The Apsara National Authority (ANA) and environmental cleanliness officials in Angkor Archeological Park have called for visitors’ cooperation, by properly disposing of their trash when visiting the temples.
It said that although people's awareness of litter is now better, a small number of people were still not managing their waste properly, with some unsatisfactory cases still being encountered.
Ko Chot, cleaner in front of Angkor Wat, said the most common waste that required cleaning up id fallen leaves, which need to be swept up daily. However, a small amount of plastic bags, drink bottles and snack packaging was still being found on the temple grounds. She suggested that tourists visiting the site cooperate with authorities to maintain a clean environment.
Yun Chanthy, another cleaner, also said that plastic waste was not always being placed in the bins provided.
“Most of the plastic litter we encounter is plates or straws that are thrown onto the street or outside the bins. Sometimes garbage gets strewn around the grounds by dogs,” said the ANA.
“The environmental cleaning team urges tourists who visit the Angkor site to play a positive role in taking care of the temples and their surroundings. The cleaner the environment, the more visitors we will attract,” it added.
ANA made it clear that they only observed such bad practices among a small group of visitors. The majority of visitors were well behaved and disposed of their trash responsibly.
