The Waste Management campaign, which is part of the Environmental Protection project, is called the Wonder of Waste project and it aims to reduce waste and unused materials by rebuilding or upcycling items into new products. Once new products have been made, they are taken to local schools to educate students about how waste can be better managed. This year, the finished upcycled products were donated to Banklongpring School in Chonburi, as part HPT's 'Green School 2022' CSR activity.
Working with Kasetsart University's Faculty of International Maritime Studies, over 50 new products were crafted using reused materials including plastic, paper, glass, steel, wood, rubber, clothing, and other materials. All waste was collected from within and nearby the HPT terminal and Kasetsart University area, the local neighbourhood and from business partners. Once collected, the waste was placed in Waste Separation Bins at the terminal and Kasetsart University and selected locations for collection.
"This is the first year we have held the Wonder of Waste campaign and the results are astonishing. While we collected a lot of waste, the students from Kasetsart University were also able to reuse much of the material and create a new product - from play areas for kids, to bags and storage. There are some very inventive ideas. In the future we are considering a permanent sustainable recycling facility, and we look forward to seeing even more creative outcomes in next year's Wonder of Waste campaign," said Stephen Ashworth, Managing Director of Thailand and South East Asia, Hutchison Ports.
HPT plans to continue the Waste Management campaign in 2023 and extend the project to the public. The company will also measure the reduction to CO2 emissions and increase the target weight of waste to be repurposed.
"We are delighted with the success of this year's campaign and it has met our aims of encouraging recycling and upcycling practices as a mean of waste minimization to achieve long-term sustainability," added Stephen.
Source: Spark Communications
