If you don't already know what I'm talking about I'll make it quick. A campaign and maybe we will even get a group of concerned citizens of Phangan to start helping take better care of the island. My personnal idea is a sign campain that I hope will also be posted in some of the magizines on the island.

10 easy things you can do to help the island

Just saying no to plasitc bags

Bring your own container for take away orders

Don't throw anything into the water

Clean the beach

Always find a rubbish bin for your garbage

Refill your water bottle

Some great people are looking like they are on board and it will be very exciting to see if those of us who would like to see the island get cleaner can do just that, help make it cleaner.

Refill the water bottle might be tough Seville. Tap water is not drinkable.

Not like that SBK, he means instead of buying lots of small bottles of water like some people do just buy them once then refill with the big white plastic gallon bottles or whatever size they are. Cheaper for you and better for the environment.

Today, at the school games, some school show this banner:

so I thing in KPG some local people try to do something already.

note the "no plastic bag" logo.

Not like that SBK, he means instead of buying lots of small bottles of water like some people do just buy them once then refill with the big white plastic gallon bottles or whatever size they are. Cheaper for you and better for the environment.

Oh, right, I just assumed everyone living on the island already did that but it is a different thing for tourists. Tourists won't be buying the big refilled water bottles and most certainly won't buy water in small re-filled bottles.

Why doesn't Thailand have the same as Malaysia - water refill stations for large and small bottle? Then tourists could use them as well.

Great Idea, but i dont think it will work to well , as the tourists will not stick to it

Why doesn't Thailand have the same as Malaysia - water refill stations for large and small bottle? Then tourists could use them as well.

There are, but much too few!

Colliding Business interests I think.

The easiest way would be if the Government slaps a heavy Tax onto one way plastic containers, bags and packaging of any kind!

They are simply made to be thrown away, to fill the garbage containers, landfills, pollute our environment!

Why doesn't Thailand have the same as Malaysia - water refill stations for large and small bottle? Then tourists could use them as well.

There are, but much too few!

Colliding Business interests I think.

The easiest way would be if the Government slaps a heavy Tax onto one way plastic containers, bags and packaging of any kind!

They are simply made to be thrown away, to fill the garbage containers, landfills, pollute our environment!

They have them all over BKK, but i have never seen them in Samui or Phuket

10 easy things you can do to help the island

(1) Just saying no to plastic bags

(2) Bring your own container for take away orders

(3) Don't throw anything into the water

(4) Clean the beach

(5) Always find a rubbish bin for your garbage

(6) Refill your water bottle

Excellent.

#1 - It's so easy to say "No, thank you" to plastic bags - and this usually brings about an appreciative smile from the seller.

#2 - This one is a no-brainer if one cares about their health. PVC-based plastic containers and hot food results in carcinogenic plasticizers (to make the PVC softer) leaching into the food. And lunch/dinner is so much tastier from glass or stainless steel food containers...

#3 - No rubbish thrown in water? Try telling this to the Thais... My fisherman neighbours appreciate my efforts to clean the beach so much, that they now take their rubbish (on their boats) "very, very far away out to sea"...

#4 - It's so easy to pick up that stray piece of plastic or glass on that beach stroll...

#5 - Yes, better to have rubbish collected and buried, rather than let the locals burn it into the air we all breath.

#6 - I suggest we leave this one out - all plastic bottles are collected by locals for $.

Why doesn't Thailand have the same as Malaysia - water refill stations for large and small bottle? Then tourists could use them as well.

They do have them all over bangkok... maybe you guys can see if you can get some on phangan!

#5 - Yes, better to have rubbish collected and buried, rather than let the locals burn it into the air we all breath.

this was by far my biggest complaint when i lived on phangan... my neighbors would smoke me out every day, they burned everything- plastics, batteries, you name it. definitely toxic and there should definitely be some alternative!

another issue was poisoning of animals...

Why doesn't Thailand have the same as Malaysia - water refill stations for large and small bottle? Then tourists could use them as well.

There are, but much too few!

Colliding Business interests I think.

The easiest way would be if the Government slaps a heavy Tax onto one way plastic containers, bags and packaging of any kind!

They are simply made to be thrown away, to fill the garbage containers, landfills, pollute our environment!

They have them all over BKK, but i have never seen them in Samui or Phuket

I have seen at least one in use in Mae Nam and in Chaweng... believe they are gone.... local lobby?

As I said in my previous post I would be happy to hold a benefit(s) at my restaurant once I am back on the island at christmas. unfortunately my space is small but it is cozy. we held a benefit last winter for a pregnant burmese worker who was returning to burma and we got about 100 people in.

I can easily set up and maintain a user friendly website but we'll need to come up with a (catcy ?) name for the project. Suggestions?

Why doesn't Thailand have the same as Malaysia - water refill stations for large and small bottle? Then tourists could use them as well.

There are, but much too few!

Colliding Business interests I think.

The easiest way would be if the Government slaps a heavy Tax onto one way plastic containers, bags and packaging of any kind!

They are simply made to be thrown away, to fill the garbage containers, landfills, pollute our environment!

They have them all over BKK, but i have never seen them in Samui or Phuket

I have seen at least one in use in Mae Nam and in Chaweng... believe they are gone.... local lobby?

Does anyone here know what is involved in setting up a non profit company in Thailand?

Hi nomadspike better ask that question in the business forum, you'll get more complete answers that way.

As for the small plastic water bottle issue, well we sell ours to the recycling people.

Perhaps a better idea than banning them altogether (an impossible task, IMO) would be to talk to the Mayor about setting up separate bins for plastic bottles around the pier, the 7-11 etc and then the recycling people can come pick them up when they want without having to sort through trash to get to the plastic bottles.

I'd be happy to get involved in this when I get back to Thailand but lets leave any fundraising ideas off the forum, please and instead discuss ideas of what needs to be done and feasible means to do so.

On HT, Yuan and Whynam, refills bottles for 5 baht. 10 for the big ones. All the resturants and bungalows I'm assuming, on the rest of the island have water filters, am I right?

Are the shops buying the island water bottles already filled or just the empty bottles like Had Tien? I was assuming they bought them empty and filled them up? SBK?

Maybe will also need to do a campaign for bungalows and restaurants to offer 5 baht water refills.

The Rubbish issue is a huge mess. I live on a beach that no one barely even recycles because it's too much time for them to deal with getting the bottles off the beach.

At this point, I think the best we can do is try and reduce as much as we can. If we have signs everywhere at least people might think twice before they do something.

We aren't going to change what the fisherman do by telling them, but thay might start thinking if they see it written and certainly reinforcing and supporting the children to lead the way to make the island less polluted.

Again, we start small. Who knows someone in waste management who wants to start a business on a tropical island?

I know very few places that have water filters, seville.

Hi nomadspike better ask that question in the business forum, you'll get more complete answers that way.

Thank you sbk, posted the question on the business forum.

Really, no water filters. So most of the restaurants are buying filtered water in those big bottles. Home owners too. See I do live in little bubble on Had Tien. We all have water filters, even the houses for rent have them.

Well there's an easy way to make money and help the reduction of plastic. 5 baht a refill adds up quick. Maybe I'll start selling water filters door to door when I get back. Maybe get the boyfriend to do it.

lets leave any fundraising ideas off the forum, please and instead discuss ideas of what needs to be done and feasible means to do so.

curious, what is the issue with discussing getting groups together and fundraising to improve the island? this is a community site, seems like the ideal place to do that! is there some rationale behind that rule? were people scamming on here or something?

Previously, the site has been attempted to and if not careful, could very easily be, used by unscrupulous people attempting to raise money for "causes" so george has set a strict no solicitation rule to protect the members.

Really, no water filters. So most of the restaurants are buying filtered water in those big bottles. Home owners too. See I do live in little bubble on Had Tien. We all have water filters, even the houses for rent have them.

Well there's an easy way to make money and help the reduction of plastic. 5 baht a refill adds up quick. Maybe I'll start selling water filters door to door when I get back. Maybe get the boyfriend to do it.

Well, our cook is married to a delivery guy for one of the bigger water companies on the island and I know he delivers to a lot of places. Also, when it gets extremely dry, many places have to buy water just for their customers to use for bathing, much less drinking water.

Government water is not supplied to all parts of the island so many places have to find alternate sources of water. In the dry season, due to the high usage, these sources can often run dry.

Previously, the site has been attempted to and if not careful, could very easily be, used by unscrupulous people attempting to raise money for "causes" so george has set a strict no solicitation rule to protect the members.

fair enough.

Government water is not supplied to all parts of the island so many places have to find alternate sources of water. In the dry season, due to the high usage, these sources can often run dry.

yep, i remember a couple seasons in TNP when the village ran dry.

Ok, to move forward with the idea of making signs...

How about discussing precisely what our goals are and then working on content and design issues.

Some ideas:

1. Recycling of Plastic (plastic bottles, plastic bags, styrofoam) Glass (glass bottles), Metal (cans), Paper. Oil, Liquids

a. Bags:

Campaign Title:

"Bring Your Own Bag Campaign"

Campaign Objective:

To increase awareness of reusable shopping bags targeting Thai, English, & European speaking residents and tourists with messages that encourage use of reusable bags when they shop

Campaign Strategy:

Core message: to reduce waste and use reusable items whenever you shop.

Print and Web Media:

It's All In the Bag. Bring Your Own.

b. Plastic bottles:

recycle, refill, use/buy glass rather than plastic...

2. Composting (is composting viable/feasible on Phangan?)

3. Containers for recyclable items

a. where to buy?

b. placement (ports, taxi stations, beaches, supermarkets, travel agencies, restaurants)

c. coordinate with local residents and municipalities to organize disposal options

Ok, that's a start. Comments and suggestions most welcome!!

It is one thing providing bins and making signs, but remember someone will have to empty them. All these things will cost money. If we are going to go forward we need to make sure we are organised and have a plan in face optherwise it will shrivel up and die, much as Green Cross did.

How about wait until a group is set up. Myself and Seville have already PM'd about this. Anyone else is interested, PM me with your email address and I will set up a mailing list to get things going.

It is one thing providing bins and making signs, but remember someone will have to empty them. All these things will cost money. If we are going to go forward we need to make sure we are organised and have a plan in face optherwise it will shrivel up and die, much as Green Cross did.

How about wait until a group is set up. Myself and Seville have already PM'd about this. Anyone else is interested, PM me with your email address and I will set up a mailing list to get things going.

Great suggestion, you might also try doing a group chat on skype until physical meetings can be set up.

Well I for one am feeling pretty darn good about our little group so far. Spike and I are pretty close to one another for the next 3 months then I will be back on the island, with him shortly to follow. I agree completely with Ms. Sabai. I'd like to really move slow to have a long lasting impact and be able to move forward as time goes on. Green Cross faded pretty fast didn't it. Same with the Life Guards on Had Rin.

Hey Ms. Sabai, do you have a source for paper or bio plastic bags yet? I forgot to ask you in my pm