Going Green
U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh renews its efforts towards a more environmentally responsible existence.
By: Juhani Platt
In an effort to make the Embassy more environmentally viable, the U.S. Embassy staff in Phnom Penh has formed a Green Team to help the greater embassy community explore more ways to become environmentally responsible. Look for notices on the U.S. Embassy website with green-living tips, interesting articles on the environment, and announcements about activities like community cleanup events.
Did you know?
- The energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a TV set for 3 hours, and is equivalent to half a can of gasoline.
- Each ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees.
- A banana peel takes 2 months to decompose, a plastic sandwich bag takes 400 years, and a piece of Styrofoam takes over 1 million years.
- If just one household generated 5% fewer waste newspapers, aluminum cans, steel cans and plastic containers and then recycled what remained, a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 352 pounds of carbon equivalent could be achieved.
Being environmentally friendly in Phnom Penh can seem like a challenge, but there are things we can all do in the office and at home to be more energy efficient, reduce waste, and save some money in the process. For example:
- Ask your guards at home when the "etjai", or "waste pickers", pass by your street. Etjai wander around Phnom Penh, collecting recyclables from the trash or buying them directly from residents, and then sell their finds to recycling stations for a small profit. If you separate your recyclables for the etjai ahead of time, you save them some work!
- In the office, try to bring your own coffee mug to work to save on plastic waste.
Want to share your ideas? Send feedback, suggestions, and interesting news items to the Green Team at PHPGreenTeam@state.gov. We'll highlight good ideas on our website and work for a “greener” tomorrow.
