Since December of 2018 NGO2 in cooperation with Ocean Recovery Alliance along with other local and International partners, the Water Rising and Water Falling Festivals were established and are held annually to raise awareness about plastic pollution and provide support to communities along the Tonle Sap Lake. There is currently no infrastructure in these areas to address any waste management issues. As a result, waste and in particular single use plastic, finds its way into the lake or is burned both resulting in harmful effects on the local environment. The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and is the heart and lungs of Cambodia, its environmental protection is vital to the Country. The Festivals have been held in conjunction with the rising and falling of the Lake during monsoon and dry seasons. Plastic can often be seen hanging from the mangrove trees during wet/monsoon season and plastic left on the ground when waters recede in dry season. The festivals have been held every six months in multiple locations along the lake with mass cleanups and awareness events related to plastic and its danger to the environment of the Lake.
During Covid, like the rest of the World, NGO2 was unable to continue with its normal programs. Wanting to keep the momentum already created in the water communities the Rice for Plastic program was devised. It was created to continue to reduce plastic in a safe way and provide support to poorer families struggling during these difficult times. A pilot program was started at the small village of Chong Prolay, part of the largest floating community of Kampong Khleang. As part of the program 5kg of rice is provided to those families that retain their properly sorted household plastic for collection. In addition 5kg of rice is donated to those families that remove any environmental found plastic they collect from the ground or the water. This has been done on a monthly basis and the collected household plastic is checked by youth volunteers for proper sorting, meaning only plastic waste is collected.
Harvesting rice is a normal routine for many in Cambodia and the Harvest Plastic program was patterned after that regular event. In collaboration with Ocean Recovery Alliance special rice bags were created and donated to villages where we have raised awareness. Each bag is printed in English and Khmer with directions for how to utilize the bags to retain only plastic as well as the 4R’s. Reduce, Replace, Reuse and Recycle. It is a normal practice to either burn or throw plastic into the Lake. The program is meant to create new habits of collecting and retaining plastic similar to that of harvesting rice.
NGO2 Bambooshoot 