Cleanbodia: a company to watch
As plastic waste accumulates in Cambodian streets, Cleanbodia offers biodegradable bags and works to shift local practices toward sustainability.
Cambodia, unfortunately, does not rank among the cleanest countries environmentally. Each day, residents discard waste on the streets, creating enormous piles of garbage along roadsides. Facing this crisis, one entrepreneur decided to tackle pollution by founding Cleanbodia.
Meeting Cleanbodia, the green enterprise
We spoke with one of their representatives to learn more about Cleanbodia.
What is Cleanbodia?
"Cleanbodia's mission is to supply businesses with biodegradable green plastic bags. The challenge lies in convincing Khmer companies of the value of eco-friendly bags, since the environment rarely ranks high among their priorities. Many lack awareness of the impact. Most of our clients are expatriates who have been more exposed to environmental concerns. We focus on businesses that use large quantities of plastic bags, such as restaurants."
How did the project begin?
"The project originated from an ASEAN business contest, where we reached the finalist stage. From there, the idea gained momentum, and today the company has three employees and its director, Mr. Kai Kuramoto."
What are the plastic bags made of?
"They are made from cassava starch and plastic, making them biodegradable in 5 to 6 years—compared to conventional plastic bags that take 1,000 years to break down."
