Bangkok aims to turn On Nut landfills into green space
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is planning to turn landfill sites in On Nut subdistrict, with a combined 103 rai (16.48 hectares), into green space with the help of private partners.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Wednesday met with representatives from PTT Global Chemical Plc (GC) and its affiliate Solution Creation Ltd to discuss the projects in which the companies will help Bangkok handle waste management, recycling and upcycling of the city’s garbage.
Chadchart said the project's top priority is to turn 103 rai of landfill sites in On Nut area into usable space where trees can be planted and serve as the city’s lung.
“Of the 103 rai landfills, about 48 rai are garbage mountains that need to be eliminated first, while the rest can be filled or bulldozed and start planting trees right away,” he said.
GC said the company is ready to help with land transformation and tree planting once the city surveys all the areas that can be turned into green space.
GC added that it would continue to work with the BMA in recycling PET bottles and other plastic wastes into personal protective equipment kits and working outfits for BMA’s cleaning staff in a bid to reduce waste and make the fullest use of resources.
The company promised to establish more drop points in highly populated areas to collect recyclable household waste on a larger scale.
“Bangkok has a serious garbage issue. The main problem is that most households do not separate their wastes, costing collection staff about half an hour per stop to separate them before loading them in the truck,” the governor said. “If households properly separate their waste before the garbage trucks come, it would greatly help speed up the collection process.”
Chadchart added that Bangkok has appointed selected districts as garbage separation pilot zones, where households are mandated to systematically separate their wastes. If proved to be successful, the project will be expanded throughout the city.
