Bangkok City Hall transforms 315 tonnes of surplus food into meals (video)

Bangkok City Hall’s food bank initiative has successfully transformed 315 tonnes of surplus food into over 1.3 million meals for the city’s impoverished and vulnerable residents.

Since the launch of BKK Food Bank on August 8, individuals and businesses across Bangkok have donated approximately 315,741 kilogrammes of surplus food. This surplus has been redistributed to 67,449 residents in need, according to Pornphrom Vikitsreth, adviser to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt on sustainability.

“The project has also helped cut the city’s carbon footprint by 789,825.79 kgCO2e [kilogrammes of CO² equivalent].”

BKK Food Bank is one of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) programmes aimed at ensuring food security. The initiative is designed to improve access to food for low-income and vulnerable groups, Pornphrom added.

“Left unused, surplus food would have to be discarded as waste, which has a negative impact on both the environment and the economy.”

With proper management, these surpluses can be redistributed to those who cannot afford food for various reasons. The donors are encouraged to drop off surplus food at the BKK Food Bank site in their local district from Tuesday to Thursday. The food is then stored at the district office before being distributed, reported Bangkok Post.

Interested donors are advised to contact their local district office for further information.

In related news, Royal Volunteers distributed 10,000 boiled eggs to Chon Buri locals as part of community service activities, celebrating the 72nd birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

At Wat Woraprot Sangkhawat in Phan Thong district, Chon Buri, a Royal Volunteer, Doctor Kriangsak Saengchan and the abbot of Wat Woraprot, Phra Khru Thawon Sattakhun collaborated with volunteer groups and the National Municipal Association of Thailand (NMAT) to distribute boiled eggs to the community.

In other news, an Australian FIFO worker has been granted a lifeline after a near-fatal car crash in Thailand. Through the selfless acts of expat Aussies, he received the six pints of a rare blood type needed to survive.