Chula Partners with the Ocean Cleanup to Stop Plastic Waste before It Hits the Ocean With Cameras and AI

Chulalongkorn University has partnered with The Ocean Cleanup and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources to use camera technology and AI to analyze the amount of waste in the Chao Phraya River, aiming to reduce environmental impacts and to promote effective waste management policies both on land and in water sources. 

If you think that the trash you throw away today will disappear from your life forever, think again! 

“By examining the label of plastic waste found on the Chao Phraya River, we found garbage that dates back 10 years!” Professor Dr. Suchana Chavanich, Professor of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, and Deputy Director of the Aquatic Resources Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, revealed findings from the Chao Phraya River Plastic Waste Disposal Research Project in Bangkok, where Chula researchers used cameras and AI technology to intercept and track waste in the Chao Phraya River from 2021 to 2024.

“Currently, Thailand ranks in the top 10 in the world for inefficient waste management, resulting in high levels of marine pollution”, Prof. Dr.Suchana cautioned. 

In the past, many organizations and sectors have continuously tried to raise awareness and enact policies and measures to reduce and eliminate waste both on land and in the waterways to reduce marine waste. Similarly, the latest pilot project — Research focused on eliminating plastic waste from the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, ”a collaboration between Chulalongkorn University, the Embassy of the Netherlands, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and the private sector under the operation of The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit environmental engineering organization from the Netherlands that aims to survey the amount of waste in all five of the world’s oceans.  The project team is made up of scientists, engineers, designers, and volunteers working together to develop technologies to tackle the issue of marine waste.

Waste problem in Thai rivers and seas

Based on the data on the amount of municipal solid waste and waste management capability in 23 coastal provinces in 2022, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources estimates the amount of marine waste to be 11.60 million tons.  Of this amount, 302,389 tons (or 0.30 million tons) are “plastic waste,” and 10-15 percent of this plastic waste can remain on the beach or float into the sea and become “marine waste,” totalling about 30,239-45,358 tons or 0.03-0.45 million tons. 

The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has been actively implementing various marine waste management initiatives since the 2017 fiscal year, aiming to raise public awareness and significantly reduce waste in the ocean and along the coastline. The project also seeks to prevent the reemergence of marine waste by cleaning up leftover trash in Thailand’s critical ecosystems—including beaches, coral reefs, and mangrove forests—across 21 coastal provinces.  The initiative operates through collaborative networks involving local communities, municipal organizations, government agencies, the private sector, and others. Despite these earnest efforts, plastic and general waste continue to pollute Thailand’s waterways and seas.  If left unaddressed, waste contamination in water sources could pose severe threats to marine life, public health, and the nation’s economy, particularly in the fisheries and tourism sectors, while also tarnishing Thailand’s international image in the long run. 

Cameras and AI detect the amount and path of waste in rivers

Prof. Dr. Suchana said that in the Research Project on Plastic Waste Disposal in Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, a team of researchers from Chula was responsible for studying and collecting data on the amount of waste in the Chao Phraya River from 2021 to 2024 to analyze the amount of waste flowing into the sea and studying the efficiency of the automated, solar-powered waste collection vessel (Interceptor) in reducing waste before it goes to the ocean.  “The Chula research team installed debris detection cameras at three major bridges: King Pinklao Bridge, Arun Amarin Bridge, and Bhumibol Bridge, where the garbage flows downstream. These cameras record images every 15 minutes so that the amount of garbage can be tracked 24 hours a day with more efficiency than observing it with the naked eye.” Prof. Dr. Suchana explains the process of waste photo collection and analysis. 

“Then, The Ocean Cleanup’s AI will help process the photos, analyze the amount and type of waste passing under the bridges, track the path of movement of the waste, and assess the efficiency of the Interceptor.”

Research Results and Future Direction

Prof. Dr. Suchana revealed preliminary results that “plastic waste” is still the main waste found in the Chao Phraya River, and the use of the solar-powered waste interceptor significantly reduces the amount of waste flowing into the sea.  The Interceptor can collect up to 6-7 tons of garbage over 2-3 days, depending on the weather.  Once collected, the garbage is carefully sorted and properly disposed of.

Initially, the data collected and analyzed using AI will be used to guide policy formulation by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and relevant organizations, which aims to continue the project for another three years.  Prof. Dr. Suchana expressed confidence that once the research team completed the data analysis, the findings will lead to more effective waste management strategies. 

“The findings of this study will serve as a ‘crucial database’ that can be further developed into a more effective and systematic river waste management plan. It will enable us to craft more precise and sustainable waste management policies at both local and national levels—for instance, identifying high-dumping areas to plan preventive measures, developing policies or regulations to reduce waste discharge into waterways, and promoting community-based waste management at the source. All of these efforts will contribute to reducing long-term environmental impacts,” said Prof. Dr. Suchana.  She further added, “The use of imaging technology and AI will help us understand the areas that still require waste management attention, regardless of whether waste interceptors are in place. It also allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of existing public and private waste management initiatives.”

Ultimately, the waste crisis knows no borders—collective awareness and action across all sectors are essential.

“Solving the waste problem is a shared responsibility. This international cooperation highlights the fact that the waste we assume to be our country’s problem can be swept into the sea and affect other nations. Therefore, waste management is not just a national issue—it is a global challenge that all countries must address together,” concluded Prof. Dr. Suchana.

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