Factors Affecting Community Participation in Waste Management at Original Source, Bang Sai Sub-district, Mueang District, Surat Thani Province

Abstract

Garbage management in Thailand is a major issue. Therefore, the population status, community wastrels, environmental management, and factors affecting community participation in waste management were studied at the source. A questionnaire was developed based on a conceptual framework and relevant theories. Data correlation was conducted using the F-test at a statistical significance level of 0.05

Based on the respondents’ results, out of the 270 households sampled, 61.11% were female, with an average age of around 41 years. The majority of the sampled households had 3–4 members who had been residents for 10 years or more. Education levels were generally lower than a Bachelor's degree and the primary occupations were fishing, general contracting, and agriculture. The average monthly income range was THB 10,000–20,000. The highest average values for garbage management and public participation in community waste management were in the areas of garbage collection and storage, with participation for receiving benefits averaging 2.08 and 2.88, respectively. Based on the results regarding opinions on the potential and limitations for waste management at the source, the community had sufficient potential to manage waste, but there were significant limitations, notably the presence of wastrels along roadsides. Based on the results from hypothesis testing, significant factors were: age, settlement period, educational level, occupation, knowledge and understanding of waste management at source, behavior regarding managing solid waste in the community and involvement in public participation in waste management at the source. Recommendations were that there should be training in separating solid waste for groups working in fishing, general contracting and agriculture.