The programme complements the clean-up activities of the environmental partnership launched in 2023. The goal is to reduce the amount of waste flowing into the Chao Phraya River via its side channels and to establish a stable waste processing infrastructure around the Thai capital.
“Education is an important key in life,” says Sebastian Rudolph, Chairman of the Board of the Ferry Porsche Foundation. “Through this programme, students deal closely with the environmental consequences of carelessly discarded waste. They also learn about the value of recyclable materials. This helps to strengthen their environmental awareness for a sustainably cleaner future.”
Learning by doing
The approach of this education strategy? Learning by doing. Right at the start of the project, school classes take part in a clean-up campaign along the Phasi Charoen canal. The canal flows into the Chao Phraya, which in turn flows into the Gulf of Thailand 35 kilometres west of Bangkok. Every year, about 385 tonnes of waste enter the ocean through the river.
Back in the classroom, students then set up their own recycling system for their school. In this playful way, the young people learn about the waste cycle and the dangers of discarded plastic. This not only encourages entrepreneurial thinking, but also makes the school environment a cleaner place. The local non-governmental organisation TerraCycle Global Foundation will support this process for one year and coach student teams and teachers.
Now on board: Bentley Environmental Foundation
The Ferry Porsche Foundation has been committed to sustainable structures for waste prevention and recycling in Bangkok with the Audi Environmental Foundation and everwave since last year. The trio will be reinforced this year by the newly founded Bentley Environmental Foundation. With their initiative, the project partners want to draw attention to the fact that rivers act as ‘plastic highways’: carelessly discarded waste is blown into the water and ends up in the open sea.
In addition to the programme for schools, the environmental partnership is also continuing to support the use of the smart waste collection boat CollectiX as well as the construction of new sorting and processing facilities. With the help of drones, cameras and artificial intelligence, everwave tracks down and collects concentrations of rubbish. With the aim of removing up to 20 tonnes of rubbish out of the water every month. TerraCycle Global Foundation employees sort and process the waste.
“Last year, 66,000 kilograms of waste were fished out of the water,” reports Clemens Feigl, CEO of everwave. In addition, four full-time jobs were created locally and six barriers were erected in the canal to stop the flow of rubbish. Feigl: “If things go well, the Chao Phraya and its side channels can be waste-free in 10 to 20 years’ time.”
About everwave
everwave is cleaning up the environment: waste collection boats prevent waste from getting into the oceans. Artificial intelligence assists in these clean-up missions to detect and analyse waste. The collected material is then disposed of through environmentally friendly procedures while public awareness of environmental topics is also increased. The start-up is active in Bosnia, Thailand and Cambodia, and promotes clean water in these and other countries. To date, everwave has already collected more than 1.4 million kg of waste from rivers.
About the Audi Environmental Foundation
The Audi Environmental Foundation GmbH is an active supporter of new technology and scientific methods for a liveable future. The Foundation’s goal is to make a contribution to environmental protection and create and promote ways of acting sustainably. The Foundation focuses in particular on the promotion and development of environmentally friendly technology, environmental education measures, and the protection of the natural life resources of people, animals and plants. It was founded in 2009 by AUDI AG as a 100 per cent subsidiary and is a part of its commitment to social and environmental issues.
About the Bentley Environmental Foundation
Founded in 2023, the Bentley Environmental Foundation is committed to one of humanity’s most important challenges – preserving and regenerating the planet for future generations. The Foundation works with globally recognised non-governmental organisations and charities to create environmental change through collaborative and transformative environmental projects.
About the Ferry Porsche Foundation
Founded in 2018, the Ferry Porsche Foundation promotes and initiates charitable projects in the areas of social welfare, the environment, education and science, culture and sport. Through its societal commitments, the Foundation aims above all to support young people at the company locations of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. It is named after Ferry Porsche, who founded the Porsche sports car brand in 1948.
