, free from plastic pollution. It is part of the Trash Hero World (THW) network, which has been active since December 2013.

In Thailand, there are around 30 Trash Hero chapters (local groups) in communities all over the kingdom. Activities focus on a weekly cleanup involving the local community, but volunteers are also involved in other projects, such as running a water bottle refill network, kids’ education, outreach work and zero waste advocacy.

Our country coordinator manages those chapters and activities and works closely with the global programmes team, which includes around 10 people, both volunteers and full-time staff.

Work Culture
We have an open, friendly and supportive work culture, with staff and volunteers working together at all levels of the organisation. We live the values of our Trash Hero Family and we are all personally committed to a zero waste future.

The Trash Hero Thailand country coordinator will work remotely from home (we do not have any offices). Team members connect over chat and meet regularly online during the week, often with international colleagues from Southeast Asia and the global programmes team.

Working hours are flexible and overtime and occasional weekend / out of hours work are considered part of the job. All working hours need to be documented.

Role description

The Trash Hero Thailand country coordinator helps to support and deliver our programmes within Thailand. It is a demanding position that will suit someone who enjoys multi-tasking and using a wide range of skills from people management to admin.

Country coordination requires a high level of organisation, excellent communication and networking skills, experience in (volunteer) training or coaching, as well as a passion for, commitment to and knowledge of zero waste and the Trash Hero mission.

You will work both independently, and as part of the global programmes team, to ensure that our operations in Thailand run smoothly, that our work is consistently of a high standard and that it creates the maximum impact possible. You will report directly to the Trash Hero World Programme Coordinator.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

PROGRAMMES SUPPORT & DELIVERY

Mentor new chapters and provide day-to-day support to existing chapters
Manage and expand bottles & bags and kids & education programmes
Monitor activity of existing chapters and identify potential issues with compliance; or good work that deserves praise or mention to THW
Stay informed about issues related to plastic pollution, zero waste, national policies, and potential solutions.
(With support from THW) Prepare and lead webinars, workshops and other volunteer training activities
(With support from THW) Create training materials, presentation slides and other programme materials as needed
Send out and collect chapter and programme surveys as required
Provide input for programme improvement to THW

PROGRAMMES ADMIN

Coordinate with suppliers and organise delivery of Trash Hero products and marketing materials
Process orders from volunteers and customers and make sure they know and follow correct procedures for payment etc.
Maintain stock reports of bottles, bags, kids books and other programme materials
Maintain a national contact database of refill points
Maintain up to date local language versions of all written and graphical programme materials (e.g. chapter handbook)
Collate and check cleanup data for all chapters on a monthly basis
Collate and check brand audit data for all chapters on a monthly basis
Produce weekly cleanup schedule for social media
Collate best photographs of all activities for THW image library
Administer the Meta Business Manager for all chapter social media accounts

COMMUNICATION

Act as first point of contact for the public, volunteers and other stakeholders
Filter emails, calls and social media messages and reply or forward to relevant people
Be in regular contact with chapter leaders via group chats and private channels
Write and send any general THT correspondence (e.g. invitation letters, thank you letters)
Manage THT’s social media channels, including developing and posting daily content
Analyse and report on social media engagement
Coach chapters to use the correct brand voice and narrative and monitor their (social) media posts

FINANCIAL ADMIN

Prepare all expenses claims to Trash Hero standards
Monthly and annual bookkeeping for the Association
Organise salary, insurance and tax payments and related admin
Lead the accounting at Family Meetings
Give input for the Association annual budget

GENERAL ADMIN

Organise volunteer Family Meetings (invitations, hotel, travel, meals, other logistics)
Organise regular meetings for the Board, mentor team, THW etc.
Take minutes at meetings i.e. Board and family meetings
Translate (or arrange translation of) key documents into Thai / English when required
Keep contact info, organisation chart and other records of the country up to date
Organise travel for Board and chapter leaders as required

Experience & Skills

Essential

Thai native speaker, with good English (B2 level)
Excellent communication skills (written, spoken and non-verbal)
10-12+ years of work experience, in an administrative, customer service or communications role
Good IT skills (Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Google equivalents, including Forms)
Basic design skills (Canva)
Ability to work with people of different ages, backgrounds and cultures
Good time management and ability to prioritise tasks
Accurate, thorough and efficient way of working

Desirable

Experience of volunteering with Trash Hero or other NGO in a similar field
Networking skills
Public speaking / presentation skills
Translation skills (English to Thai)
Video editing skills

Applications & recruitment timeline
STEP ONE: Applications should be made by email to info @ trashhero.org and include:

your CV with 2 references
a cover letter
a short (< 2 minutes) video introducing yourself and explaining why you want to work for Trash Hero (simple recording with phone, no editing needed)

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

STEP TWO: Successful candidates will be contacted for an initial online interview.

STEP THREE: The second round will involve a period of (part-time) volunteering, alongside the current country coordinator. Trash Hero is an organisation that depends entirely on volunteers, so this is a great opportunity to understand that dynamic, as well as allowing both sides to get to know each other before making a commitment. If all goes well, a formal job offer will follow.

183 participants from 80 chapters join Family Meetings in May

by Lydia on 23/06/2022 2 comments

After two and a half years of online meetings, this year we were finally able to have our Trash Hero Family Meetings in person!

Family Meetings are our regular volunteer training and team-building events that celebrate our chapters’ achievements and facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience and skills that will benefit both their community and the wider Trash Hero mission.

It's great to know how people or companies contributing to pollution are distracting out minds, to know how to achieve our goals and know the extent of the situation or problem in each chapter. In addition, the whole meeting is very good for refreshing the slack spirit' - Mr Con, Trash Hero Tuaran, Malaysia, Mary 2022

Two trash heros at the meeting, one with a laptop the other smiling

Pre-pandemic they were held in person in our major countries of operation: Czech Republic, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Switzerland and Thailand.

In 2020 and 2021 we moved these meetings online, which allowed us to reach volunteers in other countries that had never previously attended a family meeting. They saw fantastic levels of attendance with 276 people in 18 different countries attending a series of online meetings in 2020. In 2021, 174 people from 15 different countries joined the Trash Hero global meeting, and Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Switzerland hosted their own Family Meetings. These meetings helped to keep our movement vibrant during a challenging period, but nothing could match the energy of in person discussion and interaction.

'It helped me develop my understanding of the essential meanings of Trash Hero - the importance of building consistency, commitment in doing an action and inspiring people while staying humble. The word "family" in “family meeting” showed its true meaning. We have never met, but it felt like we are old close friends, having fun without being awkward.' - Rara, Trash Hero Muba, Indonesia May 2022

Once restrictions eased, many chapters held their own Chapter Family Meetings which allowed them to build their local teams and address the particular issues they face in their communities.

Then, finally in May, we were able to plan and host a full series of face-to-face meetings with our volunteers in Svatý Jan pod Skalou, Czech Republic (13 – 15th), Batu Buruk, Malaysia (13-15th), Bali, Indonesia (20 – 22nd) and Chumpon, Thailand (27 – 29th).

After reviewing feedback from past Family Meetings, and from our own experience of our 2020-21 zero waste training, this year in Asia we aimed to increase the levels of interaction within the meeting – facilitating more discussions and increasing knowledge sharing.

“I enjoyed the opportunity to plan together with team members, in order to properly divide tasks and have people help each other – [it] makes the job a lot more fun and easier.”

Nan – Trash Hero Ao Nang, Thailand

The meetings started with introductions: after 2 and a half years there were some new faces joining us! It was fantastic to finally meet people in person who we had previously only met on a screen.

Then it was time to get to work! We explored our values as a movement, cleanup organisation, strategic planning, social media best practices, brand audits and the big picture of waste. The volunteers got to know Trash Hero World and the work we do globally and there were also sessions where they could share their experiences of delivering programmes on the ground. This provides essential input that helps to shape the way in which we work and our activities moving forward.

'The meeting was an inspiration. I made new friends sharing the same values. I received a lot of new knowledge and solved problems that had been weighing on me' - Chan, Trash Hero Patong, Thailand. May 2022

One of the most popular workshops was strategic planning, guiding the leaders through ways to increase the influence of their chapters and how to get more people involved. This started with a presentation, then a session to put their knowledge into practice and create a long-term plan. We encouraged the chapter leaders to assess their current situation, set goals and create a step-by-step plan for achieving their aims.

As well as being an opportunity to share knowledge, the Family Meetings help our volunteers form connections with each other – creating a fantastic network of support and ideas. The friendships formed at the events last far beyond the three days spent together.

Each Family Meeting was organised as a zero waste event. People who attended brought their own reusable water bottles, or there were glasses for use, and refill stations were readily available. All food and drink was served with reusable tableware and snacks were wrapped in banana leaves. Across the 4 events we had 183 participants from 80 chapters. This means, based on a conservative estimate of each participant having 2 water refills a day, at least 1,098 single-use plastic bottles were prevented from being used.

In Czech Republic, the meeting was held in an idyllic location just outside of Prague. The team listened to lectures from guest speakers, discussed ideas and visited the Bohemian Karst Protected Landscape Area. From their guide, Pavel Skala, who joined the Family Meeting as a representative of the Třesina association, they learned about local butterflies. Other guest speakers were Martin Trávníček from the Pestré Polabí association and Arthur F Sniegon from the non-profit organisation Save Elephant. It was also great to see a large number of the volunteers at the Family Meeting were Trash Hero Kids!

'We were so happy to see each other and we all agreed it was the best Family Meeting so far' - Monika, Trash Hero Czech Republic. May 2022

The feedback we received and the knowledge we gained during the events help us create a stronger global Trash Hero Family and will be used to shape our programmes as we continue our fight against plastic waste.

Malaysia: 27 Participants, 13 Chapters

Czech Republic: 35 Participants, 8 Chapters

Indonesia: 88 Participants, 45 Chapters

Thailand: 33 Participants, 15 Chapters

“I increased my knowledge about how polluted and how threatened planet Earth is. The most important thing for me from this meeting is how honest and transparent financial management is in THI and THW. I also felt the family atmosphere that is so close between the participants.”

Arnold – Trash Hero Nagekeo, Indonesia

By providing refill stations at our family meetings we prevented 1,098 plastic bottles from being used in just 3 days

Camping sustainably with Trash Hero Pattani

by Martyna Morawska on 10/02/2022 No comments

The average city-dweller in Thailand produces 1.3kg of waste per day. Trash Hero Pattani organised a camping trip for 125 people that generated just 40g of waste per person, per day!

How did they manage it? They started training several weeks before the trip to the beautiful region of Yala, in southern Thailand. A group of volunteer coordinators were taught about zero waste principles and how they could apply them during the stay. Rules were drawn up for participants to firstly avoid bringing any waste to the camp and then committing them to separate and rinse any trash generated into 7 different categories.

While this may sound cumbersome, in fact the photos show the group had a fantastic time, with plenty of family activities, water sports, and music and fire shows in the evening – they even did a cleanup! The camping project is a really wonderful example of learning by doing, and demonstrating to local people that zero waste is possible in all kinds of situations.

In total the waste generated during the camp (4-6 Feb inclusive) was 31.6kg, with 16.6kg of organics and recyclables and 15kg of residual waste. 10.5kg of trash was picked up during the cleanup in the camp grounds. The trip was the sixth such event in Trash Hero Pattani’s “Zero Waste Camping” project, which they describe as a work in progress, refining the details each time. Already this year the amount of trash generated was halved, compared with the 2021 trip, where 95g of trash was logged per participant. Kudos to all involved, and for more information (in Thai) please visit the Trash Hero Pattani page.

Trash Hero brings The Story of Plastic to new audiences

by Martyna Morawska on 13/12/2021 2 comments

Billed as the film “Big Oil doesn’t want you to see”, the Emmy-Award winning documentary The Story of Plastic presents a cohesive timeline of how we got to the current stage in the global plastic crisis, showing how the petrochemical and FMCG industries manipulated the narrative around the pollution they were creating, successfully pinning the blame on the consumer and public infrastructure.

After its success, its producers, The Story of Stuff Project, released a short animated version of the documentary that summarises its main arguments and the need for systemic change in under five minutes.

Seeing the potential of this short to address misconceptions about the solutions to the plastic crisis, Trash Hero collaborated with The Story of Stuff Project to produce local language versions, with dubbed narration.

We have already released versions in Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian; several other languages will follow in 2022. This will allow the important messages of the film to be seen by new audiences in Southeast Asia and beyond. To date, the videos have reached more than 1 million people on social media! If you are connected to any of these language speakers, please do share the clip with them.

The original video files are also freely available to use offline for NGOS, schools and organisations; please contact us to get a download link.

We would like to thank the global Trash Hero Family and everyone who has been involved in the translation project. Special thanks to the volunteers and studio facilities who provided their time for free:

Malaysia: Muhammad Asyraf bin Rosmidi and Anne Vendargon (translation), Rosnani Nazri (narration)

Thailand: 130TUN (video editing)

Arabic: (clip coming soon) Arts Group Studio, Laila Al-Najjar (narration), Yousef Al-Shatti and Bader Al-Shatti (translation)

Vietnam: (clip coming soon) Hiệp Nguyễn (translation and narration), 130TUN (video editing)

To view the original English version of “The Story of Plastic animated short” with subtitles in many languages, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO3SA4YyEYU

“การเก็บขยะ” ด่านแรกสู่ชุมชนปลอดขยะ

by Seema on 12/05/2021 No comments

เขียนโดย ซีมา พราบู, ผู้อำนวยการโครงการของแทรชฮีโร่เวิลด์

การเคลื่อนไหวของแทรชฮีโร่ แสดงให้เห็นว่า การเก็บขยะในพื้นที่สาธารณะ สามารถขยายการเปลี่ยนแปลงในสังคมได้

อาสาสมัครแทรชฮีโร่ได้ทำการเก็บขยะทุกสัปดาห์มาเป็นเวลามากกว่า 7 ปีแล้ว มีกิจกรรมถึง 12,000 ครั้ง ในกว่า 170 พื้นที่ทั่วโลก และเก็บขยะได้กว่า 1,870,000 กก. จากชายหาด, ริมแม่น้ำ และพื้นที่สาธารณะอื่น ๆ

นี่เป็นตัวเลขที่น่าตกใจ ซึ่งเป็นผลจากการทุ่มเททำงานอย่างหนัก แต่มันก็เป็นเพียงหยุดน้ำในมหาสมุทร หากเทียบกับจำนวนพลาสติกที่ผู้คนทั่วโลกทิ้งในแต่ละวัน ไม่ว่าจะใช้พละกำลังคนอีกกี่ล้านเท่า เราก็ไม่มีวันแก้ปัญหามลพิษพลาสติกนี้ได้ ด้วยแค่เพียงการเก็บขยะ เราต้องป้องกัน หยุดปัญหาที่ต้นเหตุด้วย แล้วทำไมเราจึงเลือกหนทางนี้ล่ะ?

ฮีโร่ มูบา, อินโดนีเซีย

คำตอบก็คือ เพื่อจะหยุดปัญหาที่ต้นตอ คุณต้องเห็นก่อนว่าปัญหามันร้ายแรงขนาดไหน ในประสบการณ์ของเรา การเก็บขยะเป็นเรื่องง่าย ทำให้ผู้คนได้เข้าถึงและเข้าใจปัญหาแรกเมื่อเราพึ่งพาพลาสติกมากเกินไป ทำให้ผู้คนรวมตัว รวมพลัง และแรงผลักดันสำคัญอื่น ๆ เพื่อที่จะ “ทำอะไรสักอย่าง”

แรงผลักดันนี้เมื่อส่งสารด้านบวก ก็จะเกิดประโยชน์ในการเปลี่ยนพฤติกรรม หรือหากมีการเก็บรวบรวมข้อมูลจำนวนมากได้ ก็สามารถนำไปใช้ในการกระตุ้นนโยบายได้อีกด้วย เช่นในโครงการแบรนด์ออดิทขององค์กร Break Free From Plastic

แทรชฮีโร่เลมบาตา, อินโดนีเซีย ทำแบรนด์ออดิทในเดือนกันยายน 2563

>กุญแจสำคัญก็คือให้กลุ่มอาสาสมัครในชุมชนที่มีอิสระ จัดการเก็บขยะเป็นประจำทุกสัปดาห์ โดยไม่เกี่ยวข้องกับธุรกิจหรือการเมืองใด กลุ่มสาขาของเราสามารถรับการสนับสนุนของใช้ในการเก็บขยะ และมีคนใหม่ ๆ เข้ามาเป็นอาสาสมัครอยู่เรื่อย ๆ จนกลายเป็นกิจกรรมประจำสัปดาห์ของชุมชน และเกิดการพูดคุยกันในท้องถิ่นเกี่ยวกับการจัดการขยะและการใช้ซ้ำ

การจัดกิจกรรมแบบนี้ ทำให้การเก็บขยะช่วยเปิดประตูสู่การปฏิบัติเพื่อความยั่งยืนในชุมชน เมื่อกลุ่มสาขาแทรชฮีโร่เป็นที่ยอมรับและเชื่อถือในชุมชน อาสาสมัครของเราก็มักได้รับเชิญให้ไปพูดคุยกับผู้นำชุมชน หรือด้วยแรงขับในชุมชนก็อาจทำให้มีพลังในการริเริ่มโครงการที่ใหญ่กว่าขึ้นได้

คำอธิบายภาพ [l-r] : แทรชฮีโร่แอนเด, อินโดนีเซีย ช่วยโรงเรียนในท้องถิ่นติดตั้งโครงการเติมน้ำดื่ม ; แทรชฮีโร่หลังสวน, ประเทศไทย ทำงานร่วมกับวัดในโครงการปลอดขยะ โดยเริ่มต้นจากการหมักปุ๋ย ; แทรชฮีโร่เกาะช้าง, ประเทศไทย ได้รับเชิญไปให้ความรู้ในโครงการคัดแยกขยะในครัวเรือน

จากภาพที่เกิดขึ้นในใจนี้ ทำให้เราได้เริ่มจัดการอบรม “แทรชฮีโร่ชุมชนปลอดขยะ” ขึ้นในเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้ ในช่วงปลายปี 2563 เพราะอาสาสมัครของเราส่วนมาก เป็นแค่คนทั่วไปที่อยากสร้างความเปลี่ยนแปลง ไม่ใช่ผู้มีความเชี่ยวชาญ แต่เราต้องการให้พวกเขามีอาวุธเป็นความรู้และทักษะที่มากพอในการนำทางให้ชุมชนพ้นจากหนทางเท็จ ไปสู่ระบบปลอดขยะอย่างแท้จริง

จากแนวคิดที่พัฒนาโดยมูลนิธิ Let’s Do It และดำเนินงานโดยผู้ให้ความรู้หลายท่าน การอบรมครั้งแรกมีผู้เชี่ยวชาญจากองค์กร Break Free From Plastic, Zero Waste Europe, GAIA เอเชีย-แปซีฟิก และ YPBB ร่วมด้วยนักวิชาการชั้นนำในท้องถิ่น

เราเชื่อมต่อพวกเขากับกลุ่มอาสาสมัครในไทย, มาเลเซีย และอินโดนีเซีย และด้วยสถานการณ์ไวรัสโควิด ทำให้การอบรมต้องจัดขึ้นแบบออนไลน์ เป็นเวลา 2 วัน ในเดือนตุลาคมและพฤศจิกายน และให้ความรู้กับผู้เข้าอบรมในเรื่อง

หลักการของเศรษฐกิจหมุนเวียน
การตรวจสอบขยะในชุมชน
สร้างทักษะในการโต้แย้งอย่างน่าเชื่อถือในเรื่องระบบปลอดขยะ (ภาพรวมของหนทางเท็จและการฟอกเขียว)
ตัวอย่างที่เกิดขึ้นจริงของโครงการปลอดขยะในเอเชีย

และยังมีการทำงานกลุ่มและการแลกเปลี่ยนความคิดเห็นกันด้วย

ความคิดเรื่องระบบปลอดขยะยังเป็นเรื่องใหม่ในประเทศเหล่านี้ ดังนั้นการอบรมทั้งหมดจึงใช้ภาษาท้องถิ่น โดยผ่านการแปล นี่ทำให้หัวข้อที่ซับซ้อนเข้าใจได้ง่ายขึ้น และประยุกต์ใช้กับบริบทของวัฒนธรรมท้องถิ่นได้

โดยสรุป มีผู้เข้าร่วมอบรมทั้งหมด 81 คน ในจำนวนนี้ 70 คนเข้าร่วมครบทั้งสองวัน และ 51 คนได้เข้ารับการติดตามผล และได้ประกาศนียบัตรในฐานะผู้ฝึกฝนระบบปลอดขยะ (ระดับพื้นฐาน)

มาเรีย เธเรเซีย วิลบรอดา เป็นอาสาสมัครแทรชฮีโร่ที่ทำงานอยู่ในชุมชนเลโวเลบา บนเกาะเลสเซอร์ ซันดา ประเทศอินโดนีเซีย เธอมักจะเข้าไปพูดคุยเรื่องการลดและคัดแยกขยะในกลุ่มเพื่อนบ้านและโรงเรียนต่าง ๆ อยู่เป็นประจำ “จากการอบรมนี้ทำให้ฉันมีแรงใจและรู้สึกรับผิดชอบมากขึ้นทุกครั้งที่ออกไปเก็บขยะ แล้วยังได้ทำให้เข้าใจความหมายของซีโร่เวสต์มากขึ้นด้วย ซึ่งสำคัญมาก เพราะมันมีอิทธิพลต่อชีวิตในแต่ละวันของฉัน”

ศุภวัฒน์ ชื่นจันทร์ (พี่ตุ้ม) ผู้นำกลุ่มแทรชฮีโร่ชุมพร กลุ่มที่ประสบความสำเร็จอย่างมากกับโครงการให้ความรู้แก่เด็ก ๆ และช่วยให้หลายโรงเรียนเป็นโรงเรียนปลอดขยะ เขายังจัดโครงการ “พี่ส่งต่อน้อง” รับบริจาคเสื้อผ้าและของเล่นมือสองมอบต่อให้กับเด็ก ๆ ที่ขาดแคลน พี่ตุ้มพูดถึงการอบรมไว้ว่า “เป็นกิจกรรมที่ดีมาก มีข้อมูลที่เป็นประโยชน์ การแลกเปลี่ยนความรู้ ดีที่ได้เรียนรู้ความสำเร็จของพื้นที่อื่น ๆ และดูว่าจะเอามาปรับใช้กับพื้นที่ของเราอย่างไร”

พวกเราทุกคนต่างก็รู้สึกตื่นเต้นกับการก้าวเดินไปสู่อีกขั้นของการอบรมที่จะจัดขึ้นในปีนี้ วางแผนโครงการริเริ่มที่เป็นรูปธรรมและชักชวนผู้คนให้เข้าร่วมมากขึ้น

ปัญหาของมลพิษพลาสติกเป็นสิ่งที่ซับซ้อนและมีหลายแง่มุม และไม่สามารถแก้ไขได้เพียงแค่ลงมือทำสิ่งใดอย่างเดียว ด้วยประสิทธิภาพในการเก็บข้อมูลของ BFFP โครงการเล็ก ๆ นี้แสดงให้เห็นว่า เราสามารถต่อจิ๊กซอว์แต่ละชิ้นเข้าด้วยกัน เพื่อความเปลี่ยนแปลงที่ยิ่งใหญ่และยาวนานกว่าได้อย่างไร

ดูเนื้อหาการอบรมโดย ดร.เอ็นโซ ฟาโวอิโน (Zero Waste Europe) และมิโก อลิโน (GAIA Asia-Pacific) ร่วมด้วย ดร.ปเนต มโนมัยวิบูลย์ และ ดร.ณัฐพงษ์ นิธิอุทัย

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➡️ เข้าร่วมกิจกรรมเก็บขยะ

➡️ สร้างกลุ่มสาขาใหม่ของแทรชฮีโร่

– ซีมา พราบู ผู้อำนวยการโครงการของแทรชฮีโร่เวิลด์ เธอเริ่มต้นวิถีปลอดขยะด้วยการจัดโครงการทำความสะอาดชายหาดในประเทศไทย
แทรชฮีโร่เป็นการเคลื่อนไหวด้วยอาสาสมัครจากทั่วโลก ในการสร้างความเปลี่ยนแปลงในชุมชน สร้างแรงบันดาลใจ และสนับสนุนพวกเขาให้ช่วยกันทำความสะอาดและหลีกเลี่ยงขยะพลาสติก
แทรชฮีโร่เป็นสมาชิกหลักของ Break Free From Plastic ตั้งแต่ปี 2559

174 volunteers join the first family meetings of 2021

by Martyna Morawska on 07/05/2021 No comments

With the pandemic still preventing meeting in person, our first round of family meetings for 2021 were again held online. Trash Hero World organised two global Zoom calls, while chapters in Indonesia, Thailand , Malaysia and Switzerland also hosted their own.

While we acknowledge that a remote meeting cannot adequately match a face-to-face discussion, we appreciate that it does increase accessibility and inclusivity by offering the opportunity to connect with people across borders.

This year’s series of family meetings were attended by 174 participants in 15 different countries. It was evident to us that although the pandemic may have reduced our capacity to organise and attend cleanups, it could not dampen the spirit, energy and commitment to the cause of our dedicated volunteers.

During our meetings, we were able to share new developments and updates regarding our programmes and global strategy. It also provided an excellent opportunity for our volunteers to get to know each other and develop a synchronised approach. We encouraged this by allowing participants to make use of the breakout rooms feature in order to discuss their experiences and ideas about advancing the operations of local chapters and cleanups, especially during times of crisis.

Trash Hero World would be nothing without our family of volunteers, so we would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued time and devotion to creating a plastic-free world.

Zero Waste Communities volunteer training

by Seema on 10/12/2020 4 comments

With our cleanup programme now well established in dozens of locations around Southeast Asia, many of our volunteers are ready to take things to the next level: to move beyond picking up the trash and initiate community-level waste reduction programmes, in conjunction with local authorities.

It was with this in mind that we embarked on the “Trash Hero Zero Waste Communities” training programme, the first of hopefully many collaborations with our esteemed partners in the Break Free From Plastic movement. Based on a concept developed by Let’s Do It Foundation and organised by their educators, the programme brought together European and Southeast Asian experts from organisations such as Zero Waste Europe, GAIA Asia-Pacific and YPBB, as well as leading regional academics. The goal was to combine technical knowledge about waste management with the real life examples, skills and networking needed to kick start a zero waste project in participants’ own communities.

Due to the pandemic, the training was conducted online with volunteers in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia in October and November 2020. The 2-day sessions introduced topics such as:
– Principles of circular economy
– Community waste auditing
– Building convincing arguments for zero waste (overview of false solutions and greenwashing)
– Real life examples of zero waste projects in Asia
and also included group work and discussion. They gave a basic overview of zero waste principles and strategies and laid the groundwork for the next stage of the programme: planning their own initiative and getting people on board.

The English language presentations prepared for the training by Dr. Enzo Favoino (Zero Waste Europe) and Miko Aliño (GAIA Asia-Pacific), along with that of the Malaysian incinerator expert, Mr Lam Choong Wah, can be found on our YouTube channel:

Note: the English presentations are an incomplete set of what was shown, as other contributions were in local languages. To view the full set of training materials in Indonesian, Thai or Malay, please visit our channel playlists. These playlists also include the English presentations dubbed into local languages, which we did to facilitate understanding of the often quite complex subject matter.

Despite the challenges of holding an online training programme, we were able to recruit a total of 81 participants for the live events. Out of these, 70 completed the two days and a further 51 did a follow-up activity to gain a certificate as a Zero Waste Practitioner (foundation level).

Feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive regarding the opportunity to learn about these topics, and the quality of the content; however the limitations of online interaction, connectivity issues and the need to accomodate a wide range of time zones were felt by many to be obstacles to learning. We received multiple suggestions to hold the next training session in person to allow for more in-depth discussion.

Restrictions permitting, that is exactly what we intend to do in 2021. It is clear that there is an appetite for this kind of knowledge and, if provided in local language direct to our volunteers on the ground, the potential to create real impact is there too.

Almost 200 volunteers join Trash Hero Family Meetings

by Seema on 11/12/2019 No comments

Trash Hero’s greatest strength is its people. Our volunteers bring the energy, hard work and commitment that our weekly programmes demand. More, they live our values, spreading the message of reducing waste to their families, friends and work colleagues.

Twice a year, we gather these community leaders together in national “family meetings”, hosted by Trash Hero World. The three-day events are held in key countries in Southeast Asia and Europe, where we have a concentration of active chapters. Volunteers are invited to attend, free of charge, to receive training and education, as well as exchange knowledge and ideas with others in their country.

At the recent round of meetings in Oct – Nov 2019, we were able to train 197 volunteers from 95 different chapters. The breakdown by country can be seen below:

Trash Hero Myanmar | 4 – 6 October 2019 in Ngapali

Volunteers trained: 13
Chapters: 7
Many thanks to our sponsors:
– Yoma Cherry Lodge & Mummy Sue: food and tea breaks
– Vera Thomson English School: free meeting room

Trash Hero Indonesia | 11 – 13 October 2019 in Bali

Volunteers trained: 80
Chapters: 40
Many thanks to our sponsors:
– Baliwoso: discounted accommodation
– Paguyuban Saba Driver: discounted transportation
– I Nyoman Parta (Member of People’s Representative Council of Indonesian Republic – Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia)

Trash Hero Thailand | 19 – 21 October in Bangkok

Volunteers trained: 60
Chapters: 22
Many thanks to our sponsor:
– Ban Nam Pheung Homestay: free meeting room

Trash Hero Malaysia | 25 – 27 October in Mersing

Volunteers trained: 26
Chapters: 17
Many thanks to our sponsors:
– Mohd Faisial Abdul Rani & family: free accommodation / 2 houses
– Majlis Daerah Mersing (Mersing District Council): free meeting room and food
– Sustainable Business Network Association, Malaysia: 2000 MYR cash donation used for other food and transportation costs.

Trash Hero Czech Republic | 8 – 10 November in Prague

Volunteers trained: 18
Chapters: 9
Many thanks to our sponsor:
– Kavárna co hledá jméno : free meeting room

Special mention to Reisebüro Feriezyt, who regularly provide discounted travel for Trash Hero World.

We would also like to thank our volunteers who planned and organised each event; the speakers and workshop leaders who also gave their time for free; and our supporters, whose donations enable us to hold these important meetings twice a year. The total cost for all meetings came to US$27,700, or around US$140 per participant.

Together with these ~200 volunteers who joined (some on their days of annual leave), we were able to strengthen our community base, reinforce quality standards and empower new leaders for the expanding Trash Hero movement around the globe.

From Beach Cleans to Bracelets: Thai Trash Hero’s Jewelry at Laos Fashion Week

by Leslie Finlay on 11/10/2019 No comments

Fah Sattayaphan has been a jewelry designer for 13 years in Koh Samed, Thailand. The tiny paradise among the eastern seaboard islands of Thailand has long inspired her beachy collections designed of beads, string, and macramé. But in recent years Koh Samed has experienced the same emergent problem found in coastal communities around the globe: marine pollution.

Since joining her local Trash Hero community, Fah became motivated by the idea of upcycling – baskets, rope, fishing gear and more collected from the island’s weekly beach cleans can be restored and reused. This concept soon made its way into her jewelry designs.

In collaboration with Hilke Scholz, a German fashion designer committed to sustainable, low-waste fashion, Fah designed a collection that was displayed at Laos Fashion Week in September. The jewelry and accessories presented were made entirely from objects collected from the sea and coastline during beach cleans in Koh Samed, giving items discarded as waste new value and purpose.

“Trash will not be trash if we value it,” Fah said of her collection. “It can be beautiful and usable.”

The pieces Fah presented included bracelets, belts, and earrings. Her intricate macramé technique is contrasted by long hanging unfinished ends that show the origin of the material. Together, the fashion and jewelry collection served as a reminder to appreciate the value of material and craft and to restore the inviolability of nature.

Since working on this collaborative collection, Fah said she has completely stopped buying any new material for her jewelry design – she intends to continue using only trash found during cleanups. This way, she hopes to promote sustainability through her business and urge people to reconsider their approach to their own waste.

Fah’s designs will be sold at Ministry Of Silk in Vientiane, and profits will be donated to an organisation that supports the flood victims of southern Laos, the COPE center that supports bomb victims and prevents future accidents, and the Lao Young Designer Award that gives scholarships to young Lao design talents.

Check out more of Fah’s work on Koh Samed here.

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 – or 28,600 pounds – of rubbish was collected for proper disposal by this enormous collaborative effort.