FACTORS AFFECTING LOCAL AUTHORITIES’ WASTE MANAGEMENT (THE CASE OF KATUMBAN DISTRICT, SAMUTSAKORN PROVINCE, THAILAND)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study the factors that affect the participation in management of community waste. Studying the factors affecting community participation in waste management might become a way to find how to manage wastes in the community of the Khaerai Sub-district, Katumban District, Samutsakorn Province of Thailand. This research is designed as a mixed research, that is, both qualitative and quantitative. The tools used to collect quantitative and qualitative data were as follows: 1) The tool used in quantitative collection is a questionnaire divided into 4 sections as follows. Part 1: Analysis of public data on the Khaerai Sub-district Administration Organization. Part 2: Analysis of knowledge on waste management in the community of Khaerai Sub-district. Part 3: Analysis of the factors affecting people’s participation in waste management in the sub-district in question. Part 4: Analysis of household solid waste management in Khaerai Sub-district. 2) Tools used for collection of qualitative data included observations and in-depth interviews on the issues related to community’s involvement in waste management.
 Our research results demonstrate that most of the people in the sub-district in question are involved in reducing the volume of household waste. They always participate in separation of waste types before disposing them. The study on the solid waste management system of Khaerai Sub-district Administration Organization found that the Administration applies comprehensive community waste management, integrated with waste management. To manage the garbage at its source, dividing the garbage into four categories is used (thus, there are four cans). This helps collecting solid waste more efficiently and thus reduce the contamination of that waste that potentially can be reused. The focus should be maintained on waste sorting and also on organization of the related projects and activities. Additional measures may include providing a new waste facility for future solid waste and also promoting more ways to get rid of waste at its source. Using the participatory principles in waste management gives people more freedom in options’ selection, and this, in its turn, may boost the efficiency of waste collection and waste management overall.