Cambodia's plastic problem

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CEOCambodiaNews
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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November 4, 2021
Siem Reap’s Eco-Shop helps save Phnom Penh’s plastic problems
Peter Olszewski / Khmer Times
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The owners of Siem Reap’s Eco-Shop and Refill Station, which opened in 2018 as a socially worthy business designed to save Temple Town from puerile plastic pollution, have opened a new outlet in Phnom Penh to save the capital from its plastic problems.

And according to Eco-Shop owners, Norwegian expat Katrine Solhaug and husband Simen Julner, the owners of Siem Reap’s Babel Guesthouse, Phnom Penh seriously needs saving.

“In Phnom Penh the plastic pollution is an even bigger problem than in Siem Reap,” Katrine says. “The Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, plus all the canals all over the city, are full of plastic garbage, especially the nasty Styrofoam that is heavily used by the take-away sector that is growing now with the pandemic. “When there is heavy rain, the drains get blocked with plastic and garbage floats around everywhere. So it’s a big dream come true to be able to open our second Eco-shop and Refill station in Phnom Penh, where we can make a huge impact.”

The Eco-Shop and Refill Station stock eco-friendly natural alternatives to plastic for travellers and locals can also bring their own jars and containers and fill them up with different soaps and, with most items locally made, more jobs are created.

The new Phnom Penh outlet is based at the restaurant Penh@Coconut Park which opened earlier this year in Coconut Park on Koh Pich, and is a sister establishment to the already existing Penh 278 restaurant.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50964754/s ... -problems/
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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Cambodia Makes Straw Made From Edible Fruits and Vegetables To Reduce and Replace Plastic
By Paw Mozter Aug 10, 2022 12:50 AM EDT

Say Samal, the minister of the environment, praised a Cambodian company that makes straws out of rice and vegetable matter instead of plastic, which he claimed is overused worldwide.

During the forecast period of 2021-2028, the edible straws market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.14%, from its documented value of USD 209.03 million in 2020 to USD 446.96 million in 2028.

Straws made from plant-based ingredients like rice, wheat, fruits, vegetables, sugar, and corn are known as edible straws.

They are biodegradable devices used for drinking beverages, as per Fresh Plaza.

According to Tith Sokhom, owner of the company TK&D Manufacturing, the straws are made from natural materials like rice, corn, potatoes, and pandan leaves and come in a variety of colors.

The business, which was launched in September of last year, is the first of its kind in the Kingdom.

The businessman started to consider whether Cambodia could take action to lessen its use of plastic after observing the production of environmentally friendly goods in other nations.

She and her husband decided to start their business after a little deliberation. Utilizing imported machinery, TK & D creates straws from rice flour that are combined with other goods.

Sotheara, who works for the General Department of Taxation, told The Post that they are very effective and last long enough to drink a large drink.

Although the straws are made out of rice flour, using them won't cause them to dissolve.

She advised eating the straw after finishing your drink. If you don't want to do that, you can dispose of it; it will quickly decompose into dust.

According to the business's owner, TK&D can produce more than 100 boxes of straws per day in the Krakor district of Pursat province, where it employs more than 100 villagers.

The business is gradually entering new markets, such as Sna Dai Me Market and Makro Supermarkets.

Although these are not the first green straws to be sold in Cambodia, all of the others are imports.

Finding these products seems challenging because the market is small, the supply is low, and the demand for such kinds of products is not as high as it ought to be.

The cost of a box of 50 TK&D rice, potato, corn, or carrot straws is only 10,000 riel. Sokhon expressed his gratitude for the environment minister's observation, saying it was encouraging to hear he had seen them.
https://www.natureworldnews.com/article ... lastic.htm
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

Post by cautious colin »

The problem with edible straws or any eco friendly straw is that most of them are useless. Either get to soft, impart flavour or are reusable (which doesn't seem sanitary)

Best solution in 90% of cases is to not use a straw
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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never have nor never will, use a straw
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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Cambodia produces over 4 million tons of garbage per year: official
Source: Xinhua
2022-08-30 22:03:30
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia produces more than 4 million tons of garbage a year, and only a half was disposed of at dumping sites, Ministry of Environment's secretary of state and spokesman Neth Pheaktra said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference here, Pheaktra said more than 60 percent of the waste was organic, 20 percent was plastic bags, and the remainder was general and solid waste.

He said only 50 percent of the garbage was dumped at 213 dumping sites across the country, as the remaining half of the waste was thrown at open fields, dumped into water sources, or burned down.

"A total of 2.01 million tons of waste a year is disposed of at the dumping sites," Pheaktra said.
- Xinhua
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

Post by Tootsfriend »

phuketrichard wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 7:43 am never have nor never will, use a straw
Spoiler:
when drinking my bottle of wine
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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Well done!
Phare sponsors anti-plastic tour, show for children in Battambang
Hong Raksmey | Publication date 26 October 2022 | 21:22 ICT

Phare Creative Studio, based on the campus of its mother NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak, has been running an awareness-raising tour of Battambang province to tackle the plastic litter and pollution affecting the Cambodian environment by encouraging people to change their behaviour.

The tour was composed of the theatrical show Mit Somlanh (Best Friend) and a series of workshops where the young participants learned to create fish out of single use materials they found at home, while learning more about the 4 Rs: “Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle”.

Mit Somlanh is an engaging theatrical show to raise awareness of the need to save the marine ecosystem which was performed at Pannasastra, Sovannaphum, USA School, Phare Ponleu Selpak, Children’s Action for Development and Children’s Future International for primary school students in October, reaching over a thousand children ages 6 to 12 years old.

Reaksa was one of the children who participated in the workshops. She was filmed for an interview with the Phare Creative Studio team.

When asked about plastic pollution, she said in the video that “when plastic bags are in lakes or rivers, it can affect fish and other living things in the water as well as humans. I think the 4 Rs can send a message to those who watch this video not to litter plastic waste.”

The play Mit Somlanh depicts the friendship between a child and a fish whose life is threatened by plastic litter.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle ... battambang
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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New MRC Report Calls for Collective Action on Plastics Pollution
AKP Phnom Penh, December 21, 2022 --

The Mekong River Commission is sounding the alarm on the growing challenge of macroplastics and microplastics, urging its four Member Countries to establish a joint, permanent mechanism to monitor and clean up pollutants that seep into the soil, air and fisheries — and can affect both the ecosystem and human health.

Regarding this pollution in the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB), the MRC also recommends Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam to pass and enforce new rules and regulations on waste littering; the so-called “3Rs” of reduce, reuse, recycle; and riverine plastics waste management. As the report states, these policies should specify who should do what, identifying the “clear responsibility of national government, local government, private sector and community.”

The MRC’s own Riverine Plastic Monitoring (RPM) Programme — the first one in the world — estimated that in 2020, its four countries had produced about eight million tonnes of plastic waste. At ports and piers, for example, some 70 to 90 percenet of the solid waste was identified as plastic bottles, plastic bags and styrofoam.
- AKP
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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Some of the plastic rubbish clogging Cambodia's waterways is being cleaned up and recycled by enterprising activists.
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For example: These useful and decorative pots for plants.
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Re: Cambodia's plastic problem

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Beyond borders: Collaborative solutions to plastic pollution in Southeast Asia
Benoît Bosquet
June 04, 2023

The alarming escalation of plastic pollution jeopardizes public health, livelihoods, and our environment. Around 11 million metric tons of plastic waste ends up in our oceans annually, accounting for a staggering 85 percent of all marine pollution. Trillions of pieces of plastic are estimated to be in the ocean, accumulating as gigantic garbage patches, carcinogenic microplastics in our food chain, and polluting global ecosystems. If this trajectory continues, the total weight of plastic in our oceans is projected to surpass that of all fish by 2050.

Southeast Asia is a hotspot for plastic pollution, largely due to rapid urbanization, a growing middle class, and underdeveloped waste management infrastructure. Countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand are some of the major contributors of mismanaged plastic waste, while nations like Cambodia and Lao PDR grapple with escalating plastic waste issues that strain existing waste management systems. Within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States (AMS), more than half of waste generated is uncollected and less than a quarter is recycled.

A Regional Approach to a Global Challenge

The cross-border nature of marine plastic debris demands a regional approach to this global problem. Recognizing this, in 2021, ASEAN launched the Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (2021-2025) (RAP). This comprehensive strategy outlines fourteen priority actions for regional and national implementation to strengthen policies, build capacity and awareness, and engage the private sector.

The design of the RAP was supported by the World Bank with funding from PROBLUE, a multi-donor trust fund that supports sustainable development of marine and coastal resources. Implementation is being supported through the World Bank’s “Waves of Change: Tackling Regional Marine Plastics Pollution in East Asia and the Pacific” advisory program. Thanks to contributions from several donor partners*, the program generates regional knowledge on topics including plastic packaging standards, regional waste trade and plastic pollution assessment methodologies.

Country-specific studies on plastics were also carried out – in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam - assessing the market potential for recycled plastics, identifying the most leaked plastic products, and facilitating the creation of national action plans to reduce plastic pollution and phase out single-use plastics.

Building on these efforts, the Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP) was developed. Financed through a $20 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA), SEA-MaP supports ten of the fourteen priority actions identified in the RAP, including policy support, innovation, capacity building, outreach, and private sector engagement. This innovative regional initiative aims to reduce plastic consumption, enhance recycling, and minimize leakage to prevent land and marine-based plastic pollution in Southeast Asia.

SEA-MaP also facilitates country-level investments for improved waste management. One example is the Cambodia Solid Waste and Plastic Management Improvement Project, a $60 million project financed by IDA, with an additional $3 million from PROBLUE, approved in May 2023. This project aims to strengthen waste and plastic management in Cambodia, enhance private sector performance in waste services, and improve waste fee systems. The project is expected to expand waste collection to many more households, increase landfill disposal capacity, and support new policies and standards to reduce waste and marine plastics.
In full: https://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapac ... heast-asia
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