The Cleaning Project – an initiative of the International Association of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP-Cambodia) – announced the launch of the Clean Phnom Penh Campaign 2021, running for one month beginning on November 1 using a new strategy and with hope for increased public support under the slogan “new habits, clean habits”.

Hun Many, co-founder of the Cleaning Project, said it was created to spread knowledge and awareness about the capital’s waste problem to the public to inspire them to help address it and enhance the beauty of Cambodia.

He added the Clean Phnom Penh Campaign will contribute to the efforts already underway by the authorities and stakeholders who are involved in cleaning up the city by getting residents to adhere to clean living. He believes that the campaign will double its popularity this year and will set an example for the younger generation to follow.

“I hope that the clean campaign we have conducted these past five years helps people recognise that although we cannot change the habits of all people, we hope that our efforts can change the habits of enough people to make a difference.

“To change those habits we need to change their mind-set by educating them to adjust their way of living so that they no longer throw garbage away without care but actually think about how they are affecting the environment so they will dispose of waste properly,” Hun Many said.

Minister of Environment Say Samal said these campaigns would help to achieve the goal of turning Cambodia into a clean and modern country.

“This is not just a movement for Phnom Penh, but also a collective movement of the Cambodian people, because we have come a long way starting from zero with the genocidal regime,” he said. “So far, we have been on the path to bringing hope and pride to our country. However, there remain issues that need to be resolved on an ongoing basis, such as solid waste management for ourselves and the nation.”

He said that for environmental protections, the ministry had formulated a policy in-line with Cambodian law on solid waste management.

“We transformed our policy through the principles of decentralization and deconcentration focused on a sub-national administrative policy called the safe village-commune policy ... [meaning] that lives are to be protected from ... robberies, drug abuse and traffic accidents,” he said.

He added that the ministry also considered the right to live in a clean environment to be a matter of safety and dignity in-line with the safe village-commune policy.

He further stated that the Clean Phnom Penh Campaign was an important partner carrying out the ministry’s work to educate people not to litter because garbage is a social problem that needed to be solved. The ministry also hopes to stop the use of plastic bags in Cambodia entirely in the next few years, he said.

He said that plastic plates, spoons and forks are no longer being imported and that in general, 99 per cent of the plastic boxes in use now were made locally through recycling.

“I hope that in the near future the garbage problem will be reduced for our country so we have an environment worthy of a country that is trending towards prosperity,” he said.

Deputy Phnom Penh Governor Huot Hay said that currently Phnom Penh faces three main challenges related to the maintenance of order – traffic congestion, clogged sewage waste pipes and accumulated garbage, with the city currently producing 3,000 tonnes of garbage a day.

“Clogged rubbish is a big problem. The government announced reforms on waste and solid waste management in late 2019, but when it comes to waste we have to talk about relevant actors and the producers of the waste and the collection, transportation and safe disposal of rubbish,” he said.

He added that the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration advised residents to sort rubbish into two types: wet and dry. Rubbish should be set out for collection between 6pm and 9pm and the waste collection companies will pick it up from 9pm to 5am. If they fail to follow instructions, they will be fined.

Hay Phirum, co-founder of the Cleaning Project, said that through the Clean Phnom Penh Campaign 2021 they have also created animated cartoons, promoted environmental causes on social media and conduct surveys.

“We will be interviewing the heads of major institutions and companies with experience in adapting their waste disposal practices ... in order to share key tips with those who have not yet done so,” he said.

He added that in 2020, the group also produced a TikTok video challenge with the slogan “I am beautiful - clean as a new habit” to attract young people to participate and to promote role models for proper waste disposal.