The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) collected 292 tonnes of waste during the recent 11-day Red Cross Fair at Lumpini Park, according to Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt.
About 9 tonnes of food waste would be turned into fertiliser by the BMA and its partner, while a further 5 tonnes of plastic bottles will go to the BMA’s Magic Hand project, which can repurpose the material into reflector jackets for city sweepers.
The 18.6 tonnes of refuse being recycled equates to a 26-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions, or the planting of around 5,200 trees, according to Mr Chadchart.
Visitors to the Thai Red Cross fair were asked to sort and dispose of their rubbish into three colour bins at the site — yellow for solid recyclable materials, green for organic waste and blue for general waste.
He said shops had been instructed to take their own rubbish to drop sites between 10am and 3am for collection by the BMA staff.
The city governor thanked the public for their cooperation and said he hoped similar models would be adopted by organisers of other fairs and exhibitions to handle large amounts of garbage.