From this Friday (September 1), beer in glass containers will be banned from Koh Tao as part of attempts to solve the garbage problem on the island.

Only canned beer will be allowed, said Pollution Control Department director general Pinsak Suraswadi on Wednesday. Vendors on the island will sell only canned beer, he said.

The ban is part of the cooperation between the department, Surat Thani authorities and other agencies concerned, who all agreed to push for tourism on Koh Tao to be sustainable.

His department is studying regulations related to sustainable packaging, Pinsak said, adding that vendors on the island will be urged to collect their garbage for recycling.

In this pilot project, people living on the island will also be urged to reduce the use of single-use plastics, to minimise the volume of waste that needs to be processed or finds its way into the sea.

Meanwhile, Surat Thani governor Witchawut Jinto said that the volume of garbage has increased every year, as a result of the increasing number of tourists visiting the island.

Surat Thani authorities and the local private sector realise the need for a joint effort to protect the eco-system.

“The island has beautiful diving sites, well known to the world, so all parties concerned have to cooperate to make the island free of glass bottles and the sea free of plastic waste,” the governor said.

Read more : Koh Tao and its mountain of garbage awaiting disposal