The Street Ratchada is dedicated to advancing sustainable waste management by employing technology to decompose food waste and sort various types of waste before sending them for recycling. The goal is to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, alongside establishing a committee to seriously oversee waste management, aiming for a Zero Waste to Landfill target.

Mr. Pongsak Nuntawanakul, Managing Director of The Street Ratchada, stated that addressing the "waste" issue is one way to help preserve the environment for the world, as the increasing population leads to a rise in waste volume. The shopping center recognizes the importance of tackling this problem concretely. Since the center operates 24 hours a day, waste is generated continuously. To manage this effectively, a policy for handling both wet and dry waste has been established to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. Additionally, there are campaigns to educate employees, tenants, and customers on proper waste disposal through sorting and providing separate bins for different types of waste. There are also plans to expand efforts towards achieving Zero Waste to Landfill in the Ratchadapisek area.

Currently, it is found that over 12% of daily waste consists of food scraps, amounting to as much as 300 kilograms per day. Waiting for waste collection trucks from Bangkok not only occupies storage space but also requires an air conditioning system to control temperature and prevent food waste from emitting unpleasant odors that could lead to odor pollution. Therefore, the shopping center has collaborated with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to explore ways to dispose of food waste to reduce the amount that needs to be sent to landfills. Currently, the shopping center has achieved zero food waste under a project that converts food scraps into soil amendments, processing up to 60 kilograms of food waste per day into usable soil improvement material, which can be used to nourish plants or improve soil conditions. Additionally, 4,000 kilograms of this soil amendment have been delivered to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for use in various areas.

For recyclable waste, the shopping center has joined the Care the Whale project with the Stock Exchange of Thailand, focusing on waste sorting for recycling. The waste management team has conducted campaigns to educate both tenants and customers about waste sorting, along with implementing eight sub-projects with partners to support waste sorting before disposal, including: 1) Pre-disposal sorting, 2) Waste bank project, 3) Collection and recycling project in collaboration with Thai Beverage Recycling Co., Ltd., 4) Circular project with TPBI Public Company Limited, 5) Invisible glass bottle project in partnership with the Stock Exchange of Thailand and Osotspa Public Company Limited, 6) Leftover request project with the Nok Kamint Foundation, 7) Pre-disposal sorting, 8) Orphan waste project with N15 Technology Co., Ltd.

Additionally, there are campaigns to promote and raise awareness among employees about waste management and reducing waste within the organization by fostering knowledge and understanding, encouraging proper waste sorting behavior under the 3R concept: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, to minimize waste in the organization and maximize the recycling of usable waste according to the principles of Circular Economy.

“The shopping center believes that proper waste disposal, supported by concrete waste management actions, will help reduce the amount of waste with nowhere to go and decrease the volume of waste sent to landfills. This requires cooperation from all sectors, including partners, customers, and allies, to strengthen comprehensive waste management, which will create sustainable changes for society and the environment,” said Mr. Pongsak.

For more details on other activities at The Street Ratchada, a unique shopping center for night owls, a hub of delicious international cuisine that fulfills every taste around the clock, visit www.thestreetratchada.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/TheStreetRatchada or call 02-232-1999.