SAii Phi Phi Island Village and BGC Manage 5,921.2 kg of Glass Bottle Waste on Phi Phi

BGC, together with Singha Corporation and SAii Phi Phi Island Village hotel, joined forces with Mueang Krabi District, the Ao Nang Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, and the Moo 8 community on Phi Phi Island to drive the Glass Reborn (Born, Collect, Return) project on 29 October to systematically manage packaging waste in a marine tourism destination. The activity was organised in the format of a material-for-goods recycling swap market at the waste management centre of SAii Phi Phi Island Village hotel, allowing local residents to bring used glass bottles, plastic bottles, and cans to be weighed in exchange for household items. This collaboration across all sectors collected a total of 6,135.6 kilograms of used packaging to be returned to the circular system, of which glass bottles from the hotel and community accounted for 5,921.2 kilograms.

Collaboration Between the Business Sector and Local Community in Waste Separation at Source

Marine tourism areas such as Phi Phi Island face limitations in transport and waste management, making waste separation at source a vital mechanism for reducing environmental burdens. The Glass Reborn (Born, Collect, Return) project therefore focuses on building local participation alongside the efforts of hotel businesses and packaging manufacturers to effectively return glass bottles to the remanufacturing process. Opening the hotel's waste management centre for the Moo 8 community on Phi Phi Island to exchange recyclable materials for household goods helps incentivise sorting at the household level and increases the volume of materials ready to enter the recycling system.

The event was presided over by Preecha Sa-ingthong, District Chief of Mueang Krabi, joined by Pankham Kittithonkul, President of the Ao Nang Subdistrict Administrative Organisation, who participated to support local resource management. Private sector executives also attended, including Ronrapee Leelawong, Director of the Corporate Sustainability Office at BGC; Sirithorn Thamrongnawasawat, Director of Sustainable Development at Boon Rawd Brewery Co., Ltd.; and Peera Boonsaeng, Hotel Manager of SAii Phi Phi Island Village. Representatives from the public sector, business sector, and local community jointly poured glass bottles into a Big Bag to demonstrate their collective commitment to channelling used packaging into the circular system.

Summary of Packaging Volumes Collected and Long-Term Expansion Plans

The results reflect the active engagement of both accommodation operators and residents on Phi Phi Island in collecting various types of packaging. In addition to the 5,921.2 kilograms of glass bottles from the hotel and local residents, the community also collected 200.2 kilograms of plastic bottles and 14.2 kilograms of cans. The combined total of 6,135.6 kilograms demonstrates the potential of local collaboration and serves as essential baseline data for future waste management planning on the island.

Data from this operation on Phi Phi Island will be evaluated and used to further develop a collaboration model among the community, hotels, and business partners suited to the local context. Establishing an efficient collection and transport system for used packaging will help alleviate the physical constraints of the island and enable waste management to continue sustainably over the long term.

This initiative serves as a relevant case study for hotel professionals in marine tourism destinations seeking approaches to manage waste alongside local communities and private sector partners. At the same time, event organisers looking for sustainability-focused venues can examine the practices of SAii Phi Phi Island Village to inform their event planning, while travellers visiting Phi Phi Island can witness the commitment of both the property and the community to protecting the marine environment.