Dominic Puwasawat Chakrabongse, 27, is a true environmentalist who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy degree from The London School of Economics. He is a senior campaigner for the Environmental Justice Foundation, tackling illegal fishing and human right issues in the local fishing industry, and runs the Thai chapter of Precious Plastic in his spare time. Precious Plastic Bangkok (fb.com/PreciousPlasticBKK) is part of a global movement that enables the recycling of plastic with easy-to-build machines. Dominic started Precious Plastic Bangkok about a year ago and has held many workshops on how to "upcycle" used plastics. He tells us why plastic is too precious to be carelessly thrown away.
What is Precious Plastic?
Precious Plastic is a project that was started in the Netherlands by Dave Hakkens. His idea was that plastic doesn't necessarily have to be difficult to recycle. Whether you're a big corporation, a small school or a community, you can tackle plastic pollution at your doorstep. He came up with four recycling machines that are easy to make from simple materials and techniques so you can build them and recycle plastic in your community. The building instructions of these machines can be found on Precious Plastic's website (http://preciousplastic.com).
What does Precious Plastic Bangkok do?
What we're trying to do at the moment is to find people and demonstrate them the technology. We visit events like Bangkok Design Week, Wonderfruit and schools to hold workshops. By showing the benefits of this technology and what it's capable of, hopefully we will inform and inspire people, and create that spark in their minds -- that plastic recycling can be easy, fun, cheap and beneficial for the community.
Besides our workshops, we want to work with communities that are affected by plastic pollution. We want to make plastic recycling affordable and simple. Something any community, regardless of their backgrounds, can do. Plastic recycling can create a circular economy. We have a shredder machine which turns plastic into flakes and an extruder, which melts the flakes into threads -- like a tube of toothpaste. These threads can be moulded into different products like bowls or plant pots, which can be sold. Precious Plastic machines enable communities to tackle plastic that are polluting their environment by turning it into something of tangible value to benefit their livelihood.
What do you think about the state of recycling in Thailand?
People's awareness on the trash issue is changing for better. Things have started to pick up. Metal recycling is quite prominent and glass recycling is quite effective. But the same thing can't be said for plastic, because I think plastic recycling hasn't been associated with economic benefit. Technology such as Precious Plastic may be that spark to show people that plastic doesn't have to be trash after one use but can be turned into something new. Improving recycling in Thailand must start with throwing away garbage. Infrastructure may be lacking and the lack of bins that separate types of garbage makes it difficult for people to dispose waste correctly. If you're not able to dispose waste correctly, it will make the recycling process a lot more difficult. When you mix metal with plastic waste, you can't recycle. Plastic, metal, glass needs separate boxes. Once you have that in place, then you can start recycling properly and things won't be mindlessly dumped onto a landfill.
What's your plan for Precious Plastic Bangkok?
We plan to have a base where people can come, see the machines and recycle plastic that they bring. There will also be products on sale. We aim to work with four communities as a pilot project where we set up the machines so they will be able to recycle, make products and sell them by themselves. In other words, we want to set up a circular economy. Maybe these products can be sold in shopping malls or supermarkets later. Also, they'll be able to tackle recycling and raise funds for projects within their communities by selling products made from recycled plastic. They can use our machines to build bricks, walls or tiles for floors or ceilings. A lot of opportunities can come from these machines. Ideally, we want communities to embrace and takes ownership of plastic recycling. They can bring in people with metalwork or carpentry skills within their communities to develop future products to make this project sustainable and durable.
How can people join and help?
We're developing a citywide network of bottle cap drop-off locations so we invite any interested local businesses and community centres to join our network. Convenience is a big issue when it comes to recycling and by being a drop-off spot you can help facilitate the recycling process. We do clean-ups with Trash Hero regularly so you can follow our Facebook page to stay updated on our upcoming events and opportunities to volunteer. You can join us in a clean-up or help Precious Plastic grow its social media presence. We always look for new product designs, so if you're a designer with creative idea, contact us. If you're a community leader with plastic problem, get in touch. Also, we need to build more machines. We welcome any workshops that are interested in building these machines to a high standard.
We also call on businesses across Thailand to do their parts in tackling plastic waste. We need perceptions among board members, management, staff members to change so that, for instance, they're not automatically giving out needless plastic cutlery, bags and straws. Even the simplest things like asking customers if they really need a piece of single-use plastic can make a big difference. It's a small step they can do before they consider implementing other measures to help the environment.
What's the goal of Precious Plastic Bangkok?
Our goal is to change people's perception of plastic pollution. We want them to realise that it's too valuable to just throw away plastic. We want them to think twice before they throw a bottle away because it's worth too much and can benefit someone's livelihood. Plastic isn't necessarily the enemy.
Want to become a part of the solution to plastic pollution? Precious Plastic Bangkok and Trash Hero Bangkok join forces in a big clean-up on Feb 23 at Bueng Rama IX. Visit http://bit.ly/2DYMWFl ASAP to learn more.
