In a determined bid to rescue the Gulf of Thailand from the grip of overwhelming plastic pollution, set to soar to around 4 million kg of plastic pollution flowing through it annually, Seven Clean Seas has initiated a critical operation. The focal point of this endeavour is the Chao Phraya River, where Seven Clean Seas has unleashed its custom-designed solution: HIPPO (High Impact Plastic Pollution remOver).
Tom Peacock-Nazil, founder of Seven Clean Seas commented, “The launch of HIPPO is not just a milestone for our organisation but a beacon of hope for global waterways. By integrating advanced technologies and community-facing initiatives, we aim to showcase a scalable model of environmental stewardship that can be replicated worldwide”.
HIPPO, aptly named for its voracious appetite for plastic waste, is poised to eliminate a staggering 1.4 million kilograms of debris from the Chao Phraya River over the course of the next year. To put this monumental task into perspective, this amount equates to 116 double-decker buses.
With an estimated 11 million metric tons of plastic waste entering the world’s oceans annually, wreaking havoc on marine wildlife and ecosystems, new solutions are desperately needed to combat this growing issue.
Chao Phraya River Significance
Despite being a crucial lifeline for 13 million people, the river is one of the most polluted waterways in Asia, with some of the highest concentrations of plastic waste. Flowing directly into the Gulf of Thailand and being a major pollutant to the ocean, the Chao Phraya waterway has been identified as an area in urgent need of intervention.
Environmental and Social Impact
Seven Clean Seas confronts a diverse spectrum of plastic pollution, encompassing apparel & textiles (31.99%), fishing lines (18.81%), plastic bags (10.77%), bulky plastic waste (10.68%), product & logistics packaging (7.53%), personal care (6.03%), tires (2.52%), plastic bottles & bottle caps (2.50%) and everything else (9.17%).
Seven Clean Seas prioritises the welfare of their workforce by ensuring that all collection crew members are formally employed with fair wages, comprehensive training, and essential safety gear.
Community Collaboration
Seven Clean Seas has partnered closely with local stakeholders, including Wat Chak Daeng (WCD) temple and Thailand's Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (DMCR) to implement strategic measures to intercept plastic debris before it reaches the open sea.
Phra Ratcha Vajra Bandit, the abbot of Wat Chak Daeng temple commented:
"This important collaboration with Seven Clean Seas will not only make a difference in the local community, it will also increase global public exposure and create more awareness about plastic pollution that harms our rivers and oceans, which is our collective goal. "
By engaging local communities, the organisation raises plastic waste awareness and promotes sustainable waste management. Their efforts prevent environmental plastic pollution from entering the environment and transform ocean plastic into durable roof tiles and non-recyclable LDPE materials into corrugated plastic roofing.
Plastic Credits
The HIPPO initiative is made possible through a blend of donations and the innovative use of Plastic Credits, a mechanism that enables the collection and recycling of plastic waste while empowering organisations to measure, reduce and offset their plastic footprint. By investing in environmentally and socially responsible projects like this, Seven Clean Seas and its partners are paving the way for a cleaner, healthier future for our oceans and communities.
About Seven Clean Seas
Seven Clean Seas builds ocean impact projects which recover plastic pollution from our marine environments whilst generating formal, fair employment in the world’s most plastic-polluted locations. By collaborating with businesses, governments, NGOs and consumers, Seven Clean Seas mobilises private capital to invest in ocean conservation. We are on a mission to recover 10,000,000 kg of plastic from the ocean by 2025, as well as reduce plastic leakage through education and prevention.
Why? Because the sea is f**king awesome!
Impact: Our projects generate literally tons of positive environmental impact daily, but we believe this alone is not enough, and strive to generate as much positive social impact at the same time. We are proud to share that 100% of Seven Clean Seas collection crew members are formally employed, receive living wages, are covered under the prevailing countries social security schemes and that they have the training and equipment they need to work in a safe environment - all things that, unfortunately, are a first seen in the Waste Management industry in Asia.