Phuket, Thailand is considered one of the top tourist destinations in the land of golden temples, it is also known for its beautiful beaches, diverse natural landscapes, high-class resorts and many recreational activities.
It was thought so, but now Thailand's "tourist paradise" is drowning in a "sea" of garbage. Every day, 1,100 tons of waste - equivalent to the weight of a high-rise building - is dumped into the treatment plant, turning this beautiful island into a "giant landfill". This number has increased rapidly compared to previous years, continuously increasing from 742 tons (in 2022) to 961 tons, exposing the unpredictable consequences of the post-pandemic tourism revival.
The province’s only incinerator, already overloaded, can only process 900 tons of garbage per day. The rest, hundreds of tons of garbage per day, are “forced” to be dumped in landfills around the island, turning them into giant “garbage mountains”. In addition, only 10% of the garbage is recycled, the rest is mostly organic waste, a seriously wasted resource.
Phuket sees 1,100 tons of garbage/day
According to Bloomberg, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, said that at least 300 marine animals including pilot whales, sea turtles, and dolphins die each year in Thai waters due to ingesting plastic waste. This incident has attracted global attention, especially from environmental organizations and of course, affects the image of Thailand's tourism industry.
According to Bangkok Post, this challenge was mentioned and discussed by Mr. Norasak and 150 industry leaders and global policymakers from many countries who came to Phuket at the 25th Inter-Island Tourism Policy Forum. Along with that, the difficulties in sustainability and strategies to restore the smokeless industry in the face of climate change were also focused on.
The amount of garbage scattered on the island is unsightly.
In an effort to reduce the rising amount of food waste that accompanies the recovery of the tourism industry, the Thai Organic Consumers Association (TOCA) is partnering with hotels in the island province of Phuket to initiate a food waste composting system, in line with the government’s Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model.
TOCA is currently working with the Phuket Hotels Association (PHA) to conduct a pilot project that encourages hotels to turn organic waste into high-quality compost.
TOCA will encourage hotels to install food waste digesters developed by partner Bang Krachao Farm. Waste can be easily decomposed to create organic fertilizer with low energy consumption.
The increasing number of tourists is the cause of environmental pollution.
According to Thailand's Pollution Control Department, food waste accounts for 64% of total waste in the country and nearly 40% of that food waste is still edible and of good quality - known as food surplus.
Meanwhile, Phuket began testing a “trash bank” in the Samakkee Samkong community in Muang district earlier this year to recycle waste and trash. If successful, the scheme will be rolled out to other locations, Thai PBS reported.
The average number of foreign tourists arriving in Phuket via direct flights is now 10,000 per day, nearly double the previous low season’s average of around 6,000. According to a recent survey by international online travel booking platform Agoda, Thailand is the top Asian destination for European tourists, ahead of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines.
