SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN SOUTHERN MUNICIPALITY OF THAILAND

Abstract

Problems regarding solid waste management have become a national issue requiring very urgent action. The research aims to investigate the solid waste management system on the issue of waste generation, collection and disposal method of municipality in cities and towns in the southern Thailand. The study found that the solid waste generation rate was 1.47 kg/capita/day. The amount of daily solid waste was produced 2,527.1 tons which 559.9 tons (22.16%) were utilized and 1,967.2 tons (77.84%) were collected to the point of disposal. The lack of strategic solid waste collection with just one container was a major barrier to achieve effective waste management. The majority of the municipalities provided daily waste collection from residential areas. Monthly solid waste collection costs most households are usually between 8-50 baht. Solid waste transportation systems using garbage compactors was the most popular vehicles and the side opened trucks were the second choice vehicles. Approximately 77.09% of the vehicles were over 7 years old. The majority of disposing methods of solid waste on land used sanitary landfill method but 7.73% of waste disposal was open dumping. Therefore, municipalities encouraged to pursue the projects of waste reduction, waste separation and waste utilization.