Bangkok free water refill plan to reduce plastic use
Central Pattana, alongside influential partners, spearheads the Bottle Free Seas campaign, urging Bangkokians to swap the bottle for reusable options.
With a staggering 70 million plastic bottles drowning Bangkok monthly, the initiative aims to flood the city with free water dispensers, starting with the iconic Central World shopping mall.
The campaign, a collaborative effort between Central Pattana, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Environmental Justice Foundation, and Brilliant Power Co Ltd, was inaugurated by none other than BMA governor Chadchart Sittipunt himself. In a symbolic gesture, Sittipunt championed the cause by refilling his thermos at the newly installed dispenser in front of Central World.
With plans to sprinkle nine more water dispensers across Bangkok, the BMA and private partners are tackling the ocean of plastic pollution generated by the city’s insatiable thirst for bottled water. An alarming 70 million plastic bottles are discarded monthly, prompting the launch of the Bottle Free Seas programme. The partners are determined to ride the wave towards a sustainable ecosystem, aligning with Thailand’s ambitious net-zero goal by 2050, reported The Nation.
Uthaiwan Anuchitanukul, Assistant Managing Director of Central Pattana, expressed the company’s commitment to nipping single-use plastic in the bud.
“Central Pattana wants to make a splash in reducing plastic waste, and that’s why we’ve enthusiastically joined the campaign, installing a water dispenser right at the heart of Central World. Tourists and locals alike are encouraged to ride the green wave by refilling their bottles at our dispenser.”
In related news, the Department of Health has ordered an immediate halt to production at a bottled water factory in Roi Et province. The decision was made following the release of a shocking video showing water being manually filled into bottles. The factory, which is a licensed water production facility, was inspected and found to be non-compliant with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
