As the impact of marine plastics on the ecosystem has come to light, people have begun to realize that the durability of plastics, which is one of their good qualities, turns into a problem for the earth, as they are difficult to decompose when disposed of into the environment. Measures are being taken by those who use plastic, such as charging for plastic bags and restricting the use of plastic products by using alternatives, but the most important thing is to prevent plastic from being carelessly thrown away into the environment. There are many places around the world, especially in developing countries, where garbage collection and disposal is not carried out due to economic reasons. Since developing countries use large amounts of cheap and durable plastic, it is thought that the flow of plastic waste into the ocean will not be stopped unless measures are taken on the discharge side. Based on the idea that ``in areas where there is no garbage collection service and discarded plastic is likely to end up as marine plastic, there is a need to create a plastic waste separation and collection system that involves citizen participation'', we planned a project to promote the separation and collection of plastic waste among people living in floating communities on the shores of Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia. There, people routinely dump trash into the water, and the lake water, which increases in volume during the rainy season, washes the trash downstream, with some of it flowing into the Pacific Ocean via the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers. This project will proceed while forming a network with organizations such as the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, provincial offices, JICA offices, village communes, and private garbage recycling companies, with the Royal University of Phnom Penh in Cambodia as a counterpart.

Project period: 2022-04-08 to 2022-04-07 (2 years)
Business members/organizations:
→Business entity (Japanese side)
• Kenji Fujiwara, Jun Tsukiji,Habuer (Affiliated to the Graduate School of Environmental Life Sciences, Okayama University)
• Kazuo Shibuya, Kaori Fujita (Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) China Center)
→Business cooperation (local side)
• Vin Spoann, Phat Chandara (Counterpart: Royal University of Phnom Penh)
• Noriko Ogawa, Yoshiko Watanabe (Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Cambodia Office)

The Low Carbon and Waste Recycling Research Center attached to the Graduate School of Environmental, Life and Natural Sciences, Okayama University offers public lectures to the general public every June. The theme varies each year. For more information, please visit the Okayama University Open Course website. In the R4th year, Professor Hafu-Yi gave a theme of ``Recent waste research'', and in the R5th year, the theme was ``Efforts to prevent plastic dumping into rivers in Cambodia''.

An event with the theme "Gather! Future Eco Doctors!" was held for lower grade elementary school students, their guardians, and the general public. We have prepared a variety of booths including crafts, experiments, quizzes, and hands-on exhibits.

Date and time: 2019-07-21 (Sun)
Location: Okayama University 50th Anniversary Hall
Sponsored by: Low Carbon and Waste Circulation Research Center, Graduate School of Environmental, Life and Natural Sciences, Okayama University
Exhibiting organizations: Okayama University, Okayama City Environment Bureau, Okayama City Eco Technology Research Group, Okayama University ECOLO, Kurashiki Soja Global Warming Countermeasures Council, Sankyo-Enbix Co., Ltd.