Bangkok’s “Zero Waste” exhibition at City Hall 2 complex is showcasing innovative ways of managing waste.

The expo, officially opened by deputy governor Sanon Wangsrangboon on Friday, also features waste-management innovations from 118 schools under the jurisdiction of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

“Bangkok is fast becoming a city with a better waste-management system thanks to governor Chadchart Sittipunt’s policy of waste separation,” Sanon said, adding that this system has helped reduce waste from the private sector by 400 tonnes in the past year.

He said BMA agencies have also been urged to adopt waste separation practices, especially schools that produce more waste than households and some businesses.

“Schools in Bangkok are making students more aware about separation and proper waste management by incorporating the practice into their curriculum of scientific subjects,” he said.

“Private partners are also helping provide training to students after school hours on why we need to separate waste and where it will go after sorting. This creates a new dimension in learning that focuses on current problems faced by the city instead of just learning from textbooks alone,” he added.

The deputy governor said that next year the BMA will incorporate more subjects in the curriculum like saving money, investing and tackling bullies.

“We hope these topics will help students gain practical knowledge that they can also share with their families. This will help ensure that the city’s policies are understood at the community level,” he said.

Apart from the exhibition, Friday’s activities also included a demonstration of waste-separation practices followed by both the BMA and private partners as well as a presentation of “Zero Waste” badges to schools and agencies with outstanding innovations.