Bangkok slashes waste with composting, saving 141 million baht

Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) successfully implemented a waste composting initiative as part of the Mai Teh Ruam campaign, leading to significant savings in refuse disposal costs.

The campaign, translating to Say No to Unseparated Garbage, encourages the separation of perishable waste to create compost, and saw participation from numerous markets and restaurants across the city.

BMA spokesperson Ekwathanyu Amrapal announced that the initiative involved 184 markets and over 600 restaurants. By converting perishable refuse into compost, the city managed to fertilise public parks and reduce its waste.

The composting efforts resulted in a substantial decrease of approximately 74,000 tonnes of garbage that would have required alternative disposal methods.

The environmental and financial impact of this campaign is noteworthy. The waste reduction led to a saving of over 141 million baht (US$3.8 million) in disposal costs for the city in the past year alone, reported Bangkok Post.

This highlights the campaign’s effectiveness in not only managing waste sustainably but also in cutting down municipal expenses, highlighting the potential of simple yet effective waste management practices. By engaging with local markets and restaurants.

The BMA’s approach serves as a model for other cities looking to tackle waste disposal challenges. Through community involvement and practical measures, significant strides can be made in urban sustainability and financial management.

In related news, Thailand will host the Future Energy Asia Exhibition and Summit from today, May 15 to May 17 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. The event highlights Thailand’s crucial role in fostering a sustainable regional energy transition and underlines its commitment to this cause.

In other news, The Chief of Outreach & Engagement at the UN Global Compact highlighted a pressing need for stronger collective action from all stakeholders to reach the United Nation’s sustainable development goals by 2030.

During a media interaction in Thailand, Sue Allchurch expressed concerns about the sluggish progress towards these goals, despite global recognition of their importance.