Chiang Mai krathong waste drops 25%

CHIANG MAI – Twenty-five tonnes of krathong floats and garbage have been collected from the Ping River after Friday’s Loy Krathong festival, down from 33 tonnes last year.
Chiang Mai deputy governor Tosapol Phuanudom on Tuesday presided over the launch of a campaign to collect krathong floats, garbage and debris from the river at the Pa Dad sluice gate in Muang district.  
Mr Tosapol said workers scooped up 25 tonnes of krathong waste and garbage stranded at the sluice gate, representing a 25% decrease from last year’s festival.  
About 90% of the collected floats were made from natural materials, while the rest were made from Styrofoam, bread and other materials. 
“If they are not removed quickly it will affect the river’s ecosystem. The cleanup is expected to be completed in one or two days,” Mr Tosapol said.  
The collected floats and garbage were taken to the municipal waste management facility for fertiliser production and disposal using proper methods, he said.
Krathong floats were collected on Saturday in Bangkok, where officials said the total, 514,590, was 20% lower than the year before.
Of the collected floats in Bangkok, more than 98% were made from natural materials.