With plastic-eating machines, Thai communities turn a profit fighting pollution

I found the workshop down a narrow soi in Bangkok’s old town. Several large sacks of plastic bottle caps, carefully sorted by colour, were propped up by the entrance.  

Machines filled the rest of the shed, but this wasn’t a big, industrial set up. The machinery was small-scale and hand operated. Its purpose was to turn those plastic caps into something new, ensuring they would no longer head to landfill or, worse, into the ocean.  

This was the workshop of Precious Plastic Bangkok, and it was a pleasure to write this article about their work providing communities around Thailand with machines to recycle plastic into useful products that can be sold for a profit.

The extruder melts old bottle caps so they can be shaped into new products. Photo: Ewen Mcleish

During my research I took part in a plastic recycling workshop where I learned how the process works and even made my own flowerpot! It looked a bit dodgy due to my inexpert hands, but I could see how, with a bit of practice lots of different containers could be created.

Precious Plastic have equipped communities with knowledge, tools and machines to recycle plastic. I was lucky enough to interview representatives of four of these initiatives about how how the projects were unfolding in their different geographies. Everyone involved was so enthusiastic about tackling the plastic pollution crisis.

A community group works together to sort plastic bottle caps into colours.
Photo: Precious Plastic Bangkok. 

Thanks to Dominic Chakrabongse and Jisara Suwannasri, both of Precious Plastic Bangkok for all their help in writing it all up.

I received some really nice comments from them after the article was published:

"We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to you for writing a fantastic article about Precious Plastic Bangkok. Your article has helped to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and the positive impact it can have on our community and the environment. We are truly grateful for your support and for helping to spread our message."

- Jisara

"Thank you, Ewen Mcleish, for your wonderful article about Precious Plastic Bangkok. It was incredibly thoughtful of you to take the time to share our mission and the work that we do with your readers. Your article has helped to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and the positive impact it can have on our community and the environment. We are truly grateful for your support and for helping to spread our message!"

- Dominic

Check out the full article here on Bangkok Coconuts!

Going Green: 8 ways we're acting on the government's sustainability strategy

I earn my bread and butter as a primary teacher at an international school here in Bangkok. Alongside helping youngsters learn the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic, I lead the school's approach to sustainability. 

I was interested to find out that the UK government published a policy paper on sustainability, climate change and education in 2022. Given that British international schools, including my own, make a show of keeping up to date with the latest policy developments in the UK, I wondered what the ideas proposed would look like in my setting. 

Writing the piece also gave me the chance to read the paper closely and explore how schools can implement the ideas inside. I selected eight areas, explained them, then described how we're trying to meet them or what hurdles are getting in the way. 

The points I identified in the strategy were:

1. Bringing nature onto school grounds. 

2. Appointing sustainability leads in every school. 

3. Providing carbon literacy training for staff. 

4. Improving buildings to respond to climate change and reduce emissions. 

5. The educational opportunities that flow from any improvements implemented. 

6. Where in the curriculum should this learning be placed? 

7. How to handle political debate about environmental issues in the classroom. 

8. Celebrating the success of the young people involved. 

Full details of all of these can be found in my article published by TES Magazine here. 

One thing to note, I wanted to make the point (which comes through in the strategy) that retrofitting school buildings to become more climate friendly and reduce emissions can actually provide learning opportunities for pupils. Educators can use climate friendly adaptations like installing solar panels or heat pumps to create real life lessons. Giving children the chance to see how climate solutions are actually put into practice. I wish this had come across more clearly in the published article.