Gross International Nature Bhutan, a part of the ‘Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asian’ PLEASE project, has initiated the establishment of a recycling facility at Bjimena in Thimphu. The organisation buys plastic waste from various parts of Thimphu to turn it into reusable products such as plastic bricks and PET pellets. The facility will be fully operational by next year.
The initiative not only aims to address plastic waste issues but also promotes recycling. Recycling not only conserves natural resources but also reduces energy consumption, the cost of producing new materials, and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Gross International Nature Bhutan has partnered with various institutions across Thimphu.
“Through this project, we are teaching people how to identify, segregate, and collect plastic waste, which can be recycled at the household level. The collected plastic waste is brought to Bjimena, where it will be converted into bricks that work like legos and can be used for small-scale and temporary structures. We will also be revolutionising plastic wastes into PET pellets, which can be used for making new PET products like plastic bottles and other containers,” said Tshering Lhamo, the founder of Gross International Nature Bhutan.
To facilitate effective waste segregation, institutions across Thimphu have been provided with waste bins. Students from Dechenchoeling Higher Secondary School in Thimphu have already begun to see the benefits.
“Our school has many students compared to other schools and GIN has supported us with dustbins, it helps in segregation and we can manage waste in our school,” said Tshering Lhamo, a student at Dechenchoeling HSS.
Furthermore, the initiative has allowed residents to participate in waste segregation and earn money.
“We used to produce a lot of waste without segregation. Now, thanks to GIN’s new waste storage facility, we have started segregating our waste. We will even earn some money since they plan to buy the waste from us,” said Dendup Tshewang, a DeSuup.
Once the recycling hub at Bjimena is fully operational, the organisation will start producing recycled bricks.
They have also garnered support from other organisations in Bhutan such as the Bhutan Toilet Organisation, which recognises the potential of these plastic bricks in addressing sanitation challenges.
“Our organisation has been exploring construction technologies and that is when the founders of GIN came to us and proposed that they are going to come up with bricks made up of plastic wastes, which will be in the form of a lego sort of thing, which can be constructed easily. That may solve our problem of making temporary toilets wherever we want. Build it fast, when the event is over remove it, bring it, wash it, and use it for next time,” said Chablop Passu, the executive director of Bhutan Toilet Organisation.
The Gross International Nature Bhutan is a youth-led organisation focused on reducing plastic waste and promoting the importance of recycling.
Deki Lhazom/ Pema Tshomo
Edited by Sonam Pem
