Uncategorized | Trash Hero World

Women tackling waste

by Lydia on 07/03/2025 No comments

Women make up a huge part of the Trash Hero movement, as both volunteers and staff. This International Women’s Day, we are highlighting some of our female leaders who are tackling waste around the world and inspiring others to do the same.

Isabelle, Trash Hero Damansara

Malaysia

When Isabelle, a young volunteer from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, grew tired of watching plastic waste pile up in her neighbourhood, she felt it was time to stop talking and start doing. She discovered Trash Hero through an online search and found our proactive ethos resonated with her own.

She decided to start her own Trash Hero chapter and mobilise her fellow students to join her in tackling plastic pollution. In just a few months (August 2024 – Feb 2025), Trash Hero Damansara has organised seven cleanups with 71 volunteers, the majority of whom were under 16.

Her age is far from being a limitation: Isabelle has used her existing school network to encourage other young people to join the movement, inviting student clubs such as the SKISS Leo Club and HELP Interact Club to join the cleanups.

“Be the first to step up”

Isabelle believes that even small actions, like using reusable bags and water bottles, make a positive difference. She wants to inspire others and change their mindset. Later this year she will give a presentation at her school about reducing waste.

Her family and friends have been very supportive and she feels her experience as a Trash Hero has been valuable for her own personal growth. She remains a firm believer in taking concrete action: ”instead of waiting for others to make the first move, be the first to step up!”

Follow Trash Hero Damansara on Instagram

Hawa, Trash Hero Ambon

Indonesia

After volunteering with Trash Hero Ambon, Hawa, a teacher in Layeni Village in Ambon, became a champion of waste reduction. She says witnessing first hand the impacts of plastic pollution at the cleanups made her determined to do something about it.

She and her friends began educating local youth through their community outreach programmes, focusing on the danger of single-use plastic. At first this was challenging: although they had support from the local government, their messages were met with resistance. Changing behaviour with advocacy alone is not easy.

Then, seeing an opportunity for change at her school, Hawa built upon an existing initiative encouraging teachers to bring reusable bottles. She convinced the administration to make water refill stations available in every classroom, enabling the change she wanted to see. Now the teachers and most students bring reusable water bottles to school, instead of buying water in single-use plastic.

“Never giver up”

Hawa took practical steps to foster a school-wide culture of refill and plastic waste prevention. Her advice to other women is, “Never give up. The environment is like an old house that must be kept beautiful and pristine.

Follow Trash Hero Ambon on Facebook.

P’Jin, Trash Hero Chumphon

Thailand

Jintana Cheunjan (P’Jin) started volunteering with Trash Hero Chumphon around seven years ago. She has always loved nature, especially the sea. As a Trash Hero volunteer, she found she was always invited to events to help people manage and sort their trash. She quickly realised that this would be a never-ending job unless we stopped creating the waste in the first place.

She wanted to offer event organisers her collection of reusable bowls, cups, and cutlery as a substitute for the single-use foam and plastic they typically provided. However, she soon realised this wasn’t an easy option because her items weren’t a matching set, making them easily lost or misplaced.

“Change starts with us”

At an event with the local Lions Club, she mentioned the issue to the organisers, and they decided to donate a full set of cooking pots, utensils, plates, cups, and cutlery to Trash Hero Chumphon. For the last four years, she has been lending the set free of charge to various events in their local area, from government workshops to religious festivals.

After a while, she started keeping a log of all the events that have used her “community tableware bank” and estimates they have been able to avoid almost 38,000 pieces of single-use plastic over the past 2.5 years.

They have also received good feedback for their efforts. P’Jin says most people are happy to have the option to reduce waste rather than deal with it later. It also makes her happy to see that more zero-waste events are happening and that she is setting a good example to those around her. She is especially inspired to see the change in kids at school events they host. She tells them that every day they don’t create waste, they should feel proud of themselves.

Follow Trash Hero Chumphon on Facebook

Sofia, Trash Hero Komodo & Mburak

Indonesia

In 2008, Sofia took a trip through Southeast Asia. It was the first time she had seen pristine beaches blanketed in plastic pollution. Later, a powerful documentary about waste made clear the global scale of the problem and she felt compelled to act.

She started small, making changes in her everyday life, such as switching to reusable bags and water bottles and encouraging others to do the same. She then helped to set up Trash Hero Komodo – our first chapter in Indonesia – and later Trash Hero Mburak, organising hundreds of community cleanups and education events.

Then the discovery of permaculture profoundly reshaped her thinking. One thing in particular resonated with her: the idea that “we all need to give more than we take – or at least the same.” In other words, being “sustainable” is not enough, we need to regenerate.

“We all need to give more than we take – or at least the same.”

After further training, Sofia and her family committed to this idea full time. They slowly expanded their home vegetable garden into the Nepa Organic Farm, cultivating local fruits, herbs and vegetables. They are now able to meet their own needs and those of their one worker and his family. Surplus is sold to a few restaurants in nearby Labuan Bajo.

The farm operates without synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. No plastic packaging is used and food transportation is minimal, reducing pollution. For Sofia, the farm embodies her commitment to waste reduction and living in harmony with nature.

The journey to get here has not been easy, but she is determined to continue and wants to encourage other women to try zero waste living. For those starting out, she says it is important to look beyond obvious areas of consumption, to things like menstrual health, which involves a lot of toxic single-use plastic. It’s all about creating “new habits and making it easy for yourself”, she says.

Follow Trash Hero Komodo and Trash Hero Mburak and Facebook.

How plastic is causing climate breakdown

by Lydia on 12/02/2025 No comments

The last ten years have been the hottest on record, and 2024 was the first year to surpass the 1.5-degree Celsius warming threshold that scientists have suggested will trigger irreversible damage to ecosystems. The impact is evident. From catastrophic floods in Central Europe and heatwaves across Southeast Asia to droughts in West Africa and devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, recent years have delivered an onslaught of life-threatening extreme weather events. These are not “natural disasters”, as often reported, but highly unnatural events caused by climate breakdown.

In this blog post, we’re going to explain how plastic production is driving climate change and why its impact has flown under the radar for so long.

Emissions from fossil fuels are the leading cause of climate change; and fossil fuels are the building blocks of 99% of all plastic. Global plastic production is nearing a staggering 500 million tonnes annually and is projected to triple in the next four decades. The plastics industry is the fastest-growing source of industrial emissions, already responsible for up to 8% of the global total – many times more than the 2.5% produced by the aviation industry. If plastic production increases as projected, it will consume the world’s entire carbon budget by 2060, or at the very latest 2083. This means that even if every other industry were to completely decarbonise, the plastic industry alone would still produce enough to push global warming past safe limits.

Where do the emissions come from?

Plastic generates greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from fossil fuel extraction and production, to when it is being used and finally disposal.

Over 90% of the greenhouse gas emissions attributed to plastic are released before it even reaches the public – during the production stage. The process of extracting fossil fuels, refining them and manufacturing the plastic products themselves is incredibly energy-intensive.

The role of the plastics industry

Investigations have revealed the plastics industry has a history of hiding its environmental and climate impacts. The connection between fossil fuels and climate change has been known for decades, with oil companies themselves aware of the link since at least the 1970s. Yet, they publicly denied any knowledge and continued to invest in and promote fossil fuel industries such as plastic. To protect their market, and their profit, they spent millions blocking plastic bans, lobbying against producer responsibility legislation and obstructing the Global Plastics Treaty. They also created organisations such as the American Chemistry Council and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), which actively promote climate change denial and misinformation.

AEPW, formed in 2019 and funded by major oil and chemical companies like ExxonMobil, Shell and Dow, actively promotes recycling and waste management initiatives – despite knowing since the 1980s that recycling plastics could never be a long-term solution. This is a classic case of greenwashing, deliberately misleading the public about the safety and sustainability of their products in order to continue producing them.

The plastic industry’s deception doesn’t end there. They invest in and promote false solutions like chemical recycling and “waste-to-fuel” technologies. These initiatives, while presented as innovative, actually perpetuate the need for waste, especially plastic. They also promote “biodegradable” and “plant-based” plastics most of which contain fossil fuels. All of this distracts from the real issues and ensures a continued market for their plastic production.

What needs to happen?

Preventing complete climate breakdown depends on urgent and drastic cuts in plastic production. While we can take steps to reduce plastic in our daily lives, such as using reusable bags and containers, avoiding single-use plastics, and supporting businesses that prioritise sustainability, ultimately we need serious system change. Governments and corporations must provide alternatives to single-use materials by investing in reuse systems that make it easy for everyone to reduce plastic use. We also need strong legislation that controls plastic production and holds polluters accountable for their impact on the climate.

A strong Global Plastics Treaty – currently being negotiated by UN member states – has the opportunity to put climate first. Unlike the weak Paris Agreement, it could include legally-binding plastic production caps that would result in a huge drop in fossil fuel emissions.

Learn more about the potential impact of the treaty and the impacts of waste on our climate in our blogposts:

Volunteers creating the world we deserve

by Lydia on 12/02/2025 No comments

Imagine a world where everyone understands the impact of plastic on our bodies, health, and environment, and supports real solutions to the plastics crisis. A world where businesses prioritise preventing waste and the health and well-being of people and the planet.

Every week, Trash Hero volunteers are working in their communities to make this dream a reality. This year, we welcomed 14 new chapters to the Trash Hero family, and the USA and Japan rejoined our growing network. We’re now active* in 103 locations across 15 countries (Cambodia, Czech Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, USA, and Vietnam).

Let’s take a look at the impact each of our core programmes has made:

Action and Awareness:

In 2024 alone, Trash Hero volunteers organised 2,446 community cleanups, mobilising 46,501 volunteers, including 17,036 under 16s! Together, they collected 105.2 tonnes of trash!

This brings the total impact of our Action and Awareness programme from December 2013 to December 2024 to:

23,304 cleanups organised
562,144 volunteers mobilised (including 154,918 under 16s)
2,601,608 kg of trash collected

Trash Hero Communities:

Trash Hero volunteers, through their consistent action, are given opportunities to share their knowledge and inspire others. This includes giving presentations, building zero-waste projects, and providing input at policy discussions. In 2024, Trash Hero volunteers organised or participated in 173 community events, engaging 13,537 people in the issues surrounding plastic pollution and the actions needed to solve it.

Since 2022, Trash Hero volunteers have engaged 25,685 people in 463 events.

Our Trash Hero Communities programme includes our free water refill network, which currently consists of 579 participating businesses. In 2024 alone, these businesses have helped prevent the use of 1.9 million single-use plastic bottles, avoiding 104.4 tonnes of CO2 emissions! Since the project began, we have:

distributed 111,068 reusable water bottles.
avoided 42.5 million single-use plastic bottles and 2,219.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Kids and Education:

Our Trash Hero Kids programme is based on a story and activity book that engages young people in the issues of plastic pollution. In 2024, 585 kids enrolled in the programme – which over time encourages long-term behaviour change. We also ran 70 one-off awareness events for kids, introducing 5,401 under 16s to the critical issues of plastic pollution. This brings our total since we started recording in 2022, to 289 kids’ events, involving 14,510 kids!

In total, 23,330 copies of our kids’ story and activity book have been printed, and it’s available in 8 different languages.

Thank you to all of our volunteers and supporters – we could not have achieved this without you!

Join us in creating the world we deserve, a world free from plastic pollution.

Watch our latest impact video here:

https://youtu.be/qE6KZFE7-84?si=Y1KQCXiDDAuU8nLO

*Active chapters are those regularly organising Trash Hero events. If a chapter leader steps down and there is no one to replace them, or the team want to take a break for 3 months or longer, the chapter is “inactive” and not included in our reporting.

Avoid these 5 zero waste mistakes

by Lydia on 06/11/2024 No comments

Embracing zero waste is a fantastic way to reduce your environmental impact. But let’s be honest, it can get confusing sometimes! There are many misconceptions and pitfalls to avoid. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. In this post, we’ll address 5 common zero waste mistakes and share the secrets to set you on the path to success.

#1: Thinking zero waste means zero waste

Hold on a minute! Zero waste doesn’t mean absolutely no waste. It’s about reducing waste as much as possible and managing the waste you do have correctly. For example, cleaning and separating your recycling and composting your food waste.

Secret to success: Be kind to yourself – focus on progress, not perfection.

#2: Buying more stuff

Zero waste does not have to look a certain way, you don’t need a brand-new set of matching mason jars. Before spending lots of money, look at what you already have! Old jars, bottles and containers can be used to store food and drink.

Secret to success: Use what you have – don’t buy more stuff

#3: Choosing the wrong alternatives

Replacing single-use plastic with other single-use materials doesn’t reduce waste. Look for reusable alternatives made from safe, long-lasting materials like glass or stainless steel. These are your zero-waste heroes! Durable reusable plastic is also an option, but avoid using it for hot, fatty food.

Secret to success: Choose reusable over single-use

#4: Getting duped by greenwashing

Eco-marketing can be a minefield. Companies love buzzwords like “sustainable” and “ocean-friendly.” Don’t be fooled! Learn to spot vague claims and question if the product truly reduces waste. Check out our FREE guide to greenwashing to become a greenwashing detective!

Secret to success: Learn to spot greenwashing

#5: Thinking it’s all about your lifestyle

While individual choices matter, we also need to call for serious system change. Advocate for zero-waste infrastructure that makes reducing waste accessible for everyone. Such as supporting stores that offer refills, signing petitions and sharing this information with others.

Secret to success: Support system change

We’ve got two carousels on Instagram that spread these important tips.

Remember, zero waste is a journey, not a destination. Embrace the process, learn from mistakes, and celebrate your achievements.

Are we eating plastic?

by Lydia on 24/07/2024 No comments

“Every week you consume a credit card’s worth of plastic.” You may have seen this claim on social media, but is it an urban myth or reality? We’re looking at why it might well be true.

How does plastic get into our food?

Modern-day food packaging is made almost exclusively from plastic – cling wrap, styrofoam boxes, and sachets are just a few examples. As plastic is used the surface breaks up into tiny particles. These are classified by their size. Microplastics are tiny fragments less than 5mm in length (roughly the size of a piece of rice). Even smaller, and invisible to the naked eye, are nanoplastics. These measure 100 nanometers (0.0001mm) or less. To visualise the difference, if a large piece of microplastic were the size of a football, a “large” nanoplastic would be the size of a sesame seed. For the purposes of this article, we’ll call all these fragments “microplastics”.

Simply opening plastic packaging releases millions of microplastics into the atmosphere and our food.

Certain environments speed up the deterioration of plastic, meaning it releases even more particles. These include heat, such as from a microwave, and fat, grease and acidity from food. Direct contact with food is part of the reason microplastics end up on our plates, but they’re also found in products that haven’t been wrapped in plastic. So how do they get there?

Environment: Microplastics contaminate soil and water. Plants absorb these, or they are ingested by livestock, passing into our fruit, vegetables and dairy products.
Airborne microplastics: Plastic production, use, recycling and incineration release microplastics into the atmosphere, which are then inhaled by animals in the food chain.

Agriculture: Water containing microplastics is used for irrigation. Plastic mulch used to suppress weeds is ploughed into the soil where plants and vegetables grow. Even fertilisers are encapsulated in plastic.
Processing: High temperatures during food processing can increase leaching from plastic equipment. Contact with vinyl gloves worn by food handlers, plastic tubing in processing machines, and the conveyor belt can contribute to the plastic in our meals.

So one way or another, most of our food and drink contains some level of microplastic. Eating plastic raises serious concerns. But why is this?

Chemicals in plastic

Up to 50% of plastic, by weight, is chemical additives. These are used to change how plastic behaves – for example making it flexible, hard, heat resistant, or stretchy – or to give it different colours or shine. A staggering 16,325 different chemicals have to date been identified, but the actual number is likely close to 100,000! You’ve probably heard of some already:

Bisphenol A (BPA) hardens plastic
Phthalates make plastic soft and flexible
Flame retardants make plastic more resistant to heat

A significant portion (26%) of these additives are known hazardous chemicals. These chemicals are linked to issues like reproductive problems, breathing difficulties, increased risk of cancer and behavioural changes.

An even larger chunk, 66%, are a mystery – scientists don’t know enough about them to say what their effects could be. Under current regulations, companies are not required to share full information about the ingredients in their plastic packaging. And many of the chemicals present are not even intentionally added – they are by-products of reactions between other additives.

This is one of the issues with recycled plastic. Melting down and mixing different types of plastic to make a new material creates a complex “cocktail” of unknown chemicals, further complicating our understanding of the health risks.

A large body of independent research shows our constant exposure to the known chemicals in plastic, even at low levels, could pose a serious risk over time. However, the cumulative nature of microplastic exposure makes it difficult to identify the exact chemicals causing health issues. This lack of clarity is an issue for regulators.

What regulations are there to protect us?

Some regulations are in place to limit harmful chemicals, but these vary depending on location and the specific types of plastic. The current approach relies on risk-based assessment. This means chemicals can be used freely with limited safety information and need to be proven hazardous before they are banned. This can take up to 20 years! It also allows for “regrettable substitution”, where companies can replace a banned chemical with a structurally similar one with a different name. A prime example is Bisphenol A (BPA). It was commonly found in reusable plastic water bottles until it became restricted due to safety concerns. It’s been replaced with other bisphenols, like BPS or BPF which are likely just as harmful.

Chemicals used in consumer goods and packaging should instead follow the precautionary principle. This says chemicals need to be proven safe before they can be used. With this approach, when there is not enough data to establish safety, we assume there may be risks.

Negotiations for a global plastics treaty are well underway. Microplastics and chemical migration are high on the agenda. Scientists and activists are pushing for greater transparency in chemical use and a global shift towards the precautionary principle. The plastics industry is resisting, claiming the need for “trade secrets”, and saying a risk-based approach is enough.

Join us in calling for a strong plastics treaty, that protects us against harmful chemicals, by signing this petition. To learn more about what a strong treaty looks like head to the dedicated section of our website.

Trash Hero Indonesia collaborates on first-ever sachet brand audit report

by Lydia on 02/05/2024 No comments

Break Free From Plastic (BFFP) released a first-of-its-kind report, and Trash Hero Indonesia co-produced it.

For the past six years, members of the BFFP movement have worked together, collecting information about who is responsible for the plastic pollution we find on our beaches, rivers, and towns. The annual brand audit report compiles global data and shines a light on the brands responsible for plastic pollution. This information can then be used to advocate for systemic change. In fact, when New York Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo for “polluting the environment and endangering public health through its single-use plastic bottles, caps and wrappers”, data from the brand audits was cited in the press release.

Previous brand audit reports have collected data on all types of plastic. However, sachet pollution has increased at alarming rates across Asia, leading many environmental groups to demand that companies phase out sachets. To better understand the scale and source of sachet pollution and to be able to push for real change, a group of BFFP NGOs from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines came together to take action.

A sachet is an environmental nightmare. Most of them have an airtight inner plastic layer that protects the product, a foil barrier against moisture and heat, and an outer flexible layer that can be printed on. An adhesive holds it all together. The multiple layers make it impossible to recycle effectively. Their light weight means they often end up in forests, rivers, and oceans. From here, animals mistake them for food and get sick or even die after consuming them. Discarded sachets also worsen flooding by clogging waterways and drains, leading to more water-borne diseases. For something that is used for seconds, they have a very long-lasting impact! This devastating impact has been widely recognised, with even former CEO of Unilever, Paul Polman, stating, “We need to get rid of sachets for good”. Yet their use worldwide continues. Our article “Exposing the hidden cost of sachets” dives into the environmental and social issues of sachets in more detail.

Collecting the data

Between October 2023 and February 2024, 807 volunteers organised brand audits in 50 locations across India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Together, these volunteers from 25 organisations collected a total of 33,467 sachets

Alongside colleagues from YPBB, Ecoton and Greenpeace, Trash Hero Indonesia adjusted the brand audit methodology to suit sachets. They then collected and collated the data from the sachet brand audits in Indonesia and helped develop and draft the report.

Trash Hero Indonesia trained volunteers in the new process and rallied Trash Hero volunteers across Indonesia to participate. Data from Indonesia made up 29% of the total data published in the report. 476 volunteers took part, counting 9,698 sachets across 34 locations. 1,212 brands were identified. The Trash Hero Indonesia team collected and verified the data from all participating organisations in Indonesia. We want to say a big thank you to the 456 Trash Hero volunteers from 23 chapters who conducted sachet brand audits!

What did the report find?

The report identified the top ten brands responsible for sachet pollution across Indonesia, India, Vietnam and the Philippines:

Unilever
Wings
Mayora Indah
Wadia Group
Balaji Wafers Private Limited
Procter & Gamble
Nestlé
Yes 2 Healthy Life
JG Summit Holdings
Salim Group

The audit identified 2,678 brands in four countries—India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam—highlighting the extensive use of this problematic single-use packaging format.

The report also revealed a concerning trend in sachet material composition. Over half (57%) of the collected samples were multilayer sachets, while only 41% were single-layer. This is important because multilayer construction, combining different materials, makes recycling these sachets virtually impossible.

Members of the BFFP movement attended the fourth round of official negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty and were able to present the report to country delegates.

What should corporations do?

Urgent action needs to be taken now to stop producing sachets. We, along with other members of the Break Free From Plastic movement, call on corporations to:

Take immediate action to phase out or quit sachets, to effectively address the environmental, social and economic impacts of these single-use plastics.
Reveal their plastic use by providing public data on the type and quantity of packaging used in different markets, and the chemicals in that packaging.
End support for false solutions such as burning plastic and chemical recycling. Sending sachets and other plastic packaging to cement kilns isn’t recycling.
Redesign business models away from single-use sachets and other single-use packaging of any type – including novel materials such as bio-based or compostable plastics.
Invest in accessible, affordable reuse, refill or packaging-free product delivery systems in all markets, while ensuring a just transition for all relevant workers.

Read the full report here

20 surprising everyday things that contain plastic

by Lydia on 25/03/2024 1 comment

Have you ever thought about how much plastic is in our daily lives? We know to avoid plastic bags and bottles, but what about the plastic hiding in everyday items? Here are 20 surprising things that contain plastics, along with some tips for how to avoid them.

Clothes: 60% of our clothes contain synthetic fibres such as polyester, acrylic or nylon – forms of plastic. Even cotton items can hide plastic – anything labelled “wrinkle-resistant” likely has a plastic coating. Shedding during washing and wear, and at the end of their life contributes to microplastic pollution.

How to avoid: Choose clothes made from 100% natural fibres like linen, cotton or wool. Opt for a cold, short cycle to minimise shedding when washing synthetic blends.

Tea bags: Tea bags look like simple paper pouches. Unfortunately, many of them contain a type of plastic called polypropylene. It is used to heat-seal the edges and keeps them from falling apart. Others are made entirely from plant plastic – which contains all the same additives and chemicals as regular plastic.

How to avoid: Ditch the bag altogether and enjoy loose-leaf tea.

Nail polish: Plastic gives nail polish its strength and staying power. Two key ingredients are resin, a type of plastic that forms a hard, protective layer, and plasticisers, which keep the polish flexible and prevent chipping.

How to avoid: Finding nail polish that is entirely plastic-free is impossible. But, water-based polishes tend to contain less plastic than others. Or let your nails go naked!

Chewing gum: The satisfying chew is thanks to its “gum base”. This usually contains synthetic elastomers like polyvinyl acetate, the same plastic found in glue.

How to avoid: Keep an eye out for plastic-free gum brands.

Tampons(and pads): The absorbent core of a menstrual pad uses superabsorbent polymers, similar to those in diapers, and the leak-proof backing is plastic film. Even “cotton” top sheets usually contain synthetic fibres. Tampon applicators are typically plastic.

How to avoid: Reusable menstrual cups or period underwear are not plastic-free but used over time will vastly reduce the pollution caused by single-use products.

Car tyres: Modern car tyres are around 1/4 synthetic rubber, a petroleum-based plastic. As the tyres wear down, they release microplastics into the environment – they are likely the biggest source of plastic pollution in the ocean.

How to avoid: Reduce car use whenever possible to minimise wear and tear on your tyres.

Toothpaste: Manufacturers often use tiny plastic beads for exfoliation, and plastics are added as thickeners. Most toothpaste tubes are non-recyclable plastic, too.

How to avoid: Plastic-free toothpaste options are available. You can also check the ingredients for “poly-”, which indicates plastic.

Glitter and sequins: Those shimmering dots are usually made of PET plastic, the same as water bottles, coated with aluminium for shine.

How to avoid: If you must use loose glitter, try coloured sand or salt. But don’t throw away any sparkly clothes or accessories you already own: the longer you wear them, the longer you’ll keep them out of landfill

Sponges: Sponges were traditionally made from cellulose. But now, most kitchen and bathroom sponges contain plastic for durability and absorbency.

How to avoid: Look for sponges made of natural materials.

Wet wipes: The base materials of these wipes are usually synthetic fabrics such as polyester.

How to avoid: Opt for natural, reusable cloth wipes instead.

Cigarette butts: The filters in cigarettes are made from plastic fibres packed tightly together, adding to the chemicals you’re breathing in with the smoke. Read more about it here.

How to avoid: There’s no plastic-free alternative to cigarette filters.

Sun cream: Plastic is added to sun cream for several reasons. It stops it from splitting, makes it easier to apply and helps with water resistance.

How to avoid: Explore mineral-based sun creams that are often plastic-free. Keep an eye out for ingredients that start with “poly-” or end with “-lene”, as these indicate plastic.

Paper cups: Paper cups have a thin layer of plastic, usually polyethylene or PLA, to prevent leaks. These layers make them difficult to recycle and hot drinks increase the transfer of toxins into your brew.

How to avoid: Invest in a safer, reusable cup for your takeaway coffee or tea, or choose to dine in instead.

Aluminium can: Inside aluminium cans is a layer of plastic that prevents the metal from reacting with the beverage and extends shelf life. This video on Instagram shows the plastic inside a Coke can.

How to avoid: Currently, there are no aluminium cans without plastic linings, so drink from glass if available – especially as aluminium has a very high environmental footprint. And always recycle your can!

Paint: The vast majority of household paints contain plastic binders for improved durability and moisture resistance.

How to avoid: Water-based paints often have reduced plastic; or use lime-based or other mineral-based paint for a plastic-free, breathable finish.

Make-up (and other beauty products): Make-up and toiletries contain microplastic in two primary forms – tiny plastic particles added as exfoliants or glitter, and liquid plastic ingredients that thicken products and help to create a smooth texture on our skin or hair. Most are also packaged in plastic.

How to avoid: Check the ingredient lists on your products and try to avoid those containing words starting with “poly-” or ending with “-lene”. Purchase cosmetics in bar form or in refillable or reusable packaging wherever possible.

Foil wrappers: These are used for packaging everything from chocolate to laundry liquid and often have a thin layer of plastic on one side to make it more pliable and prevent tearing.

How to avoid: Choose food and other products in reusable, paper or no packaging.

Store receipts: These are printed on special thermal paper with a plastic coating containing bisphenol A (BPA). When the paper runs through the cash register, a print head heats the paper to create the letters and images you see on the receipt, which saves on ink.

How to avoid: If you’re given the option, refuse a receipt and get digital copies instead.

Non-stick pans: The non-stick coating on many popular cookware options is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon, a type of synthetic plastic.

How to avoid: Use pans made from stainless steel, cast iron or enamel materials.

Pillows: The filling in all synthetic pillows is made from plastic – usually hollowfibre polyester, but sometimes foam. Manufacturers favour this because it’s cheaper and holds its shape well.

How to avoid: Try pillows with natural fillings such as feathers, wool or buckwheat hulls.

Being aware of hidden plastic allows us to make more informed choices regarding reducing plastic consumption daily. Which of these surprised you the most? Let us know in the comments.

Family meetings to support and celebrate our amazing volunteers

by Lydia on 15/01/2024 1 comment

Trash Hero Kota Kinabalu leader, Zurainee, was excited to meet her volunteers in a different setting: “it felt good spending time with heroes in a different and ‘cleaner’ platform”.

It’s true that when they usually meet – before, during and after cleanups – Trash Hero volunteers are engrossed in the task at hand. Most of their training is done on the job.

Our Family Meetings, which were most recently held during the last quarter of 2023, give them a chance to spend time together in a different way. They allow for more in-depth discussions, planning and knowledge-building, as well as providing an opportunity to develop stronger friendships and support systems.

During November 24 – 26, Trash Hero Indonesia hosted its second Family Meeting of the year in Bali, for all active chapters within the country. Seventy participants joined the three-day event from 33 different locations.

Seventy participants from 33 locations joined the 3-day event in Indonesia

The country team delivered a packed agenda focused on the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of our activities. The volunteers learned the basic principles of zero waste communities and about the impacts of plastic pollution on climate, human health and biodiversity through interactive games and mini-workshops. They also honed their skills in effective communication, community engagement and strategic planning.

Rima Agustina, Trash Hero World’s Programme Coordinator, who led the event, said: “It was probably our most successful family meeting to date in terms of engagement. I am so inspired by our volunteers’ energy and willingness to learn these challenging topics.”

Feedback from the volunteers confirmed this impression. Clara Keban, a participant from Trash Hero Belu, said that she “learned many things from great friends and mentors […] Other than that, the most important thing that I got from this activity is kinship, cohesiveness and togetherness”.

Trash Hero World covers all the costs for the national Family Meetings, including the participants’ travel, accommodation and food, as well as the planning and logistics.

In other parts of the world, chapter leaders hosted local Chapter Family Meetings. These were first introduced in 2022 when COVID-19 restrictions eased, but travel restrictions meant we couldn’t host national Family Meetings. The feedback we received from volunteers was fantastic, so we have made them a regular event. The budget is again provided by Trash Hero World and, in some cases, local sponsors.

Participants working together, Trash Hero Langsuan

Chapters can make their own agenda for the meetings: some focused on team building with active volunteers, while others extended invitations to the public, community leaders and local government representatives, to broaden and strengthen their support base.

For example, Trash Hero Mersing in Malaysia organised a zero waste picnic at their local beach. They invited kids who had previously joined their cleanups – and their friends. The picnic, with fun games and prizes, was a great example of how to host events without creating waste, as well as a nice way to thank the children for their participation and engage more kids in their activities. Other Malaysian chapters, Trash Hero Cherating and Trash Hero Tuaran, also organised zero waste picnics for their teams.

Trash Hero Langsuan in Thailand held a full day of activities for their volunteers and involved representatives from the local government, temple and even the district hospital who gave a presentation on the health dangers of trash.

Trash Hero Tha Sala, Thailand, Trash Hero Bern, Switzerland and Trash Hero Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, used the Chapter Family Meeting to reflect on what they achieved in 2023 and what they hope to accomplish in 2024.

Chapter Family Meeting numbers so far:

Thailand: 28 adults, 21 kids, 4 locations

Malaysia: 31 adults, 32 kids, 4 locations

Switzerland: 8 adults, 1 location

Chapter Family Meetings continue to take place in early 2024.

Thank you to everyone who participated in, organised and supported these events. Now we are fully charged and ready for another year of action!

26 October: monthly news roundup

by Lydia on 26/10/2023 No comments

Our roundup of the month’s most important stories

Myanmar communities drowning in world’s waste

Trash from Lidl supermarkets in the UK and other stores in Poland and Canada has been discovered at illegal dumping sites in Myanmar. Residents of the vulnerable communities are concerned about their health

Cleanup technologies do more harm than good

New research shows that complicated cleanup technologies cause more harm than good. They can damage marine life and impact the livelihoods of local communities.

K-Pop marketing create huge plastic waste problem

Fans of K-Pop are told to buy lots of albums to help their favourite bands get to the top of the charts. But this has caused a big increase in plastic waste. “No K-Pop on a Dead Planet” wants businesses to do things differently.

Microplastics “clogging the systems” of ocean carbon capture

Tiny sea creatures called plankton are important for getting rid of carbon in the atmosphere. However, microplastics are “clogging the systems”, which is bad news for ocean life and the climate.

Trash Hero Jakarta’s cleanup featured on AFP News

Trash Hero Jakarta’s cleanup was featured on AFP news! Volunteers shared their motivations for reducing plastic pollution.

What do you think about these stories? Let us know in the comments!

Who are the Trash Hero volunteers?

by Lydia on 12/10/2023 2 comments

The results of our big volunteer survey are in! Discover who volunteers for our movement – and what motivates them.

Trash Hero volunteers are the driving force of our mission to create a world free from plastic pollution. To find out more about the incredible individuals who dedicate their time and energy to the movement, we conducted a survey of volunteers in all countries worldwide. We collected demographic information, asked about their motivation for joining Trash Hero and how their experience has impacted them and those around them.

We received 177 responses (approximately 70% of active volunteers). They make for inspiring reading and give some fascinating insights into the kind of people Trash Hero attracts – let’s dive in!

Volunteer demographics

Impact of volunteering

The survey revealed overwhelmingly positive feedback about how volunteering has helped people in multiple areas: making new friends, learning new skills and gaining knowledge about plastic pollution, as well as feeling happier and more confident! This confirms our experience that volunteering with Trash Hero is good for both the planet and your personal wellbeing.

Note: these statistics are self-reported.

Volunteer experience

Meet some of the volunteers who responded to the survey below:

Sabine, Trash Hero Basel, Switzerland Sabine found out about Trash Hero online and decided to join to help prevent plastic pollution. Before Trash Hero, she was already trying to reduce her plastic use, but since joining Trash Hero she has felt more confident to speak to others about the issue. She loves her team and the attitude of Trash Hero and hopes to volunteer with us for years to come.

Aziz, Trash Hero Mersing, Malaysia Aziz is a teacher who joined Trash Hero because he liked the vision and mission. Aziz wants to be a role model for people to reduce plastic use at home and school – he carries his Trash Hero water bottle wherever he goes! Thanks to Aziz, a friend chose an alternative to polystyrene plates at his wedding, avoiding a lot of plastic waste.

Nan, Trash Hero Ao Nang, Thailand Nan joined Trash Hero in 2015 after hearing about the cleanups in Koh Lipe. She loved the positive attitude of the movement. Since joining Trash Hero, she has installed a water filter in her home so they don’t have to buy water in plastic bottles. She has also reduced her own use of plastic and noticed that her friends and family have followed her example.

Suta, Trash Hero Tabanan, Indonesia Suta saw another chapter, Trash Hero Yeh Gangga, organising regular cleanups and thought it was a great way to expand his social circle. Since starting his own chapter, Suta has learned about the issues of plastic pollution and is now organising cleanups because he recognises plastic’s impact on our health. Since being part of the Trash Hero movement, Suta has become more confident, knowledgeable, happier and has made new friends.

So what are you waiting for? Join the Trash Hero movement today! You can join an existing chapter, start your own or volunteer remotely.