recycling

[steve/m]

Ok just one question for you. does anyone recycle,or think about recycling?
I know many Thai people collect paper,glass,tins,cardboard,etc and then sell it on to bigger companys.
I know the refuse collectors go through the rubbish etc.
would any of you that own and live Huahin etc take the time to recycle if a fortnightly collection was available?

[Sabai Jai]

As you say there is plenty of re-use and scavenging to make a livining being practiced.

Less is wasted in Thailand than in the West but the concept or Re-cycling and energy conservation doesn't seem to have taken a hold yet.

Sabai Jai

[Spitfire]

Well steve/m,

In my opinion, the locals do it because it's a free/cheap way of turning 'trash to cash' and often you see a lot of the locals take the attitude that 'nothing is to be wasted' because everything, and I mean everything, has its price. One thing you tend to see here is that the locals waste very little, apart from pastic bags and product wrapping. If it can be fixed or sold then it is.

Anything else such as plastic water bottles, beer cans or bottles, cardboard etc is actually valuable to many that 'rumage through the bins' and you will see many that save such items to sell in the future when they have a reasonable amount. An empty small can of Chang is worth one Baht.

When I have visited my wife's family home, a guy rocks up once every two weeks or so and asks if there's anything we want to sell, he's got a price for almost anything, however obscure.

But I think this comes from the locals seeing an opportunity to make some cash rather from an environmentally sound consience. The Government/recycling companies pay a set price for a ton of refuse of a certain material that the local depositing place brings bring to them, it's just the locals that do most of the leg-work and make a small buck out of it.

You only get western-style refuse collection in the expensive places and you probably have to pay a bit extra on your estate bill, along with security/water bill. The deal is still the same, it's just that you don't see it if you live some place like that because you pay a little extra to not be bothered by the problem of garbage.

In the city there are probably different arrangements depending on where you are in Thailand.

This, however, provides a job for many and it's better to leave it for the locals to sort out as the average 'local' has not got much comprehension about recycling in the western sense.

Very little is wasted here, even if you don't see it. Thailand, however, is a massive plastic bag offender. Can't even but a pack of cigarettes without the 7-11 staff trying to give you a plastic bag.

Others might have more to add but I think these are the basic guidelines.

[BaaBaa.]

I give all my cans and bottles to the Lady who owns the little shop at the end of our Soi when I'm chucking the rubbish.

It's always gladly received.

[BaaBaa.]

Can't even but a pack of cigarettes without the 7-11 staff trying to give you a plastic bag.

It is a shocker in 7.

In the UK they're now trying to promote taking your own bags etc. 7 must use 10% of the worlds quota of plastic bags.

[steve/m]

I agree with what you say,and i wish good luck to any thai that does this.
Although they themselves are still being ripped of so to speak when it comes to selling to a larger company,that then sells it on for much larger profit.
There is a Dr Wongpanit,who many years ago did the same collecting etc even giving sweets to children to bring him paper, cans etc.
He now has a large recycling company in Phitsanulok,which covers a third of thailands recycling.
maybe even recieves waste from huahin,etc.
Deputy director general of the pollution control department in BKK,has put a web site talking of the 3RRRs and what it hopes to achieve.
I will be looking into this more deeply on my return.

[BaaBaa.]

I will be looking into this more deeply on my return.

RAG AND BONE, BRING YOUR RAG AND BONE.

[Spitfire]

Although they themselves are still being ripped of so to speak when it comes to selling to a larger company,that then sells it on for much larger profit.

Sadly, that is very true. However, it will not change unless there is some sort of 'divine intervention'. Most locals are happy to just make a 'bit on the side' as they strictly see it as an extracurricular endeavour that supplements their normal income from their usual sources, whatever that may be.

However, having said that, many of these people have no other income other than refuse collection and there are some rich pickings(in their eyes)in many places.

[Big Boy]

an e-mail that has just come my way - thought it was appropriate:

If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock shares one year ago, it would now be worth £4.95;

With HBOS, earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50;

£1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5;

But if you bought £1000 worth of Tennents Lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminium re-cycling plant, you would get £214.

So based on the above statistics the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and re-cycle. A sobering thought...

[Winkie]

Have any of you been to the large-scale tips on the outskirts of Bankok.

Have you seen the many families, the little kids, the houses, built directly on top of the rubbish.

Their whole lives revolve around sifting through rubbish.

Really makes you think

[Spitfire]

Well BB, from that post, 'The air thick with irony'.

[Randy Cornhole]

Recycling is the bane of our life here in the UK.
This can't go in that box...Oh! you can't put one of those in there... Are you totally mad, its red and will pollute the blue ones...I'm sorry we will have to fine you £3000 as youv'e put a polycarbonate in with a poly'non'carbonate...... And so it go's on and on and on....AAAAaaaaaaaaa
Do yourselves a big big favour and don't rush the process. You dont know what pandoras box you are opening....

[dtaai-maai]

And I thought you left HH for a cheaper life in deepest Isaan... Have you emigrated, Randy?

[Spitfire]

Recycling is the bane of our life here in the UK.

I was wondering that too DM.

[Randy Cornhole]

I had gone to Issan but went home to clear a few thing up and got caught up in the credit crunch. Now im stuck here (UK) for a while...