Nisset Plastic is a youth-led movement that has taken it upon itself to clean up Phnom Penh, while also raising awareness of the importance of waste management.

With a focus on cleaning up the streets and drainage canals, this group of young people is having a significant impact on the community.

“Our cleanups aim to preserve the beauty of our city and set an example for the young generation to follow,” said Hem Sophem, leader of the group, which was established last year.

“Waste management is crucial, and the key to implementing it successfully is through behavioural change. We need to change people’s mindsets, so they get into the habit of disposing of their garbage correctly,” he added.

Sophem, 21, a third-year English student at the Royal University of Phnom Penh’s Institute of Foreign Languages, started picking up litter on campus, in public areas, and on the streets because he did not want to see the environment affected by wayward rubbish.

He was also concerned about the negative impression it would leave on foreign visitors. After about two months of solo daily cleanup activities, he gained the support of more and more students. Their participation led to the formation of the Nisset Plastic group, which now boasts around 600 volunteers.

“Although we have many volunteers, they don’t all join every clean up we do. Naturally, it depends on their availability,” said Sophem.

In addition to collecting rubbish from the streets, and public areas like parks and the riverside, the youth group also conducts large-scale garbage collection activities along Boeung Salang area, from under the Stung Meanchey Bridge to Boeung Tumpun drainage canal, in Meanchey district.

Sophem explained that the canal cleanups typically took longer and attracted fewer volunteers than most of the land-based activities.

“Not many people want to participate because the canal smells bad and is very dirty,” he told The Post.

“There are four of us. We start the cleanup at 7am and finish around 2pm. We collect thousands of pieces of plastic trash. Of course garbage collection takes far less time by the riverside. There is no small, so more people participate,” he added.

Khhorn Leang Eng is the only woman among the four who regularly clean out the canal.

Despite the challenging conditions, Leang Eng, known for her social media channel Neary Chalat Chor, is committed to the cause.

“The main reason I got getting involved was simple. I want Cambodians to change their habit of throwing garbage into the canal,” she told The Post.

She used her social media account to acknowledge that the work was not easy, but necessary.

“We know that our work will not make the garbage disappear, but what we are doing is helping, and I believe it encourages people to pay attention to the problem,” she wrote.

“It destroys our environment, ruins the beauty of our country, and is a significant contributor to destroying the health of people and animals,” she added.

The social media content creator, who focuses on women and the environment, said that not every citizen needs to go down to the canal and collect garbage, but they do have a responsibility to reduce plastic use and dispose of their waste correctly.

“The work of Nisset Plastic is essential in a country like Cambodia, where environmental pollution is a significant problem,” said.

“The group’s efforts are not only making a difference in the community but also inspiring others to take action and get involved in the fight against pollution,” she concluded.

Both Sophem and Leang Eng expressed their enthusiasm and determination to help clean up the environment and change people’s attitudes towards waste.

“We, as young Cambodians, just want to contribute to cleaning up the environment. With Cambodia hosting the upcoming SEA Games, we must work together to make Cambodia a waste-free environment,” added Sophem.

Sophem said that his team conducts cleanups between four and eight times a month, with the number of participants depending on the location and timing.

He believed that the group’s operations have been instrumental in changing some people’s mindsets.

“The Stung Meanchey canal is a perfect example. The first time we went there we filled 5000 bags with garbage. The following week, we returned, and so had the garbage. We collected the same amount. We did not give up, and the local people are taking notice. Now, we see very little garbage there,” he said.

The group have organised various events to educate the public about the impact of pollution on the environment and human health.

He said his team was able to provide several suggestions on the issue of littering in the canal and proper disposal of garbage, and when combined with people witnessing their activities, people started to change their habits.

“However, people who come from far away still throw their trash into the canal, and my team is unable to guide them,” he said.

Sophem noted that videos and photos of their activities have received high praise from social media users, who generally consider them a good example for their peers.

However, not all comments from those who have watched the environmental clean-up videos are positive.

Sophem said that some social media users have criticised his group, suggesting that they were only conducting the cleanups to attract attention and become famous.

“I welcome anyone who is prepared to join us in cleaning up the canal, whether it’s a performance to get famous or a genuine effort,” he said.