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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.

Meet our Heroes – A Cleanup in Greece

by Leslie Finlay on 04/09/2017 No comments

Stephan, Claudia and Julia were on holiday on the Greek peninsula of Sithonia this summer. From a distance, the scenery was breathtaking – a lush green paradise flanked by crystal blue waters. But the isles face the same problem coastlines globally struggle with – an unmanageable influx of waste.

When sharing his story with us, Stephan said that the human impact was clear and troubling.

“The people there put all their purchases in small plastic bags, and you will encounter these bags all over again. There is so much other waste like cardboard, tire, metal, beercans etc.,” he said. “When talking to the people about it, you realize that they are not sensitive to it and interpret it as if it was always like this. They are accustomed to it.”

He continues to describe his experience and how he decided to take action, rather than just accept the waste as reality.

“Our house-beach where we swam every day was in Vourvourou. It is a small, sheltered bay with lots of sand and shallow ground. The garbage flooded from the other side of the bay directly into the beach and was caught there. In the water were many small plastic parts, like ice cream or chip packs and other foods. This waste often comes from the people who are traveling there by boat. Again and again we have found trash on the beach, which came from everywhere. When we were snorkeling with our diving masks, we noticed that there is also a lot of waste on the seabed.

On the third day, we had the idea to collect the garbage together on the beach and by diving in the sea. We used our air-matress as a stationary garbage collector and we dived around in the bay for one hour. We even found a cartire. The landlord from whom we rented our apartment, was excited about our clean-up. This is typically Swiss, he said.

We want to show the world that there is a lot of waste in many places and near the sea, and it does not belong there. We will not be able to clean up Greece completely, but we want to show the world how little it takes to make it cleaner and we like to encourage everybody to do the same everywehere. We could not collect much trash, but a little is also a lot for the world.

So when you see garbage in the sea, take a bag and take it away. All childrens of this world will be thanksful that they can still swim in 100 years and of course also the fishes!

The future says “Thank you!”

No matter how big or small your contribution, every small action taken makes a difference. It’s only through heroes like Stephan, Claudia and Julia that we can realize a reality of a waste-free world.

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.

“Trash Monsters” at Wonderfruit Festival Dazzle and Inspire

by Leslie Finlay on 23/08/2017 1 comment

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.

Collaboration Drives Huge Results for Trash Hero Kertalangu

by Leslie Finlay on 11/08/2017 1 comment

Putu Evie Suyadnyani is the co-founder of Trash Hero Kertalangu, a chapter of Trash Hero Indonesia. Evie and her husband have spent more than a decade dedicated to living responsibly and reducing plastic waste. Originally from Denpasar, Evie grew up on the beaches of Sanur and is acutely aware of the environmental problems of the area. She and her family decided to make some positive changes to their village.

“Over the past 13 years I have prepared myself to be a person and also to have family who can be role models for others,” Evie said. “We are very disciplined about our plastic diet: reduce, reuse and recycle is a must in our house, and we have even encouraged our extended family and staff do so too. Just one year ago, there has been a change of the village head, and he has taken notice of our family and our message. One month ago, Wayan Aksara with his local movement inspired us to create a new Trash Hero chapter in our area that we have called Trash Hero Kertalangu.”

Wayan Aksara is the leader of Trash Hero Saba, another Indonesian chapter began this year that has removed 1680 kilograms of trash with more than 1,000 volunteers since January.

Trash Hero Kertalangu was founded with incredible success. The community’s first cleanup was a joint, collaborative event with the Denpasar government offices and more than 1,200 people participated, including many children.

“I think that a good government program can be successful when there are people from the community involved.” Evie said. “Our Trash Hero in Kertalangu is made up of the people and the community of Kertalangu. Many people have warned us how difficult it can be if we involve the government, but I really want to prove that this is not true.”

She said that there are actually a lot of benefits for Trash Hero when working together with a governmental branch, such as the village office.

“We are very lucky we have such supportive village head. I got the village office secretary to be our coordinator between the village office staff and the community since he already has the communication base for that,” she said. “I also asked him to help to coordinate the trash pick-up. My duty is to make sure they do it in the right way, for example making sure that every cleanup participant is focused on picking up plastic trash, making sure that the rubbish ends up in the right place to be managed well and not to be burned or disposed of in an irresponsible manner. There are education opportunities that come with this cooperation. I think it is going to be a good corporation between us Trash Hero Kertalangu and the village office of Kesiman Kertalangu.”

The inaugural cleanup was attended by more than eight schools, each school represented by 20 or more students. Eleven community centres and their community chiefs, youth groups, village office staff, local police officers and local companies all also attended alongside Trash Hero staff and volunteers.

“My jaw nearly dropped and at the same time I felt a bit nervous,” Evie said in reaction to the huge turnout for the cleanup. “At the beginning of the event everything was so formal and I never thought I would have the opportunity to talk to that many people, but I got the chance to introduce Trash Hero very well and spread the message about how important it is to pick up every single piece of plastic that they see, even the small pieces. Managing that many people to do a cleanup is super hard, but I am glad that the government also works with a trash bank and that I have a great team to help.”

Evie has big plans for Trash Hero Kertalangu. She said that working with the village office she wants to help educate local residents to not litter and know how to separate their trash for the trash bank that she helped arrange. She also said that they plan to launch education initiatives to teach locals how to compost, reduce their trash and reuse and recycle instead of resorting to burning.

“One of our main aims is that there is no more trash burning in our area (or anywhere in Bali!) because it is very dangerous for residents’ health and it is annoying for residents and their families,” she said.

Above all, Evie believes in small, steady changes on a local level that can have far-reaching impact. For this, communication and collaboration is imperative.

“To really make a change that includes changing habits and mindsets, it is really important to have a local leader that you can work with and trust so that these changes can be made quicker at a local and community level. Any positive change can be achieved if there is a solution provided for the community that people feel is a benefit for them. “Together we can!”

Update: Trash Hero Indonesia Accomplishments

by Leslie Finlay on 04/08/2017 2 comments

As we make our way through another successful summer, we want to pause to acknowledge some of the achievements and collaborations that have contributed to such a robust year to date.

Trash Hero Indonesia is stronger than ever – and still growing! In May 2015, Gili Meno and its 172 heroes collected 1,000 kg of trash, kicking off Indonesia’s involvement with Trash Hero. By May 2016, participation had ballooned to seven chapters. This May 2017, 10 chapters represented 8,000 heroes, together collecting more than 50,000 kg of trash. Active chapters include Ubud, Amed, Gili Meno, Lombok (Tanjung), Sanur, Komodo, Saba, Bandung, Jimbaran, and Candidasa.

Last year Trash Hero partners Bye Bye Plastic Bags and Ecobricks visited to discuss future collaborations, and this past May representatives from Indonesia’s 10 active chapters met to put plans into action. Bye Bye Plastic Bags could reach a general ban of plastic bags on Bali as early as 2018, and many chapters have demonstrated the efficacy of Ecobricks already.

Ecobricks on Gili Meno. Photograph Adina Malveklint

Other current projects in Indonesia include the promotion of Trash Hero @Work, a program launched in December 2016 through which companies ban plastic water bottles in the workplace and provide free water to employees, and the importance of up-cycling. Many local heroes also demonstrated huge amounts of creativity making items out of recycled materials – from speakers to chairs, beanbags to entire homes. There are even plans to release a Trash Hero children’s book, written in Bahasa for local children about marine life eating garbage. The project is in partnership with Green-Books, an environmental NGO promoting ecological literacy to children.

Trash Hero on Gili Meno. Photo Adina Malveklint

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 in Bali

by Leslie Finlay on 25/06/2017 6 comments

BALI, INDONESIA – This fantastic video sponsored by the Danish Embassy Jakarta highlights the problem of trash in Bali.

Bali, an island that relies on tourism for its economy and job market, is facing a monumental trash crisis. According to the video, almost everyday there are reports of marine life washed ashore with a belly full of trash. One Island One Voice, Bali’s campaign to clean up its beaches, finds trash absolutely everywhere. Most of the trash volunteers came across is non biodegradable plastic, often just tossed from pedestrians or from vehicles.

One Island One Voice suggests that lack of education is the greatest challenge. The video says that decades ago trash was made from biodegradable materials like banana leaves and coconuts, and now plastic has replaced the natural materials. Local people don’t know that their trash doesn’t decompose anymore, and so their habits haven’t changed.

Many organizations, like Trash Hero and Bye Bye Plastic Bags are answering the call to action. The Zero Waste to Ocean Initiative is intent on education children and businesses on the dangers of waste, and ways to enact change now.

Be a trash hero: reduce your plastic trash, say no to plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic straws, and start using eco-friendly options!