UPSTREAM SINGLE-USE PLASTICS REDUCTION SOLUTIONS FOR KHON KAEN’S STREET FOOD COMPLEXES

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BACKGROUND

The daily consumption of single-use plastic bags (SuPB) in Thailand is 500 million bags/day. Landfill is the disposal site for solid waste and many SuPB litter the land and enter tributaries of main rivers in Thailand, discharging plastic waste into oceans.

Khon Kaen is one of the biggest provinces in Northeast Thailand. It is home to one of the oldest and biggest universities in Thailand – Khon Kaen University (KKU). Northeastern Thailand is also among the poorest in Thailand and many still depend on agriculture as the source of livelihood.

Khon Kaen is also facing increasing problems with solid waste management (SWM) with the increase in urbanization and commercial activities. Almost all of Khon Kaen’s solid waste ends up at its landfill which is fast approaching its capacity. Plastic waste, especially single-use plastic, also increases with the increase in solid waste, further straining the landfill and the SWM system and infrastructure. Among the major contributors to the plastic waste problem is the food services, especially street food services.

The Mekong Institute (MI) in partnership with the Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) based in Brussels are implementing a project that seeks to identify suitable single-use plastic reduction solutions for street food vending complexes (SFVC) in Khon Kaen.

The one-and-a-half-year project will engage local stakeholders through bilateral meetings and community outreach programs, supported by communication and advocacy materials. The SuPB reduction solutions will serve as input to the policies and guidelines that will be developed and implemented by local authorities through public awareness and information package/hub, volunteer capacity building and empowerment, vendor information package, and training.

OBJECTIVES

Effective measures are introduced to reduce single-use plastic consumption in local street food vending complexes and increase the packaging reuse rate

IMPLEMENTATION COUNTRY

Thailand

OUTCOME

  • Reduced landfilling and uncontrolled incineration of plastic waste
  • Reduced littering, including in Khon Kaen tributaries of the Mekong River
  • Contribute to a sustainable food system through reduction of plastic consumption

RESULTS ACHIEVED

  1. Baseline assessment report (August 2023)
  2. Technical dialogue organized (November 2023 and September 2024)
  3. Implementation of the What’s SUP Khon Kaen Campaign

ACTIVITIES

  1. Project inception meetings
  2. Baseline assessment
  3. Dialogues and workshops
  4. Training and awareness sessions
  5. Policy dialogues
  6. Monitoring and evaluation
  7. Visibility – communication materials

PROJECT PARTNERS

  • Environment Coalition on Standards (ECOS)
  • KKU Asset Management
  • Ton Tann Management
  • Food services, specifically street food vendors and SFVC operators in Modindaeng and Ton Tann markets

PROJECT FUNDER/DONOR

Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (NREF)

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Mrs. Guohua Liu

Director, Sustainable Energy & Environment (SEE) Department

Mrs. Liu Guohua is the Director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Department at the Mekong Institute. Prior to this role, she worked in the Department of International Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, where she played a key role in shaping and implementing China’s cooperation strategies with UN development agencies. During this time, Mrs. Liu was actively involved in advancing initiatives related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on climate change and green development. Additionally, she contributed to the evaluation of projects funded by various Chinese initiatives, such as the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund, etc.

In addition to her work in the Department of International Economic Affairs, Mrs. Liu has an extensive diplomatic background. She spent 7 years in the Department of African Affairs, followed by a 4-year tenure at the Chinese Embassy in Lao PDR, where she gained deep expertise in both Southeast Asian and African affairs. These diverse experiences have played a crucial role in shaping her approach to sustainable development and international collaboration, particularly in building regional partnerships and tackling global challenges like climate change.

She holds a Master’s degree in Economics, with a specialization in Finance, from the Central University of Finance and Economics, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, specializing in International Economics and Trade, from the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.