WWF-Laos is actively implementing community-based waste management activities in collaboration with Souphanouvong University. Through awareness campaigns at the Boat Racing Festival to reduce single-use plastic and engaging households to separate waste at source, Plastic Smart Cities in Luang Prabang has reached over 150 families with training sessions and equipment such as separate bins, tongs, logbooks, face masks to support the community in adopting of proper waste management.
WWF-Laos, with the participation of students from Souphanouvong University, organized awareness-raising activities during the annual Boat Racing Festival in Luang Prabang on 23 August 2025. As a popular cultural event with many visitors, the Boat Racing Festival is held alongside the Nam Khan river that runs through Luang Prabang andwas an ideal opportunity to raise public awareness. Festival visitors were encouraged to reduce single-use plastic use and increase waste segregation not only during the festival, but also in their everyday lives, in order to reduce plastic leakage into natural environments.
With support from students and local partners, the team informed visitors about the impacts of plastic pollution – not only on rivers, oceans, forests, and biodiversity, but also on human health.
The event was held on 9 August 2025 in Ban Phanom, in collaboration with WWF-Laos’ Plastic Waste Reduction Project, the Office of Urban Management and Services, the Environment Office, and Ban Phanom Municipality. The village head of Ban Phanom, along with representatives of 150 families, received equipment to support community-based waste managementt, including: bins, brooms, litter pickers such as tongs, face masks, waste-segregation logbooks and other materials.
Empowering Local Households with Income-Generating Waste Separation
The project is also partnering with Souphanouvong University to provide training to target households. The sessions will focus on waste separation, generating income from recyclables, and understanding the impacts of waste-related pollution.
As one of Luang Prabang’s cultural villages, Ban Phanom sees the importance of maintaining their reputation by improving cleanliness through better waste management. Waste separation will not only help keep communities clean but also enable residents to sort out valuable and tradeable recyclables. The project coordinated with waste-buying companies, particularly those purchasing PET plastic bottles, to buy recyclable materials directly from households in Ban Phanom, Luang Prabang, thereby bringing recycling services into the village.
