Ice is Melting

by Taka

Songkran, the world's largest water festival, takes place in Thailand during the hottest month of April, typically spanning three days. This festival holds great cultural and economic significance for Thailand, marking the Thai New Year. This year's Songkran festival attracted a staggering 1.9 million tourists over its three-week duration from April 1st to 21st.

As the Songkran season approaches, some environmentalists focus on its water usage each year. While water conservation is crucial, it's important to recognize Songkran's deep-rooted traditional, cultural, and economic significance. Simply labeling it as a waste of water overlooks these important aspects. 

When it comes to water usage in Thailand, a significant concern arises in Thai people’s daily lives. Bangkok, like many cities, boasts a plethora of cafes where people enjoy a variety of iced drinks such as bubble milk tea, citrus tea, cafe latte, and more. According to my Thai friends, they indulge in iced drinks from cafes at least once a day. If you try iced drinks in Bangkok, you might notice that your drink disappears quickly due to the abundance of ice cubes in the plastic cup. 

On one occasion, I ordered an iced coffee and observed as the ice cubes melted after I finished the drink. Surprisingly, about 260ml of water remained in the plastic cup. Generally, people either dispose of their plastic cup with ice cubes after drinking or they drain them. This not only leads to water wastage but also contributes to electricity wastage, as making ice cubes consumes a great amount of electricity. Moreover, this practice often results in large plastic cups filled with excess ice cubes, contributing to unnecessary waste.

Ice melting in Bangkok is a pressing issue that we aim to address as soon as possible. I recognize the necessity of using ice cubes to keep drinks cool, but it's crucial to minimize excess. While encouraging orders with less ice is a step, it's not comprehensive as cafes benefit from using ample ice cubes. Transforming entrenched customs is always a challenge, but as with our other campaigns, I see the importance of promoting energy conservation for a better Bangkok. Our goal is to raise awareness among both consumers and suppliers about environmental issues and I believe that this future campaign will serve to encourage the responsible consumption and supply of iced drinks with reducing water and electricity wastage.