Patong’s Environment Division officers will have a kiosk set up near the Bangla Rd end of the event, Public Health and Environment Division officer Lakkhawee Prechai explained to The Phuket News.
“People can exchange three plastic bottles for one chili plant, from 3pm, at the event, but we have a limited amount of the plants,” Ms Lakkhawee said.
“We expect to receive around 1,000 of bottles and hope that the chili plants can reduce people’s expenses and that the project will help produce more oxygen for the world,” she added.
Ms Lakkhawee explained that the project to exchange chilies for used plastic bottles was a part of long-term ‘Patong together solve the global warming’ project, “which we have conducted for years”.
“This is our first time exchanging something for trash. Our campaigns change, depending on the current circumstances, as we hope to create more cooperation among municipality officers, private companies and local people to reduce trash,” she said.
“For this campaign, we did not spend any money, as we grew the chili plants in used plastic bottles by ourselves,” she added.
Asked what will happen with the used plastic bottles collected, Ms Lakkhawee explained, “We have a lot of different ideas what to do with the bottles, such as selling them for recycling and spending the money we get on buying trees.
“This trash-exchange campaign will be conducted only this Friday, but we will keep creating campaigns for saving the environment as well as helping people in our communities at the same time.” Ms Lakkhawee said.