From 22-25 September 2025, GIZ Thailand through the Collaborative Actions for Single-Use Plastic Prevention in Southeast Asia (CAP SEA), in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) welcomed delegates from the National Solid Waste Management Department (JPSPN), Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp), and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) of Malaysia to learn about Bangkok’s waste management landscape under the City-to-City Exchange project.

This exchange programme focused on how communities could adapt circular economy principles work in daily life by starting from upstream waste management, food waste handling, and fostering collaboration with the private sector and junk shops, as well as developing policy frameworks and financial mechanisms that support sustainable waste management.

Malaysian delegates visiting Klong Lat Phachi community and exchanging knowledge with the community leader

The delegates had the opportunity to discuss and exchange knowledge with the residents at the Khlong Lat Phachi community in Phasi Charoen, where they have been separating waste for years. Also, the delegates learned about the waste-to-compost process, an open-space public facility for vegetable farming where the public can take for free, a Waste Bank where people can trade their trash for money, and a recycling facility that transforms PET into new products like clothing for sale. This activity reflected broader BMA efforts to reduce landfill waste through upstream waste segregation and resource recovery, which closes the loop of household waste under circular economy principles. The community’s success stems from the residents’ engagement and ongoing dialogue between government and citizens.

Malaysian delegates inspecting an in-operation BMA garbage truck

At the Nong Khaem Solid Waste Disposal Centre, the delegation witnessed Bangkok’s impressive food waste solution, which processes 3,500 tons of municipal waste daily from all 16 districts to the west of the Chao Phraya River. The secret sauce was the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) Larvae consuming organic waste at an industrial scale. These larvae reduce food waste while producing protein-rich biomass used for animal feed – a recycling system from nature, harnessed at city scale by the BMA.

Malaysian delegates learning how to segregate waste that can be traded for essentials items

The delegation encountered the simple but extraordinary concept of establishing the Zero Baht Store, operated by the Zero Baht Community, at the 14 rai (5.5 acre) community in On Nut. Here, waste isn’t just separated, it’s currency. Residents bring recyclables, which are weighed and valued. That value becomes purchasing power for essentials like rice, cooking oil, and household supplies. The model was well received from the community and successful because it builds environmental consciousness while acknowledging economic reality. This system has reduced waste heading to landfills while strengthening community bonds and creating local economic value.

Malaysian delegates observing the ‘Waste Buy’ operation inside the Wongpanit facility

The delegation also visited the Wongpanit Recycling Station in Lat Krabang to see how private enterprise bridges the gap between household separation and industrial recycling. The ‘Waste-Buy’ logistics service, implemented under Wongpanit, serves as a powerful enterprise to reach households directly by buying waste at their door, closing a loop cycle, and reinforcing the recycling economy with tremendous scalability. This demonstrates a pilot waste management model that can be replicated at the municipal level.

Malaysian delegates visiting the waste interceptor ‘HIPPO’ operated by Seven Clean Seas

By the Chao Phraya River, the solar-powered waste interceptor HIPPO (High Impact Plastic Pollution remOver) from Seven Clean Seas showcased an NGO innovation addressing waste problems. The automatic vessel catches plastic flowing downstream before it reaches the ocean, a tangible reminder that effective waste management requires diverse actors playing complementary roles

Wrap up meeting between Malaysian delegates together with representatives from the BMA at BMA City Hall 1

This exchange shows that, even without law enforcement, engaging communities as partners, creating systems in line with people’s daily lives, and creating economic incentives, can motivate communities to respond to waste management from the source to the end.

As the delegation departed for Kuala Lumpur, they carried stories of communities making the circular economy work to adapt into Malaysian contexts and the transformation into the political will needed to support community-led solutions. This mutual learning continued from 3-6 November 2025, when Thai delegates made a reciprocal visit to Malaysia, closing the circle of knowledge exchange between neighbouring cities committed to building sustainable futures together.

The City-to-City Exchange was organised under The Collaborative Actions for Single-Use Plastic Prevention in Southeast Asia (CAP SEA). The project is a key component of the global initiative ‘Export Initiative Environmental Protection’ being implemented in both Thailand and Malaysia. This consequential project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN).

More information about CAP SEA: The Collaborative Actions for Single-Use Plastic Prevention in Southeast Asia (CAP SEA) – Thailand Component – Thai-German Cooperation