Two hundred bins are being placed at 50 schools in Phnom Penh by the Ministry of Environment in cooperation with the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) to promote participation and strengthen knowledge of hygiene, health and a clean environment.
Environment ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said on November 10 that placing rubbish bins in schools is a project designed to cultivate in students a love for the environment, participation in environmental friendliness and the correct disposal of waste, especially the sorting of rubbish.
“This is part of the environment ministry’s policy on how to protect schools, to make schools comfortable places to study and to participate in the implementation of environmentally friendly schools,” he said.
After the first phase is completed, the project will expand to other schools, and bins will not only be placed in the capital but also in the provinces and pagodas. The initiative is supported by the private sector too, he said.
UYFC Phnom Penh representative Sorn Bunmean said the project started in September this year and runs until January 2022.
“This project, equipped with Khmer-style pots and Angrut [bamboo fish trap] will place 200 bins in 50 schools in Boeung Keng Kang, Chbar Ampov and Chamkarmon districts,” he said.
Khvay Atidya, deputy head of the ministry’s General Directorate of Environmental Knowledge and Information who also joined in the deployment of the rubbish bins on November 8, said proper waste management starts with the individual.
He said students are like bamboo shoots that need to be cultivated with the mindset of proper waste management, environmental hygiene and participation in promoting aesthetics in schools.
“Placing rubbish bins styled after traditional pot and angrut in public places promotes Khmer heritage because these objects are part of Khmer culture and follow a traditional Khmer design aesthetic. They can also inspire students to be more cleanly and hygienic while increasing their awareness of environmental issues,” he said.
