Koh Lanta’s war on waste hailed as breakthrough for green tourism

Launched by the Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) in 2021, the initiative is setting a new standard for sustainable tourism and preserving the island’s natural beauty for generations to come.

Koh Lanta’s mangroves, coral beaches, and jungle-covered hills have faced increasing pressure from tourism development over the past few decades, with nearly 300,000 tourists visiting the island in 2019 alone. The island’s economy is now almost entirely dependent on tourism, which is taking a heavy toll on the environment amid limited waste-management infrastructure.

Wilavan Noipa, director of TEI’s natural resources programme, explained that the programme is designed to tackle the waste problem in communities facing a landfill shortage, while also promoting a circular economy.

On Wednesday, Wilavan Noipa unveiled the following eight steps that Koh Lanta is taking on its journey to sustainability:

• Initiating a waste database covering the island’s entire supply chain to ensure tangible results
• Setting up two plastic upcycling plants (Lanta Plas Centres) to upcycle plastic waste into plant pots and souvenirs
• Enabling households, communities, schools, hospitals and others to manage solid waste properly to reduce the necessity for rubbish bins and landfills
• Setting up waste stations that encourage residents to sort waste
• Recycling food waste as animal feed to cut costs for chicken and duck farmers and reduce environmental impacts 
• Empowering junk dealers to play a crucial role in waste recycling
• Organising waste collection on beaches two months before the tourism season
•  Using messages, images and videos to promote community collaboration in the programme

“Effective waste management requires a collective effort, so initiating good practices tailored to each area helps raise awareness and encourage collaboration in the community,” Wilavan said.