Trash for Cash

Very interesting article in this week’s Phuket Gazette (October 3 – 9, 2015) on understanding the economy of rubbish on the island. Did you know Phuket generates 729 tonnes of trash a day? Did you know the two operational incinerators have a total burning capacity of 700 tonnes a day?

“The bottom line is that people need to work on creating less trash in their daily lives.”

That’s what we will be addressing in our Clean the Beach Boot Camp Blog in future months. In the meantime, let’s take a look as to how we can best contribute to the people and communities who rely on trash recycling for a living.

Sorting the trash is the number one priority and we can all do it. Separate the plastic bottles, the tin cans and the cardboard is the first step and we are sure some of you are already doing it. Why? Because there are both garbage collection companies and communities who live from the recycling.

Glass also goes back in production and even old bread and pastries  can be sold to farmers for fish or duck food.

Last but not least, members of the Plai Laem Saphan Hin and Klong Koh Pee communities (nearly 300 households) derive their livelihood from what can be found among the heaps on unburned trash, some even living abreast of Phuket’s swelling landfills.

Initiatives such as Clean the Beach Boot Camps contribute to the recycling by picking up trash every other Saturday on beaches around the island.

Joining, sponsoring and supporting Clean the Beach Boot Camp should be part of our routine and for companies, restaurants and shops a CSR activity worth promoting on Phuket when the exponential tourism growth should never prevent the visitors from enjoying amazing and clean white sand beaches.