Clearing the water
Thai Union's HIPPO (High Impact Plastic Pollution remOver) system in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Image: Thai Union Group
Seafood giant, Thai Union Group, has announced it is implementing solutions to reduce plastic waste entering the ocean from Thailand.
In collaboration with environmental protection organisation, Seven Clean Seas, the group has deployed a HIPPO, (High Impact Plastic Pollution remOver) system in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. The HIPPO is a solar-powered device that captures and removes river waste before it reaches the ocean (in the Chao Phraya River’s case, the South China Sea). The device is strategically located near the Buddhist Wat Chak Daeng temple, and expected to make a substantial reduction in plastic pollution in the area.
In addition to this, Thai Union is also partnering with social enterprise, Second Life, committing to removing ocean-bound plastic from the coastal and remote island regions of Krabi, Ranong, Trang, and Phang-nga.
These initiatives are aligned with Thai Union’s SeaChange 2030 sustainability strategy, which aims to remove 1,500 tons of ocean-bound plastic from waterways and oceans by 2030. Through these partnerships, Thai Union is on track to collect approximately 250 tons of waste this year.
“We are excited to partner with Seven Clean Seas and Second Life in our ongoing efforts to protect our people, our planet, and our oceans,” said Adam Brennan, chief sustainability officer at Thai Union. “By combining our resources and expertise, we can make a significant difference in reducing plastic pollution and creating a more sustainable future.”
It’s great to see initiatives such as this one, especially with the Chao Phraya River being next door to our beloved previous Asia CanTech location of the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers. Seeing waste in the river is always dismaying, so hopefully the HIPPO works successfully in bringing about cleaner waters, and Thai Union continues to champion metal as the most sustainable packaging for its fish.
Staying on the subject of canned fish, our September issue of the magazine is out now. In it, I speak to Charlotte Dawe, co-founder of Sea Sisters, the first British fish cannery since the 1940s. Read more here.
- Alex Rivers (she/her), CanTech International editor
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