Enhancing organic waste separation at the source behavior: A case study of the application of motivation mechanisms in communities in Thailand

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores organic waste separation behavior at the source when various motivation mechanisms are implemented. Four mechanisms are applied in pilot areas to observe the differences in behavior. A traditional mechanism is introduced to the community as the first campaign followed by a voluntary mechanism, which is another non-economic incentive mechanism. Next, two economic incentive mechanisms, namely, a reward mechanism and a community business mechanism, are applied. These four mechanisms were applied in the Nakhon Ratchasima metropolitan area, one of the largest commercialized cities in northeastern Thailand, in 2010. The study found that the traditional mechanism yields a 19% organic waste separation efficiency. When the voluntary mechanism is applied, the efficiency increases to 36%. The economic incentive mechanism further increases the waste separation behavior: the reward mechanism increases the efficiency to 51%, and the community business mechanism is the best mechanism, with an efficiency of 58% being observed. The study also found that housing style influences the quantity of organic waste separation, while community style influences the quality of organic waste separation. These results are helpful in devising appropriate management plans for enhancing waste management practices, which will directly improve the sustainability of using organic waste in future energy projects.