BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin has launched a nationwide “Zero Food Waste” campaign across Thailand’s national parks to reduce organic waste and curb methane emissions. The effort, led by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), supports the government’s four-month “Quick Win” plan to halve food waste by 2030.
The campaign mandates that no food waste in national parks be buried or burned. Instead, all organic waste will be reused or recycled locally. The plan centers on three key measures: reducing waste generation through awareness efforts and restrictions on single-use plastics, reusing and recycling organic waste into compost or black soldier fly feed, and promoting shared responsibility among visitors, local businesses, and park authorities.
The project is already active in 118 national parks, including Doi Inthanon, Khao Yai, Phu Kradueng, Erawan, and Ao Phang Nga. In fiscal year 2025, the parks processed over 2,900 tons of waste from more than 18 million visitors, with 60% managed on-site. The average waste generation rate fell to 0.16 kilograms per person per day, showing steady progress toward sustainable waste management.
According to DNP Director-General Atthaphon Charoenchansa, all parks have been instructed to prioritize the Zero Food Waste policy. A four-month rollout will establish model sites, followed by a five-year plan from 2026 to 2030 to expand full implementation across all 156 national parks. The goal is to achieve a 50% nationwide reduction in food waste by the end of the decade, with cooperation from tourists encouraged. (NNT)
