Less Loy Krathong garbage fished out of Bangkok waters this year
This year, 98.39% of krathongs (506,320) used by Bangkokians were made from biodegradable materials
A total of 514,590 krathongs, or decorated floats, have been fished out of ponds, canals and rivers in metropolitan Bangkok after the Loy Krathong Festival, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) reported on Saturday morning.
The amount of garbage picked up during the festival this year is 19.57% lower than that in 2023, or 125,238 krathongs, BMA spokesman Aekvarunyoo Amrapala said.
He said staff of the BMA’s Environmental Department and 50 district offices started collecting krathongs at 8pm on Friday, November 15, the night of the Loy Krathong Festival this year.
On the full-moon night of the 12th lunar month, Thais launch floats decorated with flowers, incense sticks and a candle on to water bodies to pay respects to Phra Mae Khongkha, the Goddess of Water.
The krathong-pickup mission wrapped up at around 5am on Saturday, in an effort to prevent garbage from blocking waterways and causing floods, Aekvarunyoo said.
He said that this year, 98.39% of krathongs (506,320) used by Bangkokians were made from biodegradable materials, while about 1.61% (8,270) are made from polystyrene.
It should be noted that polystyrene takes about 500 years to decompose.
Compared with last year, 618,951 krathongs were biodegradable, while 20,877 were polystyrene.
The polystyrene floats will be disposed of at landfill sites, while the biodegradable ones are turned into fertiliser at a facility in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district, Aekvarunyoo said.
He noted that this year is the first time the BMA and partners organised digital Loy Krathong events at four locations in the city, featuring a projection mapping display of a river to allow people to float their digital krathongs without worrying about creating environmental impact.
The BMA recorded 10,885 digital krathongs being floated during the event at Pathumwan Skywalk, Lan Khon Muang, Ong Ang Canal and Peace Park.
Meanwhile, 36,832 digital krathongs were floated via the website https://greener.bangkok.go.th, in which participants could choose from 34 parks in the city and select a krathong style they liked.
