Ranong Recycle for Environment: Tackling Marine Pollution and Preserving Coastal Livelihoods
- vsvijay103
- May 21
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 10
Ranong, a small town located in the north of Thailand’s Andaman coast, just a few kilometres from the southernmost point of Myanmar, and 300km north of Phuket, serves as a vital hub for a diverse mix of communities. Local Thai residents, fishers from nearby islands, and sizable Burmese refugee and migrant populations all converge here, as they make a living by participating in the area’s main fishing and trade centre. Its operations, however, have been increasingly affected by the overwhelming problem of plastic pollution. The shores are regularly covered with plastic litter washed up from the sea, exacerbated in Thailand by mass tourism, which contributes to a growing waste management crisis.
Worsening environmental conditions, caused by plastics accumulating in the sea and breaking down under sun and saltwater exposure, impact the quality and numbers of marine animals on which Ranong’s economic activity relies. With limited opportunities for income generation, many residents find themselves in precarious situations. In response to these challenges, Ranong Recycle for Environment, a social enterprise, was established to improve working conditions and social security for local fishers. Combating plastic pollution and improving livelihoods by the RRE involved one of the oldest and most fascinating communities in the area: the Moken.
The Moken, commonly known in Thailand as Chao Lay (sea people), who consider themselves Guardians of the Sea, have lived nomadic lives for centuries. They travelled between the islands of the Mergui archipelago, sustaining themselves through fishing and harvesting of marine animals. During the dry season, when the sea was calm, the Moken lived on boats called kabang. These vessels played a central role in Moken life, serving as transportation, fishing tools, homes, and even as places where people were born and passed away. While various social, environmental, and legal realities have shifted for the Moken in recent decades, the boats and the sea remain essential for their livelihoods.
Over the years, the community’s nomadic lifestyle has become more sedentary, with semi permanent houses built on the Surin Islands coast. Nevertheless, most young Moken continue to spend much of their life in the sea. Depending on the season, they leave the village for various fishing excursions and return to land to replenish sweet water and trade the catch. Their way of life has allowed them to develop unique practical diving and fishing skills. They excel in free diving, with many being able to stay underwater for extended periods of time without equipment. It is also common for the Moken to acquire exceptional underwater vision due to years of eye accommodation practice from a young age.
Moreover, through generations of close observation and adaptation to the sea’s cycles, the Moken accumulated vast knowledge of the marine environment and ecological phenomena, which they passed down through oral traditions, using stories and tales. Their ability to continuously adapt to different ecological niches, facilitated by frequent travel and migration, demonstrates their resilience and unique insight into conservation and natural resource management.
A striking example of this adaptability was their response to the 2004 tsunami, which brought havoc to coastal communities along the Indian Ocean. Despite never before experiencing a tsunami, in December 2004, upon noticing the sudden retreat of the shoreline, the Moken recognised the warning signs of an impending disaster. Acting swiftly, they moved to higher ground, resulting in no casualties among their community and saving the lives of several tourists. In total 5,400 people died from the tsunami in Thailand alone.
With a deep empathy for the Moken, whose livelihoods were particularly affected by the tsunami, which caused the destruction of their essential boats, the Jan & Oscar Foundation committed to helping the community with rehabilitation efforts. In 2013, the foundation built the first school on the island of Koh Lao, home to around 50 Moken households, to provide children with access to education through formal schooling and scholarship support.
It was an essential first step in revitalising the community and unlocking its potential. Over time, however, the project revealed further challenges that have gone unaddressed. Namely, once the education programmes were completed, Moken graduates faced limited formal employment opportunities. At the same time, the community's traditional ways of supporting their livelihoods have been disrupted by the growing issue of plastic pollution. Plastic waste hinders fishing and shellfish collection, often entangling nets and equipment. Additionally, as natural habitats have deteriorated, fish populations have declined. In response to this two fold challenge, the Jan & Oscar Foundation launched a new initiative- Ranong Recycle for Environment (RRE).
RRE’s primary business activity revolves around operating the recycling centre located in Ranong. The centre employs 15–20 people and collaborates with over 200 registered local collectors on a freelance basis. Since its launch in 2019, more than 700 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic have been successfully collected and repurposed into high-quality materials. The waste that reaches RRE undergoes a rigorous sorting and cleaning process, preparing it for transformation into flakes and pellets. RRE’s key partner since 2023- #Tide Ocean Material, handles the commercial aspect of the project, purchasing processed plastics, and giving them a second life as polyester yarns, pellets, and filaments for 3D printing.
What makes RRE and Tide ecosystem’s strategy remarkable is its foundation in the principles of the circular economy, which is an economic model that promotes a closed loop system of production. Instead of following the traditional make-use-dispose approach, this model ensures that materials are continuously recycled and reused. Given the vast scale and complexity of marine plastic pollution, removing plastics from the ocean can be extremely costly. However, by assigning value to plastic waste through innovative repurposing solutions, cleanup efforts become both sustainable and cost-effective.
In case of RRE, this means that collecting plastics becomes economically attractive for local communities, as they help return waste to the supply chain where it can be creatively reused and sold. Once purchased by #Tide, shipped overseas, and transformed into high-quality, durable recycled materials, they are used by partner manufacturers and businesses to create new products such as watch straps and carpets.
Flakes and pellets from collected plastic (left), and a watch manufactured by Tide Ocean Material’s partner using recycled plastic (right)
Beyond its clear environmental benefits, the project also plays a vital role in engaging the informal economy by placing marginalised communities at the heart of its operations. RRE’s on-site workforce is predominantly composed of women from Moken and Burmese backgrounds. In addition to providing stable, waged employment, the enterprise also offers accommodation to some employees. Freelance collectors are fairly compensated for their time, receiving plastic credits that cover fuel costs for transporting collected waste from the islands to the centre in Ranong- an expense rarely covered by competitors.
By creating pathways to formal employment, RRE actively advocates for safe and decent work as a fundamental human right. Both Burmese migrants and the Moken often face precarious legal status in Thailand. The Moken, historically nomadic and frequently lacking official documentation or proof of address, encounter significant barriers to accessing formal employment, social benefits, and public healthcare. As a result, many are pushed into exploitative labour conditions, working for wages below the legal minimum in unsafe or degrading environments.
RRE’s impact extends beyond operating the recycling centre, feeding into the broader mission to advance the circular economy. The enterprise reinvests its profits, along with additional funding from partners, into recycling education programmes in schools. These initiatives include workshops that teach children about biodiversity conservation, harmful effects of plastic pollution, and effective recycling techniques. RRE also supports the establishment of school waste banks, where students can deposit recyclables in exchange for small rewards, encouraging participatory learning. These efforts have yielded impressive results, including one school eliminating single-use plastics from its premises and drawing the attention of local authorities, paving the way for potential future collaboration.
As the United Nations Development Programme reports, only 9% of all generated plastics are recycled, with around 70% ending up in landfills or the natural environment. For that reason, incorporating preventative measures is essential to combating this widespread problem. In collaboration with Jan & Oscar Foundation, RRE is now working to expand their existing educational programmes and introduce a state-of-the-art zero-waste model for managing waste on the islands of Ranong province.
RRE’s operations are not only an effective intervention for climate and biodiversity but also a compelling example of community-led development. Plastic pollution is a complex, global issue that requires creative solutions that fit local needs. As a grassroots initiative, RRE provides concrete solutions to combat marine litter on the islands and coastal areas of southern Thailand through leveraging the communities’ own resources and skills.
Photography by Cat Vinton, Connected Development, and Ranong Recycle for Environment
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