Koh Tao Clean Up
Many Koh Tao businesses are passionate about keeping Koh Tao clean, and it shows! But it wasn’t until 2020 that an independent Koh Tao Clean Up group sprung into action. It was founded by Steve Hart, a passionate environmental enthusiast and regular island visitor. Koh Tao Clean Up comprises members from a broad range of businesses, ages, and nationalities, all working towards the dream of a more sustainable future for the island.
About Koh Tao Clean Up
Koh Tao Clean Up members meet once a week to remove trash from an area of beach, shoreline, roadside, or mountain, with locations rotating dependent on the urgency of need, conditions, and logistical requirements. Based on current averages, the crew is on track to remove over 2000 bags of trash in their first year alone! New members are always welcome, regardless of whether participants intend to stay on the island for a day, a week, or a decade! So if you’d like to join a clean up during your stay, check out the Koh Tao Clean Up Facebook page.
Koh Tao Clean Up Projects
The mission is to transform the island by removing plastic and litter from shorelines, upcycling reusable waste, recycling where possible, and educating others about the negative impacts that plastic – and particularly single-use plastic – brings to our beautiful ecosystem and ocean planet. Specific projects include:
- Joining forces with local dive centres to conduct reef cleanups.
- Sorting trash from cleanups for upcycling and recycling.
- Creating upcycling projects to make use of the many fishing nets, ropes, flip flops, and other trash items that are collected.
- Partnering with local government to create an official recycling management program and a recycling plant for the island.
- Working together with local businesses and tourism industry leaders to incentivise a strong volunteer-based service.
- Planning with Precious Plastic, a company that upcycles plastics into useful everyday items like furniture, building materials, mooring buoys, paving slabs, and art installations etc.
- Educating local authorities and businesses about the worldwide plastic problem, and the need for more sustainable practices
