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Trash Heroes in Myanmar Integral to Nation’s Ambitions for a Sustainable Future

by Leslie Finlay on 05/06/2019 1 comment

Our Trash Heroes in Myanmar met President U Win Myint at a World Environment Day event in Nay Pyi Taw. The President was originally introduced to Trash Hero in 2018, then honoring the growing national movement and its local chapters for their fantastic work, and for promoting the spirit of sustainability within their individual communities.

Trash Hero Myanmar Updates President U Win Myint on the year’s project successes

Addressing more than 400 stakeholders representing state and regional ministries, academic institutions, businesses, and special interest groups, the President urged the Burmese people to look at their own relationships with waste in their everyday lives. His message mirrored the spirit of the Trash Hero mission: that lasting, high-level change occurs from collective adjustments to our mindset and behaviours.

The President’s message is supported by a record of growing public action and awareness against waste. Myanmar’s first Trash Hero community clean was organized in Yangon in July 2016, coordinating 135 volunteers who collected more than 400 kg of rubbish. Today, Trash Hero Myanmar has expanded to 10 national chapters, who together have collected 46,517 kilograms of trash with the help of almost 17,000 volunteers – more than 5,000 of which are children.

The President’s support for movements like Trash Hero is predicated on a national ambition to develop the country as a climate-resilient, low-carbon, low-waste society.

Trash Hero Myanmar has grown quickly with 10 national chapters actively reducing the waste problem in their communities

He announced two new policies that recognize the increasing threat of extreme weather and other climate change impacts this economic and social development. These policies – called the National Environmental Policy and the Myanmar Climate Change Policy – recognize the need for collaboration among ministries, civil society, businesses, and academia. But the President also highlights the importance of public participation – through initiatives like Trash Hero – to establish a sustainable national mindset.

“I would like to urge Myanmar citizens, including all of you, to participate for the current and future sustainable development of our country by changing your daily lifestyles in order to support environmental conservation,” he said while addressing participants at the World Environment Day event.

The Heroes of Trash Hero Myanmar in Action!

Trash Hero in the Antarctic

by Seema on 21/05/2019 1 comment

A recent trip to the southernmost waters of the World Ocean uncovers tons of rubbish and provides inspiration for a Trash Hero.

Trash Hero Czech Republic volunteer and artist, Veronika Podlasova, visited Nelson Island with the Czech Antarctic Research Programme in February this year, as one of a team of six who spent several weeks cleaning the snow and rocks of the plastic and other debris that had been swept in by ocean currents.

In total, they collected and audited 11 cubic metres – almost 6 metric tons! – of trash: a mix of plastics, metal, wood and hazardous waste such as batteries. All the rubbish was transported to Chile, where it was separated for recycling and safer disposal.

The whole experience was documented by Veronika, who has taken her notes, sketches, photographs and some organic material (discarded scientific samples) to create a series of artworks, including an installation. They will be shown at an exhibition in Prague this summer to educate and engage people on the issues of waste and climate change.

Below, she explains how her encounter with Antartica inspired her.

“Throughout my childhood, I was terrified of water. But all that changed when I saw my first glacier. When I stepped on the ground of King George Island. I stopped breathing for a bit. Everything was overwhelming, I had mixed feelings for several days. When I saw research stations and a human activity everywhere, I started to feel guilty for being there without scientific reason.

“While I cleared the substantial garbage and detritus off the beaches of Nelson Island, I felt the desire to document and to create what I saw even more. The trash was mainly from the fishing boats, tourist boats and of course from the surrounding continents. After work I used to go for wanders around the island. Seeing glaciers, seeing icebergs and seeing that beautiful blue void left a huge mark on my soul. I felt even more pressure to create an art piece that would evoke the same emotions as I had. I wanted to create an art piece that would wake people up to look after our planet better.”

“The Antarctic is a fabulous but extremely distant place for most of us. It’s hard to realise how fundamentally important it is for the balance and thriving of the planet’s ecosystem.

“In my art work, the viewer experiences the absence of ice through watercolours. Water in the state of ice is so powerful, yet extremely fragile. These pieces focus on the melting of ice and the beauty of crystallized forms in glaciers – I am creating a memory of what is disappearing. Ultimately, I want it to educate, engage, and connect people to their surroundings so that their thoughts can turn into action.

Veronika hopes that the message of how ocean pollution is accelerating climate change – communicated through art, rather than “dry facts and statistics” – will bridge the gap between science, emotion and action.

The project is timely: new research into the impact of plastic production and pollution on climate change has just been published, which establishes a clear link between the twin crises facing our planet.

For more information about the upcoming exhibition in Nová Radnice, Prague, and to see more of Veronika’s work, please visit: https://veronikapodlasova.wordpress.com/

Veronika would also like to express her gratitude for the kind cooperation of the scientists and Masaryk University, who made this trip possible.

Together we make a difference – brands edition!

by Seema on 21/03/2019 No comments

At Trash Hero we have always believed that cooperation is the key to creating long term behavioural change. That’s why we are very excited about our latest collaboration with Sonni Hönscheid, the six-time SUP world champion, MIZU, Starboard and Brands for Good.

All of us share the same goal, as Sonni puts it: “to get societies’ attention and sensitise them to live a more sustainable life.”

Sonni, a talented artist as well as sportsperson, designed a beautiful resuable stainless steel water bottle for MIZU, a company founded by a fellow athlete, Olympic snowboarder Jussi Oksanen. Since 2008, MIZU has been dedicated to reducing single use plastics in the outdoor adventure field.

The artwork was based on a painting Sonni created in Maui (pictured above), inspired by the beauty of the ocean and its diverse inhabitants.

[Above: The original promotional material: the bottle is now sold out, but more may be on the way!]

With the support of Starboard, Sonni’s paddle board partner and a long-time sponsor of Trash Hero, and the organisation Brands for Good, who present sustainable products and social projects within the sports industry, the limited edition “Love Your Ocean” bottle was launched at ISPO Munich 2019, with all proceeds from its sale going to support the work of Trash Hero World. And to make the project even more synergistic, MIZU provided free water refills during the trade show for everyone who purchased the bottle.

Starboard’s Albert Font de Rubinat, who is also one of the team running Trash Hero Bangkok, was there in Munich and took part in a panel discussion with Sonni Hönscheid, Tim Pogue (MIZU) and Frank Lohse (Brands for Good), about the importance of sustainability.

The bottle was a hit, and MIZU continued sales on its European website following the event, raising a total of CHF 1,930. The original artwork by Sonni Hönscheid that inspired the design was also auctioned at the ISPO trade fair, fetching CHF 2,105 – all of which has been donated to Trash Hero World, along with CHF 500 from Starboard.

We are very grateful to all concerned: not just for the much needed funds, which will go to our projects in Thailand, but also for the opportunity to collaborate and show the impact it is possible to have by working across traditional divides.

Bag yourself the new Tasini x Trash Hero turtle

by Seema on 05/02/2019 1 comment

We are delighted to launch the Trash Hero edition of #tasini and #inibags, as part of our ongoing Bottles & Bags programme. The bags are a collaboration with the social enterprise Making Oceans Plastic Free, with the idea of reusing plastic bottles to help reduce plastic bag waste.

The branded resuable shoppers come in two versions: in a plain yellow pouch (Inibag) or with a cute turtle pouch (Tasini), to promote awareness of the ecosystem we want to protect.

⭐️ With this bag you save two✌️ plastic bottles from polluting the environment 👉 Each Bag is made from 2 recycled plastic bottles ♻️!
⭐️ Handmade in Indonesia!
⭐️ Attached to a keychain 🔑 so you won’t forget your reusable bag any more. Save 💯s of plastic bags each year!
⭐️ And the #tasini Trash Hero Turtle 🐢 helps you spread the message of awareness about plastic pollution and inspire the change in people around you!

Bags are distributed at cost by our chapters in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Switzerland, New York and Finland. Get in touch with your nearest chapter for more information.

Trash Hero goes down under!

by Seema on 13/09/2018 2 comments

G’day from the Australia International Dive Expo at ICC Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia!
Monica Chin, the co-founder of Trash Hero Borneo, represented Trash Hero World at the annual event for scuba professionals in August, giving a talk introducing our activities worldwide.
With reef conservation high on most divers’ agenda, the issues of marine debris and how to tackle plastic pollution was a popular topic of discussion.

The event garnered more than 60,000 ocean-loving visitors over a four day period, and Monica – an experienced diver herself – was able to network and reach out to many people who showed interest in the Trash Hero movement.

More outreach work in China!

The following month, Monica and Trash Hero Pattani co-founder, Padinya Aree, were on the road again, travelling to Beijing in China for ADEX (Asian Dive Expo) 2018 on 6 – 9 September. Here, the pair also gave conservation talks and took part in a panel discussion on a “Plastic Free Future”.

And of course, they manned the booth and networked with both Chinese and international visitors and exhibitors at the show. Our thanks to the local volunteers in Beijing who came along to support them!

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]

Paddling the Thames – Source to Sea

by Leslie Finlay on 18/06/2018 1 comment

Our friends over at The Whale Company are currently carrying out a 300 kilometer mission to deliver “a message in a bottle” to the UK Parliament about the rising tide of plastic pollution.

The team is stand-up paddling its way along the famed UK river route – from source to sea – aboard their trademark plastic bottle boards. Along the journey they’re stopping by local communities to conduct workshops and clean-ups, visit schools and constituencies, and collect letters from the public urging their government leaders to prioritize the fight against plastic pollution. The “message in a bottle” will be delivered to Parliament on June 26, just before completion of the 300 km stretch.

The Whale Company travels the world aboard SUP boards made entirely of plastic bottles removed from the environment. Check their website for detailed how-to guides on creating your own SUP board!

Follow their journey on their website or Facebook page, and check out their route.

“It’s been great to see public awareness of plastic pollution growing, but we need our politicians to stop dragging their heels and act now,” said Carolyn Newton, co-founder of The Whale Company. “The longer we delay in taking action, the more difficult it will be for our oceans and waterways to recover from the damage we’re causing through not only our plastic use, but also our poor recycling rates.”

Currently, just 24% of the five million tons of plastic used in the UK each year is recycled.

Founders Carlos de Sousa and Carolyn Newton are no strangers to plastic pollution, having travelled the world making SUPs out of plastic bottles and completing 12 marathon paddles in 12 countries across Europe in 2017 on their Bottle Boards.

Carolyn and Carlos, founders of The Whale Company, discuss the goals of their journey with the BBC

Education is an important part of their philosophy, which led to the creation of their Bottle Boards workshops. By talking about how to use plastic waste in a different way and highlighting the problem to children and teenagers, Carlos and Carolyn hope to inspire the next generation.

Ahead of their Source to Sea paddle they have given several assemblies in schools and ran a Bottle Boards workshop at the Barnes Children’s Literature Festival, resulting in their first expedition board produced with the help of more than 200 kids.

Along their route, The Whale Company is stopping by local communities, schools, and constituencies to spread their message and collect letters to Parliament from members of the public

For more information about their epic paddle, their plastic bottle SUPs or their efforts to promote more sustainable lifestyles, contact Carolyn Newton on 07870685994, visit their Facebook page, or send a message to supmarathon@gmail.com.

Day 8. 15km. 4 hours paddling + 2 wonderful school assemblies Ep Collier Primary School At Caversham& Thameside Primary School. Huge thanks to all the teachers & pupils for their amazing welcome & enthusiasm to our cause. Finally, a big shout out to @riverandrowingmuseum for allowing us to store our bottle boards. Their fantastic Wind in the Willows exhibit made our day & was the best end to Little Nat's journey with us….until next time!

Gepostet von The Whale Company am Samstag, 16. Juni 2018

About The Whale Company

The Whale Company is a charity founded by Carolyn Newton and Carlos de Sousa to promote a more sustainable lifestyle, encourage more people to connect with nature and to change attitudes surrounding plastic use. They believe that education is the strongest tool to do this, because we protect what we love.

Running Bottle Board workshops is one aspect of this – they want people to realise that enjoying watersports doesn’t have to be expensive, and to inspire creative thinking about how we deal with our plastic waste. For more information about their activities, visit https://thewhalecompany.co.uk/.

New report unveils the limitations and wastefulness of plastic food packaging

by Leslie Finlay on 25/05/2018 No comments

A recent report by “Zero Waste Europe” and “FOE Europe” reveals that the rise in plastic food packaging in Europe is failing to reduce the continent’s growing food waste problem, and in some cases may even be fueling it.

The study, titled Unwrapped: how throwaway plastic is failing to solve Europe’s food waste problem (and what we need to do instead), was conducted over a 10 year period between 2004 – 2014 and demonstrated that in this time, household food waste doubled to an estimated 30 million tones per year, while plastic packaging waste increased by 50%, at 15 million tonnes. According to the report, the data suggests that almost half of plastic waste is directly from food packaging.

These levels of waste are not only expensive – estimated at a €143 billion loss for the EU annually, the same amount as its annual operational budget – but are highly problematic for both waste management and the environment. Plastic packaging is often touted as a solution to avoid food waste, but this landmark study indicates exactly the opposite – plastic waste is nearly always thrown away after its first use, and levels of food waste across the region are at all-time-high levels. What’s more, the report investigated other consequences of plastic wrapping, such as the growing risk to consumers from chemical migration into the body.

The problem is complex and entrenched, however, and the challenges of food waste and plastic packaging waste are best tackled together by evolving our view of plastic in the food industry. The study’s authors draw several recommendations that begin with simple acknowledgement of the issue, and revolve around changing our communal attitude to our relationships with plastic and food waste.

Key actions recommended by the study include:

Develop a holistic, evidence-based approach to the role of plastic packaging in the food system
Policymakers must review legislation to assess and address gaps
Use market-based instruments to prompt behavioral change
Provide greater investment and funding for waste prevention systems

While high-level action can guide the way, tackling the problem of waste in our everyday lives is up to individual choice and action. Households can change their purchasing and consumption behaviors and implement reusable approaches to food preservation, and choose to purchase groceries and other items from responsible and environmentally-minded businesses.

Check out the full report, available here in Danish, Spanish, English, French, and German to learn more about this groundbreaking study and what its authors believe is the best way forward.

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

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