An unlikely partnership between a Buddhist monk, an entrepreneur, and a High Impact Plastic Pollution remOver ("Hippo") boat is helping to tackle Bangkok's plastic pollution with inspiring results.
The Guardian shared the story of how Phra Mahapranom Dhammalangkaro, a temple abbot of Wat Chak Daeng, was spurred into action to clean up the Chao Phraya River.
As a young monk, he observed children playing in the river and others drinking its water. Around 25 years later when he became temple abbot, though, it disheartened him to see that the river was filthy and surrounded by trash. The Chao Phraya River is Bangkok's largest and busiest waterway transporting tons of people — and sadly plastic waste, as the report detailed.
Dhammalangkaro quickly attacked the surrounding pollution head-on by building a recycling center. It went from a modest operation to upcycling over 300 tons a year, per the Guardian. One problem remained. He lacked the resources to clean the river directly.
That's where Tom Peacock-Nazil came in. As Seven Clean Seas' CEO, an organization that takes on plastic pollution, he paired Dhammalangkaro with a solar-powered boat called the "Hippo." They aim to remove a staggering 3.08 million pounds of plastic annually.
"I want to take the waste from the river before it goes to the sea," Dhammalangkaro told the Guardian.
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Those efforts could be paramount to protecting endangered species that live in the waters, like the Siamese tigerfish. The Hippo efficiently collects all the plastic waste from the water, where it can be hand-sorted and then recycled in Dhammalangkaro's temple. A side benefit of the boat's head-turning, bright yellow appearance will be prompting locals to learn more about plastic pollution.
The project fits neatly into Thailand's efforts to recycle all of its "targeted plastic waste" by 2027, described in one case study. The country currently recycles 37% of its PET plastic, per another report.
In a creative solution, some of the recycled plastic is sent to a local factory to become fabric for monks' robes and accessories. People can also receive "merits," an aid for Buddhists in the quality of their next life, as a bonus for providing recycling to Dhammalangkaro's temple.
Unfortunately, Thailand is just one of many countries dealing with the consequences of plastic pollution, which poses a major danger to sea creatures and humans who depend on waterways for food and transportation.
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Plastic can take centuries to break down in nature while filling up methane-producing landfills, and researchers are also uncovering the apparent dangers of microplastics.
While finding alternatives to plastics is crucial to contribute to a cleaner future, Dhammalangkaro and Peacock-Nazil's efforts are part of one of our most effective existing solutions to deal with plastic waste already in circulation, which is maximizing recycling.
They're not done just yet, as the team is aiming to deploy more Hippos in Thailand and elsewhere. They want to boost local education about recycling and provide the infrastructure for communities to stop plastic from getting into rivers.
"I really hope that one day we are made redundant … and Hippos don't need to float in the river, but until that day we will continue to do what we do the best way we can do it," Peacock-Nazil said in the Guardian report.
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