South Korean-owned DAEHAN Corporation, which specialises in waste recycling, is considering investing in the upcycling of waste into consumer products. The firm signalled its intent at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Environment on December 13.
Tumpen Virakvitou, president of the Civil Society Organisation Network (CSON) in Cambodia and facilitator of the MoU, told The Post that the company had been working to turn plastic bags into useful items since 2015.
“The company’s decision to study the possibilities of post-Covid-19 investment is a positive indicator and bodes well for the employment market,” he said.
Virakvitou said the firm operates eight large facilities in South Korea and is the number one waste collection and processing operator in the country. The company has both waste collection and recycling techniques that will make future projects in the Kingdom cleaner. Currently, garbage collection is widely available in Cambodia, but recycling is not.
“The company has a lot of experience in South Korea and would like to collaborate with the environment ministry to apply its expertise here,” he said.
According to a report by the environment ministry, Cambodia generates nearly 4 million tonnes of garbage a year, which is more than 10,000 tons per day nationwide. In Phnom Penh alone, between 2,700 and 3,000 tonnes is produced daily.
Food waste accounts for 57.40 per cent, plastic bags make up 18.1 per cent, with paper being six per cent. Solid waste accounted for the remainder of the garbage.