International Coastal Cleanup

[Lite Beer]

SUSTAINABILITY

International Coastal Cleanup

Achara Deboonme

The Nation

Today, the beaches of Pattaya and Rayong's Mae Ramphueng Beach are set to welcome a number of people. They are not there for relaxation, but to collect waste washed up ashore as part of the International Coastal Cleanup.

In Pattaya, the Coca-Cola system in Thailand, inclusive of Coca-Cola (Thailand) Ltd, ThaiNamthip Ltd and Haad Thip Plc is working closely with Thai volunteers and NGOs. Joining them are representatives from Pattaya city and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resource, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The new brand ambassador 'Pancake' and over 900 volunteers will also take part in this activity.

Under the "Live Positively" commitment to make a difference in Thailand, the Coca-Cola System in Thailand pledges to significantly grow its volunteer community and the contribution of hours of community service by 2015. The company will continue to work closely with the other organisations to implement a sustainable framework for the 'Positive Energy' volunteer programme.

On the same day, SCG-Dow Group will also be part of over 20 companies with operations in Rayong, which will join the International Coastal Cleaning Day at Mae Ramphueng Beach. Joining the event on Sept 15, starting from 9pm, are executives and volunteers from the companies as well as the US Embassy in Thailand.

Coca-Cola and Dow Chemical Group have been among corporate sponsors of the cleanup, initiated 27 years ago by a group of ocean lovers formed under "Ocean Conservancy". To them, the ocean sustains human beings, with the food, the air and the climate. Each year, volunteers picked up everything imaginable along the world’s shorelines: cigarette butts, food wrappers, and even the proverbial kitchen sink.

This year's Cleanup will have even greater significance with the anticipation of possible Japan tsunami debris on the West Coast.

Over the first 25 years, over 8.5 million people crossed nearly 300,000 miles collecting 144 million pounds of trash.

By item, cigarette butts/cigarette filters top the list at 52.9 million, or 32 per cent of total. Also on the top 10 list are food wrappers/containers, 14.8 million items or 9 per cent; caps/lids, 13.6 million or 8 per cent; cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, 10 million or 6 per cent; plastic beverage bottles, 9.5 million or 6 per cent; plastic bags, 7.8 million or 5 per cent; glass beverage bottles, 7 million or 4 per cent; beverage cans, 6.75 million or 4 per cent; straws, stirrers, 6.3 million or 4 per cent; and rope, 3.25 million or 2 per cent. These top 10 debris items accounted for 166 million collected worldwide.

"Trash jeopardises the health of our ocean, our economy and people," said David Pittenger, director of Ocean Conservancy's Trash Free Seas programme. "Sometimes there are uncontrollable events - like the Japan tsunami - that add to the larger problem of marine debris. That's why it's important to tackle what's preventable."

"We need more volunteers than ever," Pittenger said. "Last year, volunteers found enough food packaging to get takeout for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day for the next 858 years."

Check out www.signuptocleanup.org to find cleanup opportunities.

-- The Nation 2012-09-16

[cooked]

NO chance of restricting the indiscriminate wastage of plastic bags in Thailand I suppose?

[theblether]

We have spent so many years arguing about Global Warming we have forgotten about just good old fashioned pollution, look around you, if it's litter, pick it up!!!

[dcutman]

It is good to hear that somebody takes this initiative. It would also be good to see a anti litter campaign in all school grades throughout the Kingdom, and have a weekly/monthly cleanup not only on the beaches but every where. The country would be much less polluted,show responsibility for the environment, and it would give children much needed quality time with their parents.

[mauiguy90]

This is a fabulous effort on the part of the business community. As part of the effort, it would make sense to research the reasons for the over abundance of trash on the coast line of Thailand vs other beach areas around the world.

It would make a lot of sense to increase the number of trash receptacles at the beach areas, as well as in the highly populated areas in Thailand. It would seem that there is a strong relationship between the lack of such receptacles and the amount of trash on the beach. Perhaps a thai official can explain the reluctance to supply an adequate number of trash bins in public areas.

[thequietman]

Good to see some action being taken on the beaches. they are disgusting.

Just get all the rubbish and plastic collected and put it in a big pile and then burn it. the environment protected.

[dcutman]

NO chance of restricting the indiscriminate wastage of plastic bags in Thailand I suppose?

0

[fareastguy]

Thailand cannot reduce the number of plastic bags or bottles produced or used in daily life, because if this number was reduced by half then think of how many Thais would be out of work doing the recycling bit for a living.

No Thailand will keep producing & Thais will keep recycling.

Just out of interest how far inland will the clean-up go in Pattaya, lots of pollution & 2 legged flotsam their to be cleaned up too !!

Edited September 16, 2012 by fareastguy

[Thai at Heart]

Only 9 percent plasticbags?

[ARGUSEYE]

In this land the most urgent campaign needs to go like this:

"You do NOT need to put every pack of Mama noodles you buy at 7/11

into another plastic bag just to carry it home, stupid!"

[johna]

I can understand the need to keep the place clean but surely that's the job of Pattaya public works department.

What’s the ratio of ex-pats to local volunteers.

[cooked]

Wanna see my Tshirt? I don't like plastic in Thai for those that don't understand this at cashouts but can read. (Phom mai tschoop plastic' or something like that).

I think Australia has forbidden them altogether.

[dcutman]

Only 9 percent plasticbags?

I find this a bit suspect myself, or it could be that many of the plastic bags are floating along the bottom drifting in the currents, or they nearly hung up on the dead or dying reefs.

[WhizBang]

Perhaps a thai official can explain the reluctance to supply an adequate number of trash bins in public areas.

Oh that's easy. No garbage cans to put your trash into, so you just throw it down to join the rest of the trash on the ground. Then that eagle eyed BiB taps you on the shoulder and demands a 1000 baht for his tea money to 'overlook' your indiscretion. See, there is a method to this madness.

As for plastic bags, Thai's use far too many. Just the other day I went into Terminal 21 to the bakery downstairs. I bought 6 pasteries, and, you guessed it, each pastry was put into it's own plastic bag, then sealed with scotch tape to ensure you couldn't easily get it out, and finally all six were placed in another larger plastic bag to carry home.

So seven plastic bags for 6 items.

Rediculous.

[MESmith]

Why just clean the beach? What about the rest of litter strewn Thailand?

[Crazy chef 1]

Only 9 percent plasticbags?

Please read again-WORLD WIDE- is the miracle word

[asiawatcher]

Who was the poor sucker who counted 52+ Million cigarette butts - AND - if the fines system was in place at 2,000 Baht a butt, think of how much money the BiB could pocket...

[brianP]

I have seen the debris in Rayong and south from last years flood. The currents are now bringing the Bangkok trash south and ashore in trash tides.

Must be a bunch of one legged folks out there from all the single shoes washing up.

[osiboy]

About time too , i think this is an easy problem to solve on thailands most popular beaches,......if every vendor of food and beverages & deckchairs etc, was made to keep their "own patch" litter free in exchange for having their lucrative businesses there, the problem would be solved. i also cant understand why there is nobody employed by the province/city to constantly keep the beaches litter free , i recon 1 person would be enough if they were doing it full time on the majority of beaches, its great to hear they are going to clean up rayong beaches , they have been filthy in recent years and could be some of the best

[omnilangur]

I can understand the need to keep the place clean but surely that's the job of Pattaya public works department.

What’s the ratio of ex-pats to local volunteers.

Expecting others to clean up a collective problem we've all caused is a cowards excuse. I've wandered the beaches picking up batteries, plastic nets with trapped fish inside, broken bottes, aluminum and don't forget all the toxic waste being dumped by all the Coca Cola Business partners in Rayong?

[Rob8891]

Perhaps a thai official can explain the reluctance to supply an adequate number of trash bins in public areas.

Oh that's easy. No garbage cans to put your trash into, so you just throw it down to join the rest of the trash on the ground. Then that eagle eyed BiB taps you on the shoulder and demands a 1000 baht for his tea money to 'overlook' your indiscretion. See, there is a method to this madness.

As for plastic bags, Thai's use far too many. Just the other day I went into Terminal 21 to the bakery downstairs. I bought 6 pasteries, and, you guessed it, each pastry was put into it's own plastic bag, then sealed with scotch tape to ensure you couldn't easily get it out, and finally all six were placed in another larger plastic bag to carry home.

So seven plastic bags for 6 items.

Rediculous.

You mean you did not take a used bag out with you, to cut down on the waste you're objecting to?...and didn't tell them to put all the items in one bag, not into six? That would have sorted all seven bags for your six items. Just out of interest, how many of the 7 bags have you re-used?

Riduculous

[Skywalker69]

Wanna see my Tshirt? I don't like plastic in Thai for those that don't understand this at cashouts but can read. (Phom mai tschoop plastic' or something like that).

I think Australia has forbidden them altogether.

ผมไม่ชอบพลาสติก

Were can I buy a T-Shirt like that?

[johna]

I can understand the need to keep the place clean but surely that's the job of Pattaya public works department.

What’s the ratio of ex-pats to local volunteers.

Expecting others to clean up a collective problem we've all caused is a cowards excuse. I've wandered the beaches picking up batteries, plastic nets with trapped fish inside, broken bottes, aluminum and don't forget all the toxic waste being dumped by all the Coca Cola Business partners in Rayong?

cowards excuse???

[cooked]

Wanna see my Tshirt? I don't like plastic in Thai for those that don't understand this at cashouts but can read. (Phom mai tschoop plastic' or something like that).

I think Australia has forbidden them altogether.

ผมไม่ชอบพลาสติก

Were can I buy a T-Shirt like that?

I went to a sports shop and got two made, ฿140.-. In a nice cotton bag. My next project is bumper stickers, maybe 'Mad Farang, stops for children and dogs'.

[AleG]

Perhaps a thai official can explain the reluctance to supply an adequate number of trash bins in public areas.

Oh that's easy. No garbage cans to put your trash into, so you just throw it down to join the rest of the trash on the ground. Then that eagle eyed BiB taps you on the shoulder and demands a 1000 baht for his tea money to 'overlook' your indiscretion. See, there is a method to this madness.

As for plastic bags, Thai's use far too many. Just the other day I went into Terminal 21 to the bakery downstairs. I bought 6 pasteries, and, you guessed it, each pastry was put into it's own plastic bag, then sealed with scotch tape to ensure you couldn't easily get it out, and finally all six were placed in another larger plastic bag to carry home.

So seven plastic bags for 6 items.

Rediculous.

You mean you did not take a used bag out with you, to cut down on the waste you're objecting to?...and didn't tell them to put all the items in one bag, not into six? That would have sorted all seven bags for your six items. Just out of interest, how many of the 7 bags have you re-used?

Riduculous

Onece, only once, I took a canvas bag to do some shopping at the nearby Tesco. It looked like a good plan until the checkout girl had to put a sticker and stamp it for every single fricking product I bought, so that they wouldn't think I was eloping without paying at the door. It took three or four times longer to checkout than the usual; I wasn't happy, the people down the cue even less.

[overherebc]

I know one thai lady who walks 15 metres to the garden wall to throw her black plastic bag on the beach because it's 25 metres to the bin at the front of the house.

Cleaning up is never a bad idea but as the same in all nations, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. It has to start with the school kids and it will take that generation to begin the process, as in UK many years ago, along with a genuine attitude from local councils to provide a good garbage removal service.

Unfortunately not in my life time.

Just recently my wife bought one of those "Green Bags" from Tesco and was amazed to see the girl put each item in a plastic bag before putting in the shopping bag. The girl was even more amazed when my wife started taking things out of the plastic bags and handing them back to her.

Edited September 17, 2012 by overherebc

[cooked]

I know one thai lady who walks 15 metres to the garden wall to throw her black plastic bag on the beach because it's 25 metres to the bin at the front of the house.

Cleaning up is never a bad idea but as the same in all nations, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. It has to start with the school kids and it will take that generation to begin the process, as in UK many years ago, along with a genuine attitude from local councils to provide a good garbage removal service.

Unfortunately not in my life time.

Just recently my wife bought one of those "Green Bags" from Tesco and was amazed to see the girl put each item in a plastic bag before putting in the shopping bag. The girl was even more amazed when my wife started taking things out of the plastic bags and handing them back to her.

We go through this nearly every day. Isaan is lush and green at the moment, but I know that when it stops raining the plastic that is everywhere will become visible, it really makes you feel that you are living on a rubbish tip. The guys come along, mow the dried grass and burn it in situ along with about 30% plastic. You don't have to smoke tobacco to get lung cancer here. Our village clinic is downwind from the village tip, so guess what happens when somebody sets fire to the c@@p stock piled there....