ASSESSING SUSTAINABILITY OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

Abstract

The significant increase of waste volume causes numerous impacts on several aspects of sustainable development including social, economy, and environment. This research aimed at investigating the effectiveness of municipal solid waste management in Bangkok by applying Wasteaware indicators. Structured questionnaires were used for in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. The data was analyzed using Wasteaware datasheet under Microsoft Excel with score coding. In parallel, this research investigated factors that influence public participation intention in terms of waste separation at source, using random sampling method among Bangkok population (n=1,076) and logistic regression for data analysis. The overall assessment demonstrated the appropriate management on waste treatment and disposal of Bangkok which are found to be positive points. However, the lack of effective regulation enforcement related MSW management, the efficiency of waste collection services, and the insufficient promotion of resource management are identified as key weak points. In terms of financing sustainability, some improvements are needed to reduce disposal costs particularly on the promotion of 3Rs. Apart from waste management issues, the analysis result on households survey showed that the current behavior at home or at workplace, knowledge on how to separate waste, available space, subjective norm, mistrust in the MSW service, and general knowledge about waste are the key factors influencing waste separation intention among Bangkok population.