Exploring Successful Cases of Community Participation in Waste Management and Upcycling in Thailand

Abstract

Introduction: The amount of solid waste generated in Thailand in 2022 was 25.7 million tonnes (70,411 tonnes) per day. This is considered a serious issue since the amount of municipal waste in Thailand was the second highest compared to those produced by other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries (Environment, 2017). The amount of solid waste has increased by 3% compared with that in 2020 (Pollution Control Department, Pollution Control, 2022). Several factors, such as the lack of cooperation in waste sorting before disposal and limited knowledge of solid waste management within households, caused the mishandling of solid waste at the community level (Maschamadol, 2018). Due to increasing waste problems, the Thai government has acknowledged the importance of this issue and set the solid waste solution as a national agenda (Buranasingh, 2017). Although Thailand has various laws and regulations in relation to the waste-management process, which describe specific duties and responsibilities of local government organizations in regard to the collection, storing and transportation of waste (including exploitation of waste, such as electric power business and investment promotion), the lack of integration and participation of various sectors, especially at the earlier stages of the process (e.g., waste sorting), makes them less effective. Other strategies (e.g., encouraging people to reduce the amount of waste from their consumption and promoting environmentally-friendly packaging) have not been officially established – these include providing clearer knowledge on waste management to the general public (Mokhsart, 2022). At present, the 3Rs principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) has been used as an operating framework for waste management, which can be divided into three phases: upstream (reduce), midstream (reuse), and destination (recycle). The aim is to reduce the amount of waste, promote waste segregation at source, create an efficient waste collection system, and properly dispose (Ministry of Interior, 2022).