An article from Darrel SteerSince 2017, the Cambodia Clean Water & Toilet Project (CCWTP) led by Rotarian Darrel Steer has been raising awareness of the ‘Dangers of Burning Plastics’. The challenge of ‘what to do with the plastics’ led to the plan of collecting the plastic rubbish.
Pics: Villagers transporting bags of plastic
The placing of laminated posters in every washroom toilet installation, and by conducting community workshops in Kok Tnoth Village stops families, particularly children, from burning plastics.
The benefits are:
- Less carcinogenic dioxins in the soil and air.
- Potential reduction in cancers caused by dioxins.
- Reduction in farm animals eating plastics.
- Less plastic into waterways.
- Reduction in plastic bags being used.
The Commune Chief embraced the concept but did not have the funds to make it happen. COVID put everything on hold, and it was District 9800’s Project World of Difference ‘seed’ donation of USD2,130 in February 2023 which funded the first year of weekly plastic collection.
For the past three years, CCWTP has provided a weekly collection service of plastics. Families are provided with a large black plastic bag, they fill their bag with plastics accumulated at their home. The bags of plastic are then taken to the waste management centre in Siem Reap where they are compressed for land fill. (Recycling of plastic bags is not an option in Cambodia, only plastic bottles can be recycled).
The success of the programme was celebrated by the Kok Tnoth Village Chief at a Siem Reap District meeting last year, when he described his village as having significantly improved its environment; explaining that by not burning plastics, the village had no plastic litter on the paths, roads and around houses, a direct result of the collection of plastics.
CCWTP has had ongoing discussions with the Commune Chief about the commune taking over the plastic collection but the commune has not been able to obtain the funds and believes it may be another three years before funds are available. The total cost has been USD2,000 per year.
The Rotary Club of Chadstone East Malvern is currently supporting a project in neighbouring Kok Beng Village funding a programme at the local primary school to stop burning plastics – the school leading by example to encourage families to not burn plastics at home. They have provided collection bins for separating general waste, recyclables and plastics with the plastics being collected weekly.
If any Rotary Club is interested in a project to help cover the costs please contact Darrel Steer (darrelgsteer@gmail.com) or World of Difference Chair Mark Stephens (rotarywod@gmail.com)