ไทย
Phuket – February 21, 2024, at Dusit Thani Laguna Hotel, Mr. Poomkitt Raktae-ngam, President of the Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation, participated in the “Phuket MICE Sustainability Model” seminar, organized by the Southern Region Convention and Exhibition Promotion Office (TCEB) in collaboration with the MICE Capabilities Development Division of TCEB South. The seminar aimed to enhance knowledge and drive sustainable development for businesses in the southern provinces, ensuring they meet standards and serve as essential foundations for driving business growth for all organizations in the region.
Mr. Poomkitt mentioned during the meeting that the Sustainable Tourism Development Foundation has initiated a pioneering project called the ‘Carbon Neutrality’ in the Old Town community of Phuket. This initiative involves collaborating with the community and businesses in the main market area to efficiently segregate waste.
The foundation will distribute four-color waste bags to the community and businesses to facilitate clear waste segregation. Four waste disposal points will be set up along Thalang Road and two additional points at Dragon Park during pedestrian street week-end market activities and general tourist days.
The waste bags will be color-coded: yellow for recyclable waste, green for food waste, blue for general waste, and pink for used cooking oil and grease. The segregated waste will be managed by Phuket City Municipality and Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization according to appropriate processes afterward.
For providing information to tourists visiting the Thalang Road and Old Town areas of Phuket, the foundation has organized volunteer students from the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus, and the Phuket Young Ambassador group, referred to as the ‘Phuket Youth Environmental Ambassadors’. They will be deployed during the weekend market pedestrian street event, which attracts a large number of tourists, from 5 pm to 10 pm. These volunteers will assist in promoting and guiding tourists to dispose of their waste correctly according to the designated waste bags. Their deployment is scheduled to begin in mid-March, with a monitoring period of three months.
Furthermore, Mr. Poomkitt also mentioned that food waste arises from various causes, such as the arrangement of plate garnishes and leftover food consumption, leading to unnecessary waste. Therefore, he seeks the cooperation of businesses and relevant parties to cease or reduce the handling of such food types. This initiative aims to decrease the current organic waste volume, which accounts for 47% of all waste in Phuket.
Moreover, within the seminar, there was a demonstration of food waste processors to utilize them for composting vegetables and growing plants.
News and photos: Phuket Provincial Public Relation Office