Phuket set to be a new model for food waste disposal
With the Phuket tourism industry well on the way to recovery and aiming to welcome 12 million tourist arrivals this year, the problem of food waste is seen as an increasingly critical issue. In an effort to reduce that waste, the Thai Organic Consumer Association (TOCA) is working with hotels in Phuket to initiate a food waste composting system, which is in line with the BCG (Bio-Circular-Green Economic Model).
About one-third of all food produced for human consumption in the world goes to waste, according to a study commissioned by the United Nations food agency. That is shocking enough in itself, but what most people don’t realise are the enormous impacts all that waste has on climate change, food insecurity, and human health. If food waste goes to landfills and rots, it produces a huge amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and can also spread viruses and diseases.
Veena Thoopkrajae with additonal report by Patcharee Leunguthai