“Waste” Whose Burden Is It?!!???

          Currently, the waste problem is becoming increasingly threatening due to urban lifestyles, which have multiple factors accelerating waste generation. It is we, the people, who often overlook this issue, thinking it is not our problem. Coupled with careless behavior, we fail to realize that it contributes to the overflowing waste crisis. Meanwhile, various organizations are campaigning and mobilizing people to participate in activities aimed at raising awareness before disposing of waste.

                                                

          L.P.N. Development Public Company Limited (LPN) is a developer of residential condominiums in the city under the brand “Lumpini”. Since 2009, we have been campaigning for waste separation activities for 9 years now, as residential buildings are significant sources of waste. We started with our employees and expanded to residents in the Lumpini community, piloting at Lumpini Park Pinklao to encourage residents to change their waste separation behaviors. We laid the groundwork for understanding waste separation and types of waste. One successful activity is “Bottle Exchange for Eggs”, where residents exchange unused bottles for eggs. The income from selling the bottles is then used for community benefits. However, this has not halted the growth of waste, which continues to outpace our waste management capabilities, indicating that the “Waste Separation” campaign may not sufficiently address waste reduction.

          The company recognizes this issue and in 2018 has initiated a new approach named “LUMPINI Zero Waste”. We plan to pilot this initiative at Lumpini Park Pinklao, a large community with many residents, aiming to set a good example before expanding to other Lumpini communities, which currently number over 137 and house more than 200,000 residents. The goal is to engage everyone in reducing, refraining, and eliminating waste, particularly unnecessary plastic waste. LPN will collaborate with local shops, currently coordinating to seek support and find joint strategies to raise awareness among residents about the necessity and importance of reducing single-use plastics, such as plastic bags and straws, by reducing the distribution of plastic bags during purchases, with shops asking customers if they need a plastic bag.

          LPN also plans to promote awareness within the community by encouraging residents to use alternatives, such as bringing reusable bags for shopping, using refillable water bottles, and taking food containers home. The progress of these activities is promising, as each shop shares similar views. The next steps will focus on publicizing the campaign through bulletin boards in various locations within the community and participating shops, as well as advertising on LED screens in elevators. Additionally, we will organize activities to foster understanding within the community.

          At this point, in response to the initial question,  “Waste” Whose Burden Is It?!!???, the answer is... it is not the burden or responsibility of any one individual but the duty of everyone to help reduce waste to zero. Together, we can reduce, refrain, and eliminate excessive consumption behaviors that lead to unnecessary plastic packaging. By valuing our resources, we will find that our world tomorrow will remain beautiful.

Thank you for the information from www.lpn.co.th