Article by Steve Martin - asiadreams@gmail.com
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-Beach cleanup was 60 to 70 people
-150 to 170 bags of trash collected
-Low/rainy/green season... rebranding as “summer season”
-Annualize the season
-My photos: only half of the trash, the other half was taken away already
Trash piled up near the police station and the kamala Beach Hotel
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Phuket green cross beach clean
We need your help and Kamala beach needs your help....
Date:
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Time:
3:00pm - 6:00pm
Location:
Meet at Smile beach bar Kamala beach, Phuket
Phone:
0819560337
Email:
karl@beautifulworldthailand.com
Description
A core group of local businesses including Beautiful World, IndigoRE,HMSP,Andara,Cape Sienna,Rockfish,Courtyard and Lotus Trinity are looking at ways to clean up Kamala beach which now in low season is unbelievably trashed.
So bring some gloves,friends,beers,BIN BAGS,rakes and we will have a laugh and get clearing trash. We will try to do our bit for the environment. just maybe by us been on the beach cleaning it may set a good example to the locals...this is the first of a few cleaning ideas we have for Kamala beach. we need your help so pass this event to any friends you have in Phuket. Please only people who are serious about joining us should add their attendance.Feel free to add yourself as a maybe and write on the wall to show your support.
Park up at the beach car park of Kamala police station and walk to the right 100m and you will find us at Smile beach bar.
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Lutz Mueller
Courtyard Marriott GM
-“summer in Phuket”... image shift
-A community-based get together (a Kamala community effort)
-Long term solution to keeping the beaches clean
-Winter takes care of itself, but summer is when the problem is evident
-“I was showing a potential client the beach, it was so dirty [rubbish] that it was embarrassing.”
-3 sources of trash:
· Local businesses
· BBQ/Picnickers/park users
· From the sea
-We need a system in place, such as adequate trash bins and removal. Often the trash is left in bags near a full trash can overnight and dogs may tear it up and spread the trash around again.
-Marriott hope to do something educational
-Currently, the courtyard at Kamala does their own recycling and they use the money from recycling for activities/events
-We are open to support the cleanup; not by guests but by the Associates.
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-Phuket Green Cross
...they got/need the support of the local government [obathaw]/police
-Ajarn “Yout” is the obathaw
-Jenny (Joob’s friend)
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Richard from Rock Fish Restaurant
(Aussie)
-Trash collected today:
· Bottle tops
· Plastic bottle tops
· Cordage (thin ropes of sorts)
· Strapping material
· Fishing stuff
· Straws
-Beach cleanup culture is strong in Australia, we grew up with it
-Education is the key, it may take a generation
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Karl Grham & Nick
-Organizer/instigator of this event
-(Nick said the trash all comes from India) [it was a guess]
-Khun Karl said a lot of stuff comes from the fishermen
-See photos on facebook
-“Keep Kamala Clean Committee”
-Phuket Green Cross
· Most of the trash is local
· Good excuse to keep the beach clean
· Galvanize the community
· Involve the government
· Doesn’t look good for tourists
· The ocean is full of garbage
· It’s a beach by beach job
· Clean sells
Organizations involved:
· Courtyard
· Amanda
· Cape Siena
· Kamala Beach Hotel
· Local businesses
· Police
· Obathaw
-Looking for long-term sponsors
-Beach cleaning device
-A manager from the Chedi got involved (named Nick ___ )
Trash collected includes:
· 2 syringes
· “Ya Dom” (a type of snuff)
· Lighters
· Plastics
· Bags
Large rocks at the south end came in with Tsunami... perhaps move them with a dozer... perhaps build a wall...
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Web cams on the beach
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Luke Remmers
-Overall consensus is that it comes from us
-Early season is our stuff
-Big storm systems come up from the south and they bring the foreign garbage (it may have barnicals)
E-veryone plays their part in the pollution! 7-11 stuff... 50% of the plastics given to us we don’t even use... we just throw it away.
-Lots of little straws and plastic bags; also “tie rapping” material that is popular in Thailand
-10% of the rubbish is plastic toys. This is “thick/heavy” plastic
-Recycling is key
