Keeping an Island as clean as Paradise

That’s how we from #tide got in contact with Carina and Florian. They told us that the island was in desperate need of a waste management system. Thanks to their incredible commitment, we were able to set up a mutual plan for a warehouse where the islanders could store the plastic waste before they would transport it with a longtail boat to #tide’s facility in Ranong.

It was a day before new year’s eve 2021, when the Royal Thai Navy helped the locals to straighten the land, with their tractor and their manforce. Within a few weeks, the basic structure for a stable warehouse was ready, a warehouse that would withstand heavy storms in the rainy season and protect from the sun at the same time.

Beside the warehouse a bungalow made from wood was built to serve as office and shelter, thanks to a roof that consists of palm leaves. «It was our big goal to work with materials that were already existing on the island», Carina and Florian are saying. «That’s how we came up with the idea to use the huge amount of glass bottles that we found on the island and incorporate them into the wall of the warehouse.»

As of today, the #tide warehouse on Koh Chang is open 3 times a week, and everyone – from Thais, to Burmese or Moken people – knows that they can bring their “catch of plastic” to the warehouse.

Not even a year after the whole adventure started, the islanders collected more than 15 tons of plastic, which has been stored in the warehouse and then been transported to the mainland to a social enterprise, where we from #tide continue to give waste a value and a second life.

"The response is wonderful», Carina recaps, the beaches are cleaner and the sea is clearer." Plus: Many people are happy to have an extra income, as they are being paid for the kilo plastic.