BANGKOK: Bangkok’s iconic River of Kings will hopefully look cleaner now that Interceptor 019, a solar-powered garbage collecting barge, has been put to work.
The barge, obtained from Dutch non-profit organisation the Ocean Cleanup, was sent off on its mission on Wednesday (March 27) in a ceremony presided over by Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
Also present at the event were representatives of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Marine and Coastal Resources Department, the Netherlands Embassy as well as Boyan Slat, the founder and CEO of the Ocean Cleanup.
Since 2019, the Dutch non-profit has been working with governments and private partners to collect plastic waste from rivers in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Dominical Republic and the United States. The aim is to minimise plastic from flowing into the oceans and causing ecological harm at a larger scale.
“The Chao Phraya is one of the world’s busiest working rivers, providing vital services and livelihoods for [riverside] communities. This means cleaning it requires a customised and city-centric approach, driven by research and complementing the efforts already made by city authorities,” Ocean Cleanup said in a statement.
“Dozens of smaller canals feed the Chao Phraya, and much of the waste that ends up in the river – and heads towards the Gulf of Thailand – arrives via these canals. Interceptor 019 will immediately begin capturing trash and making an impact on the problem.”
The Interceptor 019, Ocean Cleanup’s third-generation garbage collecting barge, is 100% solar-powered and can operate round the clock without human supervision. It can collect up to 100,000 pieces of garbage daily.
In collaboration with Thai authorities and private partners including Ecomarine, Asimar, the Coca-Cola Company and Chulalongkorn University, the Ocean Cleanup hopes to have a tangible environmental impact from this multi-year project in Thailand, contributing to its mission of ridding the oceans of plastic.
Thanking the Ocean Cleanup and other partners for contributing to the city’s efforts to clean up canals and the river, Chadchart said: “The Interceptor 019’s mission is in line with the city’s efforts to separate plastic waste for recycling and ensuring a proper disposal process to minimise environmental impact on the oceans.” - The Nation/ANN
