We took a break for lunch during our monthly staff meeting, and rushed off to the local market to pick up some food to go.  As the 15 of us ate, we realized just how much plastic, paper, wood, and rubber waste had come along with our food.

Recognizing a “teachable moment,” we gathered all the trash and measured it.  Our 15-person lunch generated an astounding 55 rubber bands, 12 paper wrappers, 56 small plastic bags, 9 large plastic bags, 7 styrofoam boxes, and 37 wooden sticks.  With nearly 66,000,000 people in living in Thailand at the last estimate (CiA World Factbook), those numbers quickly become staggering.  Shopping sustainably in Thailand is an uphill battle!  As if it was a tricky rappel or a wilderness first aid situation, we recognized the challenge and made a plan.

Next month we will buy the exact same lunch during our staff meeting.  Our goal is to reduce the waste generated by that one meal down to the 37 wooden sticks (which we can’t control).  A CMRCA Environmental Responsibilty Task Force has been appointed to measure and reduce our company footprint, starting with the way we shop.  We hope the whole community will help us stay mindful and reduce the amount of waste we generate.  Change begins with awareness — let’s get after it!