Before plastic became a common part of everyday life, Cambodian communities relied on locally available natural materials for food packaging, storage and other everyday needs. Today, some of these traditional practices are finding new relevance as Cambodia looks for practical alternatives to single-use plastic.

One example is smok, a traditional woven product made from palm leaves. Ms. Oum Sorng, a smok maker, learned the craft from her mother and continues to make different sizes according to customer orders.

“I learned to do this from my mother.”

The process begins with locally sourced palm leaves. She explains:

“Palm leaves are cut from the rice fields. Once dried, cut it small. Then crafting.”

It is a simple process, but one that connects traditional knowledge, local materials and livelihoods. Unlike many single-use plastic products, smok offers an option that can be used for packaging while drawing on materials that have long been part of Cambodia’s local traditions.

For Ms. Oum Sorng, greater use of smok could also help reduce dependence on plastic.

“When people use smok instead of plastic, it doesn’t harm the environment.”

The experience of smok makers like Ms. Oum Sorng highlights the potential of locally available materials to become part of Cambodia’s response to plastic pollution. But alternatives alone cannot solve the challenge. 

Transforming Cambodia’s plastic system requires bold, coordinated action across the value chain. To drive this progress, in 2023, Cambodia launched NPAP Cambodia in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP). Led by the Ministry of Environment, NPAP Cambodia is a cross sector, evidence-based initiative dedicated to developing a national action roadmap to reduce plastic pollution, mitigate its economic and social impacts, and accelerate Cambodia’s transition to a circular plastics economy.