Koh Lanta Gets Creative with Upcycling

by Leslie Finlay on 02/04/2018 1 comment

Many countries around the world have banned the use of polystyrene – also commonly known as styrofoam – because of its extremely negative environmental impact.

For years the material was a popular packaging for food items, electronics, furniture, and disposables because of its light weight, low expense, and wide availability. However, the material is essentially non-biodegradable meaning it can take hundreds or even thousands of years to decompose, and can also easily break apart into little bits that are ingested by animals and sea life. What’s more, both the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have classified polystyrene as a possible human carcinogen.

Polystyrene is one of the most difficult nonrenewable materials to responsibly dispose of. Its light weight and bulkiness means it easily travels around via wind or waves.

In 2016, the Thai Office of Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) launched its Safety Without Polystyrene Foam in Food Packaging project to encourage the domestic food industry to quit using the product in its packaging. The government has also been open to discussions about subsidizing more sustainable alternatives for vendors like cardboard. The subsequent reduction nationwide has been dramatic in some areas, but our Trash Heroes continue to collect vast amounts of the discarded material washing up on the beach. The point source is almost impossible to estimate, as winds can waves can easily carry the lightweight chunks over hundreds of kilometers of ocean.

Trash Hero Koh Lanta meets every Sunday at 4:00PM at Long Beach park to preserve this stunning paradise.

Even when collected polystyrene is incredibly difficult to dispose of responsibly, especially considering that it’s usually quite bulky. So our heroes on Koh Lanta rose to the challenge and found this creative way to up-cycle the waste while making ultra-cosy bean bag chairs for lounging around after an afternoon clean!

With a little ingenuity and creative spirit, the team built this polystyrene shredder that easily breaks those large chunks down into useable pieces perfect for stuffing plush bean bag chairs. It’s a great answer to taking a local challenge and turning it into a cheap, new indulgence for their paradise.

Trash Hero Koh Lanta developed a polystyrene crusher to help dispose of the chunks they collect during cleanups, and create awesome new additions to their beachfront!

While these awesome methods help manage our waste in the present, the best option is to always aim to reduce our single-use waste in our everyday lives. Shop for items that aren’t wrapped in plastic and carry your own reusable containers and cutlery to limit the need for single-use takeaway items. It’s these small changes on the individual level that can help us all ensure a beautiful future.

What local waste challenges does your community face, and what sort of ways have you found to manage it?

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Leslie FinlayKoh Lanta Gets Creative with Upcycling

2 Years and 100 Cleanups in Ao Nang

by Amelia Meier on 26/02/2017 No comments

26 February 2017 – Trash Hero Ao Nang (Thailand)

This months marks two important milestones for Trash Hero Ao Nang: In the first week they celebrated their two-year anniversary, and now they’ve just completed their 100th cleanup!

In the words Seema, one of our most dedicated Trash Heros: “We have cleaned every week of those 2 years, with breaks only when the weather was so bad we couldn’t go out, or when major public holidays got in the way. Oddly, a lot of people still ask us why we do it. They ask us why w bother, when the trash is there again the next week. First off, we clean because we CAN. Why not do something good for our planet, if you can? Secondly, we do it because there is no better way of “educating” people about the impact of trash than to take them up and get them to pick it up. Our volunteers come from local communities, schools, or are tourists. They all experience first hand where litter goes, and they take that experience home. We’ve seen a change in behaviour in almost everybody who cleaned with us. It changes you.
Lastly, with weekly cleanups we make sure the issue of waste and its disposal is kept at the forefront of the local agenda. “Behind the scenes”, we’re constantly working on building relationships and creating positive, long-term solutions for the prevention of waste, because in the long run we have to stop producing it. These things however take time and “results” are not easy to show, but attitudes are definitely changing!”

THANK YOU to Trash Hero Ao Nang, all volunteers who have participated in cleanups there, and everyone who has supported their journey thus far and is eager to fulfill the mission of a cleaner Krabi – and a cleaner world. 
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Amelia Meier2 Years and 100 Cleanups in Ao Nang

Trash Hero Alex’s Birthday

by Amelia Meier on 09/02/2017 No comments
9 February 2017 – Trash Hero Indonesia
A few weeks ago, Trash Hero Indonesia volunteers received this message:
“Hey Trash Hero,
I need your help! My son, Alex, is incredibly concern with the trash on Bali and has truly taken it to heart. For some reason, he really wants a Beach Cleanup Party for his 7th birthday, which is on February 2. His exact words were “On my 7th birthday, I want to go to the beach and find a big table with all the things we need. I want to get many strangers to come, and we can then tell tell them what to do to clean the beach” We all want to make this happen, and are hoping that you guys can help. I want to make this event public and make my Alex’ dream come true. Please let me know if you can be a part of this. Thank you”
Hélène and the other volunteers of Trash Hero Indonesia immediately got on board and assisted wherever possible. Alex’ mom did an amazing job at making the event known to the public and inviting people, and last Sunday they all gathered at the beach in Canggu and enjoyed a cleanup and some real birthday fun.

Alex has since gone on to be a regular hero, as you can see here. How awesome is it that young Alex is already infected with the Trash Hero virus?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX, AND ALL THE BEST FOR YOUR TRASH-FREE FUTURE!

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Amelia MeierTrash Hero Alex’s Birthday

Trash Hero Thailand Gains Support from Tourism Authority

by Amelia Meier on 11/01/2017 No comments

11 January 2017 – Trash Hero Thailand

Trash Hero Thailand chapters Bangkok and Koh Samui are proud to have been able to connect with the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Together, we aim to reduce the use of plastic bags, bottles, and other waste, in order to protect our environment for future generations.

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Amelia MeierTrash Hero Thailand Gains Support from Tourism Authority

Trash Hero Thailand in the News Again

by Amelia Meier on 04/01/2017 No comments

03 January 2016 – Trash Hero Thailand

Trash Hero Thailand has made it onto the news again, with a wonderful contribution aired on Thairath TV. See it here! Thairath TV covered Trash Hero Bangkok  (and a lot of our dedicated Trash Heroes from that chapter) and Trash Hero Thailand, and is a wonderful reference for the work Trash Heroes are doing in Thailand.

Fun fact: Thairath has 1 million followers on youtube, and 7 million likes on Facebook. So how better to reach a lot of people than this?

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Amelia MeierTrash Hero Thailand in the News Again

Ban Krut Launches Bottles

by Amelia Meier on 03/01/2017 1 comment

03 January 2017 – Trash Hero Ban Krut 

Trash Hero Ban Krut has just launched the Trash Hero bottle. One more location in Thailand that has now joined! Bottles can now be purchased for 200 Baht, and those with a bottle in hand can then get free refills at the water stations at the Siriphong Guesthouse  and the Gecko Bar Ban Krut (Gecko Bar Bankrut). OR, at any other one of the refill stations across Thailand.

The Trash Hero Bottle program aims to substantially reduce the amount of plastic bottles that end up on the beaches, in the sea, and in our communities by providing reusable replacements which not only benefit the environment, but also save those who own one money. Since March 2016, around 4000 litres of water have been bottled at the water station at Siriphong Guesthouse and the Gecko Bar. This means that more than 2600 plastic bottles (1.5l) have been saved… or 8000 bottles if we are counting in 0.5l bottles.

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Amelia MeierBan Krut Launches Bottles

From a New Volunteer in Chiang Mai

by Amelia Meier on 02/01/2017 No comments

02 January 2017 – Trash Hero Chiang Mai

Trash Hero Chiang Mai has been going strong since August 2015, and we just read this fantastic report Shayne Rochfort, one of the Trash Heroes from Chiang Mai:

Have you had a great Trash Hero experience? I have. I have only done two of our Chiang Mai cleanups, and they have been fun. Who would have thought? The November cleanup was my first ever, and picking up trash with a group of people was very rewarding, and a great chance to get to know more about other Trash Heroes in Chiang Mai. Altogether, we picked up 1000 kgs of top quality trash.
My second cleanup was our last one on Christmas Eve. Again, we removed heaps of trash from our wonderful city, and had plenty of fun along the way.

Now I would like you to do something that is even easier… Ask you to help us grow the Trash Hero Chiang Mai? Here are my suggestions:

1. Tell everyone about your Trash Hero experience, here and in person.
2. Invite your friends to join you for the next cleanup and invite them to like the Trash Hero Chiang Mai Facebook page (and the Trash Hero World Facebook page while they’re at it).
3. Join the Trash Hero committee. A non-compulsory commitment of about 2 hours per month plus cleanups and putting your thoughts out in our group chats is what is required. We all lead busy lives, so we do what we can and keep the commitment low.

Our group consists neither of Thai people nor of foreign people. We are all just Trash Heros. Other chapters in Thailand have a lot more going on, and we would like to do more here in Chiang Mai as well. Trash Hero Chiang Mai can work towards an even brighter future for our beautiful city!

At the moment Trash Hero Chiang Mai already has:

All we need now to make Trash Hero Chiang Mai great is … YOU!

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Amelia MeierFrom a New Volunteer in Chiang Mai

Special Hero from Pattani

by Amelia Meier on 06/12/2016 No comments

6 December 2016 – Trash Hero Thailand

We are humbled by the thousands of Trash Heroes who have joined us over the years to clean during the past years. Every now and again however a hero (or heroine) stands out due to their commitment to the cause. Nattapong Nithi-Uthai from Trash Hero Pattani is one such hero. Read about him in this inspiring interview.

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Amelia MeierSpecial Hero from Pattani