The Khmer Times shared some news this morning that seems too good to be true. Yesterday, the Environment Ministry announced that it is preparing to ban single use plastics in Cambodia. The Thai government announced a similar initiative earlier this week.

Biodegradable containers like banana leaf were used in traditional Khmer society. These were thrown away freely after use and quickly disappeared in the humid climate. This behavior persisted when plastics were introduced and soon caused a massive build up of non-biodegradable waste. Not only does all of this dirty plastic waste look terrible; it also chokes plants, supports malaria carrying mosquitoes, contributes to the city’s rodent problem, and spreads diseases like dysentery! There have been increasing efforts to clean up plastic waste but this is the first governmental initiative to address it’s source that I’m aware of.

This is an exciting development for Cambodia and Thailand. The positive effects on tourism, public health, and the environment should be significant.