This Thip Khao Talk, we had the pleasure of speaking with Souksaveuy Keotiamchanh, founder of Zero Waste Laos based out of Vientiane.

Zero Waste Laos, an organization founded in 2019 and pursuing non-profit status, began as a Facebook group to increase awareness about waste management and has since evolved to appoint and train youth to be “Sustainability Leaders”, increase awareness of environmental issues and pragmatic solutions, and advocate for banning single-use plastics and trash burning. The organization recruits volunteers, trains youth ambassadors, and works with community partners to spread awareness about waste management and “green” practices, and engages various Laos sectors in the fight against climate change.

Open burning of trash has been recognized as a very common way for people to get rid of their waste in Laos. Over the years it has also proven to be a very dangerous and risky method for disposing of waste, especially in areas that are heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

Zero Waste Laos’ goals include becoming a non-profit, establishing “role model schools” across Laos, encouraging youth to solve environmental issues through providing environmental education on waste separation, composition, and burning, and campaigning for a bottom-up approach to ban single-use plastic and stop trash burning.