Mr. Pitaya Pramotvoraphan, Deputy Director General and Spokesman of the Pollution Control Department (PCD), revealed that the policy under the 2nd National Action Plan on Waste Management B.E. 2565-2570 (2022-2027) has a waste management concept that “waste” must not be “waste” but “waste” is a “resource” that must be recycled and reused as much as possible to efficiently use limited resources along with reducing waste generation to a minimum for better environment according to the circular economy guidelines.
Mr. Pitaya said that PCD together with the Department of Local Administration and the Department of Health have selected Don Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization, which is 1 of 4 areas, to be a pilot area to operate according to “the proposal for separating, collecting, and transporting solid waste by type”. The highlight of Don Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization’s solid waste management is creating awareness among citizens to separate waste from the source into 4 types: wet waste, general dry waste (general waste), usable dry waste (recyclable waste), and hazardous waste. The Subdistrict Administrative Organization does not distribute and set up trash cans in the community.
Don Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization encourages people to manage their own waste by collecting 4types of waste management fees in the form of a “waste buffet”. Waste management fees depend on people’s ability to manage their own waste as follows: 1) Households separate waste, make their own compost, and bring dry waste to the collection point themselves = no need to pay a fee 2) Households separate waste, make their own compost, and have volunteers collect dry waste at home = pay a fee of 50 baht/month 3) Households separate waste, bring dry waste to the collection point themselves, and have volunteers collect wet waste at home = pay a fee of 70 baht/month, and 4) Households separate waste, and have volunteers collect dry and wet waste at home = pay a fee of 90 baht/month.
Don Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization has created a volunteer team and a municipal solid waste management team by creating a “municipal solid waste management working group” and “waste collection volunteers” to support waste management and generate income for people who participate in municipal solid waste management. These are the reasons why Don Kaeo Subdistrict Administrative Organization was selected as one of four pilot areas to operate according to “the proposal for separating, collecting and transporting solid waste by type” that PCD made together with the Department of Local Administration and the Department of Health, Mr. Pitaya said.
