The push came at a seminar held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel attended by Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and Virog Pootong, a mater’s degree lecturer at the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket campus, Faculty of Technology and Environment.
“Phuket has community management problems,” V/Gov Thawornwat said blankly.
“As Phuket is an urban city and a large number of tourists always come here to visit, and that increases the volume of waste generated.
“Also, a simple fact is that organic waste in households is not separated, and that also contributes to an increase of garbage,” he added.
“If there is a serious campaign to encourage waste from households to be separated, much of the volume of waste will be reduced,” V/Gov Thawornwat said.
Mr Viroj pointed out that his faculty will launch a study on how waste is already “managed” by local government offices.
“The purpose of the study is to create a knowledge base on waste separation at the point of origin at the local government offices in Phuket and to find out new ways to manage waste by local administration organisations (and municipalities),” Mr Virog explained.
“It is expected that after the study, the results of the research will be incorporated into the provincial policy of solid-waste management and to help develop the economic development of Phuket,” he added.
As such, the findings and recommendations from the study are expected to be introduced as guidelines for waste management by be adhered to by local government offices across the island.
The move follows Dr Pornsri Sutthanarak, the Director of the Phuket-based Regional Environment Office 15, calling for better waste-management practices island-wide in August last year.
Dr Pornsri pointed out that the volume of garbage brought to the Saphan Hin incinerators each day had increased by 7% on the the previous year.
“Currently about 865.59 tons of waste is brought to the Saphan Hin incinerators each day,” she said.
The current burn rate of the incinerators at saphan Hin is under full capacity while “adjustments” are being carried out, Dr Pornsri explained.
However, she added, “These adjustments will enable the incinerators to handle up to 950 tons of waste per day.” (See story here.)