3.5 Promotion of Glass Bottles Recycling for Energy Conservation: Successful Experiences of the "Magic Eyes" Project
by Mattana Homlaor, Secretary General, Thai Environmental and Community Development Association, Bangkok, Thailand

3.5.1 Introduction

The Thai Environmental and Community Development Association (TECA), better known to most Thai people simply as "Magic Eyes", is a successful partnership between private and corporate businesses and a local, community-based non-governmental organization (NGO) to help create a better environment in Thailand. 

Magic Eyes was born about 1984 with the launch of a highly visible anti-litter campaign in Bangkok. The success of the campaign spurred the group to incorporate as an NGO and to carry this project further throughout Thailand as well as expand its focus to include the Chao Phraya River through awareness campaigns and an innovative experiential environmental education programme. Through its work, Magic Eyes strives to create awareness and educate the general public to take responsibility for the health of their environment. 

Since the first project, Magic Eyes has completed more than 100 projects involving hundreds of thousands of people in these activities, including students, teachers, academics, businessmen, the military personnel, and Buddhist monks as well as national, provincial and local government officials. The primary target for most Magic Eyes activities and projects, however, is the younger generation, Thailand's future leaders, to persuade them to "police" present day adults.


3.5.2 Campaign to promote glass bottle recycling for energy

A recent project of Magic Eyes that clearly highlights the successful working style of the association is a glass bottle recycling project conducted from April 1999 until January 2000. The project was supported by Thailand's National Energy Policy Office (NEPO) to develop a glass separation awareness campaign and recycling project in schools throughout the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority and surrounding provinces.

A total of 102 schools participated. The emphasis of the project, given the involvement of NEPO, was focused on the energy savings that would occur through recycling glass bottles as opposed to manufacturing them and then disposing them in a landfill, whereby new glass bottles would have to be made from raw material once again. It is estimated that 1.2 billion glass bottles are thrown away each year. The project aimed to reduce the amount of solid waste ending up in landfills around Bangkok by 8 per cent.

return to top

3.5.2.1 Five-stage campaign

The campaign was organized into five stages:
- initial research;
- development of a simple recycling system;
- involvement of local schools;
- Magic Eyes campaign activities; and
- individual school campaign activities. 

In the first stage, Magic Eyes staff conducted research into various glass recycling schemes within Thailand and in other countries. A needs assessment was conducted to ascertain the need as well as cost/benefit of recycling glass. Through this assessment it was found that even though glass bottles in many cases are reused, such as in the soft drink industry and beer industry, most bottles are simply thrown away costing industry and consumers millions of Thai Baht annually. Currently Thailand has no glass deposit law requiring all glass bottles be recycled. Recycling is completely driven by market influences. During this research phase, glass companies were identified and those that showed interest were contacted to work with schools in this project. Finally, the process of glass recycling was studied to allow Magic Eyes to help schools understand the basics of recycling and how they could be involved.

During the second stage of the project, a simple recycling system was developed that would enable schools to effectively recycle and which provided a convenient place/way to recycle the glass collected by the schools. Five glass recycling factories were invited to cooperate with the schools by arranging for collecting and buying the glass bottles from them. A plan was devised with local businesses to collect and buy bottles from schools that did not fall in the normal collection area of the recycling factories. Through consultation with all parties, an agreement was reached establishing a set price for the bottles.

The third stage focused on the schools themselves and how they could achieve success within the parameters of the project. Magic Eyes staff facilitated brainstorming sessions with teachers and administrators to come up with a system for each school that ensured cooperation between students, teachers, school administrators, parents and industry.

return to top

The fourth stage of the project was a comprehensive public relations campaign, with activities spread over a one-week period at each school (Glass Separation Week) to stimulate the interest of the students and teachers and provide information for the school and its surrounding community. Magic Eyes produced media campaign information that was given to schools to assist in their efforts. The design and writing of this information in a simple, easy to understand and attractive way was key to its effectiveness with this target group. It was culturally relevant media that was fun, colourful and cute

The fifth and final stage of the project focused on individual school campaign activities. 

Schools were responsible for creating and conducting activities to educate their own students, teachers, and staff about glass recycling within the school. This was to instill a crucial sense of ownership in the project by the school and ensure the involvement of students, parents and local community. For example, schools organized and conducted exhibitions, rallies, community visits, community "stage plays", contests, and art from litter. All activities were integrated into the lesson plans of the schools. 


3.5.2.2 Results of the project

Within six months, from June to December 1999, the project collected 626,500 bottles, or 179 tonnes of glass, resulting in an estimated energy savings of 36,307 kilowatt hours of electricity and 22,220 tons of oil. Overall, the total amount of money that schools raised through the sale of their glass bottles totaled 329,960 Baht. 

As a result of this successful pilot project, a "model" process with implementing mechanisms was created that could be used and adapted by other communities in other provinces across Thailand. Since the end of the pilot project phase, an additional 427 school have asked to join the project from all over the country.

Magic Eyes is not directly involved in the project now as it has been taken over by the schools themselves, but it still provides advice and information support when new schools want to join. Currently Magic Eyes is working with the Phuket provincial government, as well as local schools, and businesses to develop an island-wide solid waste management and recycling system.

return to top