TerraCycle crusade to rid Bangkok canals of plastic goes on
The TerraCycle Global Foundation’s crusade to rid Bangkok canals of waste goes on.
The US New Jersey-based non-profit organization believes it is winning the battle to remove toxic waste and plastic from the Thai capital’s polluted canals but admits the fight continues.
Thailand has been identified as one of the top contributors to plastic pollution in the oceans. The kingdom’s 23 coastal provinces dump an estimated one million tons of garbage into the sea every year.
The Chao Phraya is one of Thailand’s longest and most polluted rivers that directly empties into the Gulf of Thailand. Lat Phrao Canal, like many of Bangkok’s canals, collects large amounts of solid and liquid waste in its passage through urban areas of Bangkok.
Local marine waste streams predominantly include plastics and other floating debris originating from nearby communities and regular boat traffic.
The TerraCycle Global Foundation is working with the Bangkok community and government organisations to address the challenge of collecting and recycling plastic waste and preventing it from entering and polluting global aquatic systems.
The foundation operates three wildlife-safe river traps in Thai canals, and each trap collects about 150,000 – 175,000 pounds of the waste directly from the water per year.
TerraCycle states that about 80% of plastic waste in the ocean is transported via rivers or coastlines and that is why it is important stopping it before it makes it into the sea.
TerraCycle CEO and Founder Tom Szaky also believe the foundation has already had a significant impact on the health of the planet in its short two-year lifespan.
“Not only has the Foundation made waterways cleaner and safer places for wildlife, but we have seen real benefits to the local communities as well.
“We’re proud of our team members for their dedication to driving our mission forward and showing how crucial collecting waste before it has reached the ocean really is.”
Since June 2020, the TerraCycle Global Foundation has provided employment for 11 people from the local Lat Phrao community in Bangkok and created healthier environments for over 7,000 households alongside the canal with a cleaner environment.
