PREAH SIHANOUK PROVINCE - Heng Chan Makara worked 12 hours a day as an electrician at a casino in Preah Sihanouk province and didn't have much freedom. He wanted to find a job that would allow him to help his community and make a difference in the world.

One day, Makara heard about TONTOTON, a social enterprise that buys trash from residents and recycles it into useful products. Makara was interested in working for the company because he wanted to help clean up the environment and make his community a better place.

TONTOTON collects trash from residents, recycles it into new products, and tackles the issue of orphan plastic. Kiripost/Siv Channa

“I earned more money [at the casino] but I didn’t have freedom like here,” Makara said. He now works at the Preah Sihanouk province-based company, which buys trash from residents and recycles them into useful items as part of efforts to clean up the environment.

“Here, I can help communities recycle things for use back in those communities,” Makara said. He is part of a team that collects trash from residents in Preah Sihanouk’s Commune Bei.

“My work helps keep villages and communities clean as flies and mosquitoes cause a lot of problems,” he said.

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Makara knows that he is making a difference by helping to reduce plastic pollution. He is also happy to have a job that allows him to have more freedom and spend more time with his family.

TONTOTON collects trash from residents and brings it to the organization’s recycling center. The trash is then sorted and recycled into new products, such as plastic boards and building materials.

TONTOTON was founded in Vietnam three years ago by its director, Barak Ekshtein, an Israeli with a mission to tackle the issue of orphan plastic, specifically post-consumer and non-recyclable plastics.

TONTOTON collects trash from residents, recycles it into new products, and tackles the issue of orphan plastic. Kiripost/Siv Channa

“I recognized the immense potential to create an impact that could address plastic pollution in a way that had not been done before. This impact, certified and measurable, resonated with companies worldwide seeking to make a positive change,” Ekshtein told Kiripost via email.

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In October 2021, TONTOTON expanded its operations to Cambodia, specifically in the coastal city of Sihanoukville. The decision was fueled by the observation of high plastic leakage in the area and the potential for collaborative efforts within the local community.

Since then, TONTOTON has successfully collected more than 2,000 tons of plastic waste, involving collaboration with 450 informal waste pickers and 500 segregation units.

"Today, our operations encompass a broad spectrum of plastic types, with a focus on producing plastic boards and building materials that support local communities while contributing to the development of a circular economy," Ekshtein said.

Barak Ekshtein, founding director at TONTOTON

In Preah Sihanouk's Commune Bei, Say Loemchou runs TONTOTON as a project manager, working with 14 other staff to collect plastic trash and prevent it from flowing into the sea. They also provide jobs to local communities in the province.

"Trash is considered worthless; people throw it away. But we collect them and create value for the trash," said Loemchou in an interview with Kiripost.

"Those who do not have jobs or live in areas without trash collection services can collect trash and sell it to us. This creates jobs and income for them, while we clean trash from the environment so it doesn't flow into the sea," she said.

She added that the coastal province is a commercial hub and tourist destination. This makes it a major source of plastic pollution.

Trash collection is not widely available in Preah Sihanouk, especially in poor and remote communities. This is where TONTOTON comes in, Loemchou said.

The company works with local communities to set up agreements to buy trash at a certain price. Residents are required to collect the trash and store it properly before selling it to TONTOTON. Once they have filled up their baskets with rubbish, they call TONTOTON to collect it.

The trash that TONTOTON collects includes plastic bags and foam. Most of it is non-commercial and non-recyclable plastic.

TONTOTON also has an agreement to supply the trash to Chip Mong cement plant in Kampot. Chip Mong burns it and generates ashes for cement.

Say Loemchou runs TONTOTON as a project manager in Preah Sihanouk. Kiripost/Siv Channa

Chip Mong has the technology to process the trash so that it does not pollute the environment. They do not pay TONTOTON for it, but TONTOTON earns money from plastic credits.

Plastic Credits

Plastic Credits, represented by Verified Plastic Recovery Units (VPUs), act as financial tools to fund waste collection projects globally. This mechanism enables raising funds from various sources, including corporations, institutions, and NGOs.

The generated funds support the expansion of local plastic waste management services, primarily in developing countries.

Helping to reduce plastic among the communities is Keo Chamroeun, a Cambodian-American from Utah. Chamroeun moved back to Cambodia to marry his wife and never returned. He now leads a trash collection team and teaches English.

“I go everywhere, to places where they collect trash,” Chamroeun said. “I’m happy with everyone involved in cleaning our environment; our country has a lot of trash,” he said.

“I also help educate people. This is like doing good deeds.”

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