Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management ...1472890/FULLTEXT01.pdfMaster thesis in...
72
Master thesis in Sustainable Development 2020/57 Examensarbete i Hållbar utveckling Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management The Case of Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand Pornpimon Somneuk DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES INSTITUTIONEN FÖR GEOVETENSKAPER
Transcript of Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management ...1472890/FULLTEXT01.pdfMaster thesis in...
Master thesis in Sustainable Development 2020/57 Examensarbete i Hållbar utveckling
Enabling Circular Economy in
Local Solid Waste Management
The Case of Muang Kalasin Municipality,
Thailand
Pornpimon Somneuk
DEPARTMENT OF
EARTH SCIENCES
I N S T I T U T I O N E N F Ö R
G E O V E T E N S K A P E R
Master thesis in Sustainable Development 2020/57 Examensarbete i Hållbar utveckling
Enabling Circular Economy in Local
Solid Waste Management
The Case of Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand
Pornpimon Somneuk
Supervisor: Cecilia Mark-Herbert
Subject Reviewer: Anders Roos
Copyright © Pornpimon Somneuk, Published at Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University
(www.geo.uu.se), Uppsala, 2020
Content 1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Problem background........................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem statement............................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Objective and rationale………………………………………………………………….… 3
1.4 Aim and research questions……………………………………………………………….. 3
1.5 Approach…………………………………………………………………………………... 3
1.6 Delimitations………………………………………………………………………………. 3
2 Method ............................................................................................................................. 5
2.1 Research design................................................................................................................. 5
2.2 Units of analysis............................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Collection of data............................................................................................................. 6
2.4 Analytical technique......................................................................................................... 7
2.5 Quality assurance.............................................................................................................. 7
2.6 Ethical considerations....................................................................................................... 9
3 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework........................................................................ 10
3.1 The circular economy.......................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Municipal Solid Waste Management.................................................................................. 11
3.3 Stakeholder theory.............................................................................................................. 11
3.4 Social practice theory.......................................................................................................... 11
3.5 The concept of sustainable development............................................................................. 14
3.6 A conceptual framework..................................................................................................... 14
4 Empirical Background..................................................................................................... 16
4.1 Circular economy in Europe and Asia................................................................................. 16
4.2 Municipal solid waste management in Asia........................................................................ 19
4.3 Waste management activities of Muang Kalasin Municipality........................................... 21
4.4 Circular economy indicators on waste management........................................................... 23
5 Results................................................................................................................................ 26
5.1 Municipal solid waste management.................................................................................... 26
5.2 Public participation............................................................................................................. 30
5.3 The 3R perspectives towards a circular economy............................................................... 32
5.4 Policy formulation and implementation of sustainable development.................................. 34
6 Analysis............................................................................................................................... 37
6.1 Practices that meet circular economy concept and indicators…………………………... 37
6.2 Municipal solid waste management.................................................................................... 40
6.3 Roles of stakeholders and public participation in social practice…………………………. 40
6.4 From municipal solid waste to sustainable development…………………………………. 42
6.4.1 Environment............................................................................................................... 42
6.4.2 Economy.................................................................................................................... 43
6.4.3 Social.......................................................................................................................... 43
7 Discussion.......................................................................................................................... 44
7.1 The current waste management practice of Muang Kalasin Municipality…...…………… 44
7.2 The circular economy practices that have implemented in Muang Kalasin
Municipality………………………………………………….……………..……………..
44
7.3 The policy directions that would bring Muang Kalasin Municipality to achieving
a circular economy…………………………………………………………………………
45
7.4 The barriers for Thailand to achieve a circular economy…………………………………. 45
7.5 The potential strategies on waste management system for sustainable development in
Thailand……………………………………………………………………………………
46
8 Conclusions........................................................................................................................ 47
8.1 Fact findings for the aim and research questions.................................................................. 47
8.2 Further research.................................................................................................................. 47
Acknowledgment......................................................................................................................... 48
References.................................................................................................................................... 49
Appendix 1: Case study protocol............................................................................................... 54
Appendix 2: Interview guide...................................................................................................... 56
Appendix 3: Data protection document..................................................................................... 59
Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management -
The Case of Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand
PORNPIMON SOMNEUK
Somneuk, Pornpimon., 2020: Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management – The Case of
Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand. Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, No.
2020/57, 59 pp, 30 ECTS/hp
Abstract:
The volume and complexity of solid waste have increased locally and globally. Waste pollution has environmental,
social, and economic impacts on every country, such as mistreatment of waste caused air quality and water
contamination, plastic particles from human activities are carried out to the seas and harm marine creatures, people
can face health problems from polluted air and water as well as plastic-contaminated seafood. Thus the government
might spend budgets on improving these problems. Strategies and tools have been provided to find better solutions to
reduce waste and transform them into other materials. The circular economy is an alternative economic model for the
old-style linear production. The core concept of a circular economy is to minimize waste from the production cycle
by using the residual waste to produce new products. The idea gains recognition in Thailand, but it has not been
established at the national policy as the European Commission initiates the Member States through the CE direction
and policies. Therefore, the study aims to explain how solid waste management in Thailand aligns the CE principle
and provides further implementation to the country's sustainable development. The study conducts a literature review
of implications and practices of CE and solid waste management in the European Union Member States and some
countries in Asia, as well as the interview and observation at the case study municipality in the northeast of Thailand.
Feedback from the experts on the current situation and future perspective about solid waste management and circular
economy in Thailand is also provided. The case of Muang Kalasin Municipality reveals the prominent factors driving
waste campaign success. Local communities learn to separate waste with 3R, the core element of CE. Nevertheless,
the communities need more inputs and tools to enable circular economy achievement. The national direction has not
been formulated in circularity. Considering the global trend about CE and current domestic and international
collaboration, it is the opportunity for Thailand to develop the CE national policy and strategies. CE indicators on
production and consumption and waste management should get employed in local municipalities.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, municipal solid waste management, circular economy, social practices, public
participation, Thailand
Pornpimon Somneuk, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management -
The Case of Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand
PORNPIMON SOMNEUK
Somneuk, Pornpimon., 2020: Enabling Circular Economy in Local Solid Waste Management – The Case of
Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand. Master thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University, No.
2020/57, 59 pp, 30 ECTS/hp
Summary:
Waste amounts have increased in Thailand, even though the Thai government has implemented several regulations
and campaigns to eliminate waste generation. Some circular economy practices, such as 3R – reduce, reuse, and
recycle, are being employed by citizens for decades as the basic principle of waste reduction. This study aims to
identify the factors that enable a particular area to gain the circularity practice regarding municipal solid waste
management while also providing national direction towards sustainable waste management. Therefore, with several
national awards in waste management, Muang Kalasin Municipality was selected as a case study representing the
medium-sized municipality. The conceptual framework has been constructed for results analysis and answering
research questions. The research includes a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis.
Theoretical empirics include models for a circular economy, municipal solid waste management, stakeholder theory,
social practice theory, and sustainable development. The empirical background displays relevant information on the
circular economy in Europe and Asia, municipal solid waste management in Asia, circular economy indicators, and
waste management practice of the case study. The study presents municipal solid waste management, public
participation, the 3R of the circular economy, and national policy for sustainable development. Muang Kalasin
Municipality actively performs on waste reduction campaigns from both local communities and public authorities.
The communities separate their household waste by using the 3R concept. However, the communities could not meet
the circular economy indicators to become a circular society. Other Rs, such as redesign, remanufacture, recovery,
and some training, should be provided to villagers and local officials to support the communities’ better performance.
None of the corporates in Thailand have publicly claimed that they implement a circular economy into their business.
The government should formulate a circular economy as one of the national agendas and employ circular economy
indicators to local municipalities nationwide.
Keywords: Sustainable Development, municipal solid waste management, circular economy, social practices,
public participation, Thailand
Pornpimon Somneuk, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
List of Tables
Table 1 List of semi-structured respondent p.6
Table 2 Implications to ensure validity and reliability of research
(based on Yin (2009: 45) and Riege (2003: 78-79), modified by the author)
p.8
Table 3 Definitions of circular economy p.10
Table 4 Proposed waste management targets (European Union, 2018: 7) p.17
Table 5 Waste management practices in Asia (Shekdar, 2009),
modified by Lee et al. (2016: 431)
p.20
Table 6 Summary of the original circular economy indicator
(Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 32–37)
p.24
Table 7 Circular economy indicator on waste management for the case study,
adapted from Technical Secretariat (Ecorys) (2019: 32–37)
p.24
Table 8 Preliminary checks on CE indicators on production and consumption,
adapted from Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 32–37
p.38
Table 9 Preliminary checks on CE indicators on waste management,
adapted from Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 32–37
p.39
List of Figures
Figure 1 Waste composition in Thailand (Pharino, 2017: 33). p.2
Figure 2 Waste treatment in Thailand (Pollution Control Department, 2018: 8). p.2
Figure 3 Locations of Bangkok and Kalasin (www.google.com). p.5
Figure 4 EU Waste hierarchy. p.11
Figure 5 Elements of social practice theory. p.13
Figure 6 Relations of practices to consumption, illustrated by the author. p.13
Figure 7 A conceptual model of the study. p.15
Figure 8 EU’s circular economy initiatives timeline. p.16
Figure 9 Solid waste system of Muang Kalasin Municipality,
adapted from Shekdar (2009: 1439).
p.22
Figure 10 Initiative projects from 2006 to 2019
(Muang Kalasin Municipality, 2020).
p.23
Figure 11 One house, one trash bin campaign. p.26
Figure 12 Free waste bins along the roads in communities. p.27
Figure 13 Separated waste at community recycling center
(the Environmental Voluntary Fund).
p.28
Figure 14 Waste compression machine. p.29
Figure 15 Compressed plastic bottles. p.29
Figure 16 A poster presents the Fund’s waste purchasing at different places. p.29
Figure 17 Board of Committees of the Environmental Voluntary Fund
of Muang Kalasin Municipality.
p.31
Figure 18 Elements of social practice of Muang Kalasin Municipality,
modified by the author.
p.41
List of Abbreviations
CE Circular Economy p.1
EU European Union p.1
MSW Municipal Solid Waste p.1
3R Three R (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle) p.1
SDGs Sustainable Development Goals p.14
PPP Polluter Pays Principle p.19
ERP Extended Producer Responsibility p.19
RFID Radio frequency identification p.20
1
1. Introduction
This chapter starts with the situation of solid waste and the importance of the circular economy concept to
reduce waste, especially in the European Union. Then, followed by a solid waste crisis in Thailand, research
aims, questions, approach, and delimitations.
The flow of solid waste volume is increasing throughout the world. The total global amount is calculated at
about 2.01 billion tons in 2016 (World Bank, 2020). To decrease the volumes of solid waste is a significant
challenge given the past decades of rapid global population growth and increasing consumption. Many
factors such as policy, planning capacity, budget, technology, stakeholder participation, and managerial
waste process from a trash bin to the landfill are considered by policymakers to help eliminate problems of
waste and create a better waste management system. The EU Waste Framework Directive (EC 2008) states
that the waste hierarchy principle starting with prevention, reuse, recycling, recovery, and the landfill shall
apply by the EU Member States (Pires et al., 2019: 309). Mohee and Simelane (2015: 70) emphasize that
waste hierarchy eliminates a large amount of waste and stimulates recycling rates. Although disposal should
be the last step in reducing waste (Pires et al., 2019: 55), some countries outside the EU find difficulties
implementing the hierarchy principle to local and national practices. For example, many African countries
prefer unsanitary landfills or open dumping practices (Mohee and Simelane, 2015, 2015: 2). Therefore,
when most of the waste ends up in landfills, incineration, and composting, which are waste treatment
patterns commonly used worldwide, they release pollution to the environment (Alwaeli, 2003: 2).
1.1 Problem background
Circular Economy (CE) is a concept that has been introduced in the last decade as an alternative model to
the linear economy, causing waste and natural resources losses from production (Murray, Skene and
Haynes, 2017). The idea of CE is about using residual waste to produce new products, so debris and the
need for new resources are reduced, which also provides an economic return (European Commission, 2019b:
15). CE also delivers a way to ease the tension between economic development and carbon dioxide emission
from practices nationwide adopted in production, consumption, waste management, and policies and laws
(Su et al., 2013: 223). Skene (2018: 480) explains that CE contains nine key components: recycling,
restoration, renewable energy use, elimination of waste, elimination of toxic chemicals, eco-efficiency,
biological nutrient return, extended product life, and economic growth. Nonetheless, van Buren et al. (2016:
3) argue for nine different options for circularity: refuse; reuse; repair; refurbish; remanufacture; repurpose;
recycle; recover energy; and Winans, Kendall and Deng (2017: 826) introduce the 3R concept – (Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle) as well as the 6R idea (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Redesign, Remanufacture, Recovery).
Kirchherr, Reike and Hekkert (2017: 223) conclude that the R framework accounts for 3R, 4R, 6R, or 9R
and always starts with Reduce as a main priority. Crucially, the notion of CE and efficient resource used
can apply to every sector by households, the business community, industry and government, and in cities,
regions and nations (Milios, 2018: 866). It can adapt to agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, and municipal
waste management (Schroeder, Anggraeni and Weber, 2019: 79).
According to municipal solid waste, higher-income countries generally conduct more progressive
management policies to create a CE where waste is recirculated (Pharino, 2017: 21). Significantly, the
collection costs of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in middle-income countries is about 50-80 percent
of the MSW management budget, which spends on electricity and water. In comparison, it is less than 10
percent in high-income countries, where 90 percent of the MSW budget pays for waste treatment facilities
(Ibid., 23). MSW is classified in categories, “packaging waste (i.e., paper, cardboard, glass, plastic, liquid
carton beverages packaging, ferrous metals, nonferrous metals), batteries, food waste, biodegradable waste,
green waste, waste of electrical and electrical equipment, construction and demolition waste, and domestic
hazardous waste, and many others may appear” (Pires et al., 2019: 5–6). Different materials need different
treatment and waste processes from the household collection, transportation, to the final disposal destination
require a proper managerial system. A principle of sustainable development should be considered at each
operational stage to avoid overlooking the environmental, social, and economic impacts that are
interconnected (Giddings et al., 2002: 187). When a more sustainable waste management system is applied,
2
local communities gain benefits from being more durable. From an environmental aspect, it is possible to
reduce waste and emit less pollution. Health threats from waste are prevented according to social concerns.
Waste operational costs, which are usually regulated by local municipalities (Giddings et al., 2002: 187),
are reduced, which leads to economic advantages.
1.2 Problem statement
As already mentioned, the CE concept has emerged for environmental protection for losing valuable
material from the disposal and gaining economic benefits with the recycling method. Therefore, the CE
principle has been introduced to Thai society in recent years and gained attention from national-level
policymakers. It can create a solution for waste reduction and bring the nation into more sustainability.
Statistically, data from the Pollution Control Department shows the quantities of municipal solid waste in
Thailand were 27.93 million tonnes in 2018, increasing about 1.65 percent from 2017 (Pollution Control
Department, 2018: 7). Debris in Thailand comprises organic waste from kitchen 51 percent, plastic and
foam 22 percent, paper 13 percent, and glass 3 percent (Pharino, 2017: 33) (Figure 1). Thailand produces
1.15 kg of solid waste/capita/day (Ibid.). Meanwhile, the highest rate that people in high-income countries
generate MSW is at 2.13 kg/capita/day (Ibid., 16). Of this quantity, 27.93 million tonnes in Thailand, 39
percent or 10.85 million tonnes are processed in the appropriate treatment facilities, and 35 percent are
recycled. In contrast, 26 percent end up in improper disposals such as open dumping or backyard burning,
burning in a small deficient incinerator, and illegal dumping in certain areas (Pollution Control Department,
2018: 8) (Figure 2).
Importantly, the amount of waste is increasing annually. The country needs a better solution for waste
management (Wichai-utcha and Chavalparit, 2019: 11; Chiemchaisri, Juanga and Visvanathan, 2007).
Hence, strategies are implemented in local towns to eliminate a massive amount of garbage. For instance,
the principle of 3R (reduce-reduce-recycle) is widely promoted to households, local municipalities, and the
industrial sector in Thailand (Usapein and Chavalparit, 2014: 510). Lately, the Thai government has
launched the National Waste Management Master Plan (2016-2021) and the Industrial Waste Management
Plan (2015-2019) to reduce waste before throwing over to landfills as well as to convert household waste
and industrial waste into energy (Wichai-utcha and Chavalparit, 2019: 15-16). Importantly, CE is another
solution, which is likely believed to impact solid waste management in Thailand positively. Some private
companies start working on their products while public agencies initially promote necessary information
about CE to the general public. However, knowledge about CE related to waste cases in Thailand are limited.
Therefore, a research project on current solid waste practice, which can lead to sustainability and circularity
promotion is needed.
organic
57%plastic and
foam
25%
paper
15%
glass
3%
Figure 1: Waste composition in Thailand
(Pharino, 2017: 33).
Figure 2: Waste treatment in Thailand
(Pollution Control Department, 2018: 8).
3
1.3 Objectives and rationale
The objective of the research is to explain how solid waste management in Thailand interconnects with the
CE principle under different societal structures in Asia and Europe. For example, an agricultural-based
society of some countries in Asia produces higher numbers of organic waste than industrial-driven countries
in Europe. People dispose of organic waste in the gardens, backyards, or public dumping sites rather than
systematically collect them for biogas production. However, one country’s system may not be directly
implied to another country but needed to justify and adapt to different factors. Moreover, the understanding
of CE will provide more knowledge on the further implementation of sustainable development in this
developing country.
1.4 Aim and research questions
This project aims to identify factors that enable a typical Thai municipality, that has significant plans on
waste management and gains actively participating from local residences, to develop solid waste
management into circularity system. The project shall provide useful knowledge and possible direction for
the case study regarding sustainable development. Thus, the project formulates several research questions
in the followings:
• What are the current solid waste management practices of the case study?
• What have circular economy practices been implemented in the case study?
• What are policy directions that would bring the case study to achieve a circular economy?
• What are the barriers to achieving circular economy practice in Thailand?
• What kind of strategies might be useful for sustainable development efforts for a future waste
management system in Thailand?
1.5 Approach
The study designs to conduct qualitative research. It starts with identifying global MSW and CE principles,
then reviewing CE policy and practice in Thailand. Next, information about the research approach presents
in Chapter 2. The case study is part of the study approach that can generate valuable knowledge for further
research, i.e., national research, in-depth studies by students, and academic organizations. Interviewing is
also one of the critical approaches focusing on comments from experts or national policymakers regarding
the CE and municipal solid waste management issues. Literature reviews and theoretical frameworks
perform in Chapter 3; meanwhile, the examination of waste management activities in the case study explains
in Chapter 4. Primary empirics, Analysis, and Discussion deliver in Chapters 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and
ending with Conclusions in Chapter 8.
1.6 Delimitations
Regarding theoretical delimitations, the CE and social practice’s holistic implications are not likely yet well
integrated into the solid waste situation in Thailand when the research was conducted. Therefore, this study
initially generates the integrating knowledge and understanding of these three thematic theories into
sustainability to benefit local communities.
Next, delimitations account for the data collection procedure. Among 2,452 municipalities (small, medium,
large) (Department of Local Administration, 2020), located all over the country, Muang Kalasin is a
medium-sized case featuring a unique strength in dealing with waste reduction projects than other
neighboring towns. Muang Kalasin can mainly present data, evidence-documents, interviews, and
4
observations, which are sufficient to answer the research question (Yin, 2009: 11, 26). Seawright and
Gerring (2008: 294) support that a case study technique presents a purposely selected unit of analysis that
does not serve as grounds for generalization. Therefore, the study’s findings and results might not be given
to other towns, even if they are similar in sizes and population. Solutions depend on contextual variables,
such as climate, precipitate, culture, state of politics. Further, the study focuses only on household waste,
not industrial waste, wastewater, sludge, or hazardous waste.
5
2. Method
This chapter presents the methods, approaches, and techniques used for the study. Interviewing was
employed for data gathering together with a case study approach and literature reviews based on secondary
sources.
2.1 Research design
The research design bases on a qualitative research strategy, according to Bryman (2012: 76). It employs a
deductive approach by reviewing theories and empirical data for constructing a conceptual framework, then
working on data collection and answering the research question(s) (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2007:
57). The deductive approach means that the theories lead the research (Bryman, 2012: 19). In particular, a
case study is used as a research method for the “how” and “why” research questions (Bryman, 2012: 76;
Yin, 2009: 8). Although some critiques have put on the case study method that it is easily overwhelmed by
bias over the findings and conclusions (Ibid., 14-15), this study selects a case study method as part of the
research.
2.2 Units of analysis
Three factors are taken into consideration for a case selection: 1) reasonable large population, 2) data on
crucial variables are available, accurate, and valid from the population or the sample (Seawright and
Gerring, 2008: 294), and 3) can perform for the whole and have a meaning unit for the analysis (Elo et al.,
2014: 5). The case in this research is Muang Kalasin Municipality in NE Thailand (Figure 3). The study
selects this municipality for several reasons; firstly, the municipality was recently awarded the excellence
awards in sustainable environmental management in 2018 and 2019. Secondly, it performs well with active
local authorities, waste management activities, and strong local participation. Lastly, household waste
reduction projects have been running for over a decade. It is likely to continue in the long term by local
initiatives, without financial support from local government.
Figure 3: Locations of Bangkok and Kalasin (Photo: www.google.com/Thailand map/images).
Muang Kalasin Municipality, a medium-sized municipality, is located in Muang District, Kalasin province,
northeastern Thailand. The total population is 33,704 as of February 2019, living within 16.96 km2. Distance
* Bangkok
Kalasin Province
6
from Bangkok is 520 km, which is about 6-7 hours by bus.
Data were collected at the fieldwork municipality by interviewing key actors in waste projects, observing
the local residences’ actual behavior, and visiting sites used for public activities. Interviews also took place
in Bangkok with public and private sector representatives to collect their opinions about solid waste
management, circular economy, and sustainable development in Thailand. A combination of case study
findings in Muang Kalasin Municipality’s waste practices, views from experts, and theoretical analysis
could bring solutions that meet research aims and objectives.
2.3 Collection of data
This project generated data from primary and secondary sources. Primary data is compiled from the semi-
structured interview, while secondary information is gathered from the literature review, websites, reports,
and documents. Data collected from the interview can clarify how informants understand the events,
patterns, forms of behavior (Bryman, 2012: 471), and the meaning and phenomena in a societal context
(Oliver, 2004: 303). A researcher has to prepare questions and follow the interview outline required when
conducting a semi-structured or unstructured interview (Bryman, 2012: 471). However, the method is
flexible for the researcher to add other questions when noticing interesting issues from the interviewee’s
answers.
The selected interviewees from private and governmental agencies are the experts in circular economy
content and know about sustainable development. Articles and papers related to these two issues on
webpages and websites are sources for the researcher to identify the potential private experts. Aspects of
public expert selection are the same as the private representative but include knowledge of solid waste
management. However, finding a public agency is slightly different from a private corporation. Instead of
searching on the internet, the researcher intentionally chooses the Pollution Control Department as the
potential firm because it is responsible for national policy and indicators on solid waste management. For
local interviewees at the case study, the researcher asks the Municipal staff to invite 3-4 community leaders
and local residences for the interview. The researcher has not been informed who are the selected informants
until meeting them at the village. Hence, six face-to-face respondents to the conversation are categorized
into three sectors: local, national, and business, as shown in Table 1 in three color codes.
Table 1: List of interviewees
Number Respondent Role
Type of
interview/
Sector
Validation Interview
date
1 Ms.Supicha
Boontook
Local leader, Head of Hoh
Trai Temple Community
Personal/
Local
Transcript Feb 12,
2020
2 Ms.Buatong
Chatchalee
Local leader, Hoh Trai
Temple Community
Committee
Personal/
Local
Transcript Feb 12,
2020
3 Mr.Apichai
Namchan
Consultant of
Environmental Voluntary
Fund, Muang Kalasin
Municipality
Personal/
Local
Transcript Feb 12,
2020
4 Mr.Tananchai
Choodetwatthana
Head of Sanitation
Mechanics, Muang Kalasin
Municipality
Personal/
Local
Transcript Feb 12,
2020
5 Mr.Vuttichai
Kaewkrajang
Department of Pollution
Control
Personal/
National
Transcript Feb 19,
2020
6 Ms.Pattraporn
Yerburg
General Manager, Salforest
Company
Personal/
Business
Transcript Feb 24,
2020
7
The local interviewees from No.1 to 4 in green blocks are municipal officials and local leaders who mainly
involve in the community’s waste management projects. The interviewing of these four respondents
conducts on the same date. The red-colored block is a national expert who offers the interviewing in
Bangkok. The blue code is representative of the selected private consulting company, which is keen on
economics. The company currently worked as a consultant to one of the big industrial companies in
Thailand to promote circularity practice and update the progress of other countries to that company.
Secondary materials, such as journals, articles, reports, books, websites, were employed. The integration of
secondary and primary data helps answer research questions (Bryman, 2012: 247). Likewise, the second set
can “provide comparative and contextual data” to the researcher’s findings (Ibid., 259).
2.4 Analytical technique The interviewing dialogues perform in the Thai language and transcribe to English. The qualitative data
analysis steps involve generating data categories, placing collected data to appropriate categories, finding
out relationships within and between the categories, and developing propositions to produce well-grounded
conclusions (Bryman, 2012: 507). Furthermore, the analysis extracts the messages into themes (Bogner,
Littig and Menz, 2009: 35), and ties to a conceptual framework that structures the interview questions. Core
themes, regarding conceptual framework, are digested from transcripts through the coding process (Bryman,
2012: 13). They separate data into parts, label, link across, compare, then connect to research questions, and
collected empirical data (Ibid.). When having a massive amount of data, a revision on coding is needed to
ensure the thematic results are “sound, complete, and valid” (Bryman, 2012: 36). Over interpretation does
not occur in data analysis of this study because the latent content does not include in the interpretation phase
(Elo et al., 2014: 5). Therefore, the study decodes only oral data provided by interviewees and from the
researcher’s observation, without biases, motivations, or perspectives from the researcher (Ibid.). This
assurance is called conformability.
2.5 Quality assurance Four criteria are commonly used for assessing the quality of any social science research design, including
case study techniques employed in data gathering (Yin, 2009: 40). In general, validity concerns “the issue
of whether an indicator (or set of indicators) that is devised to gauge a concept measures that concept”
(Bryman, 2012: 171). It is categorized into five types: face validity, concurrent validity, predictive validity,
construct validity, and convergent validity (Ibid.). Reliability means “consistency of measures” and
composes stability, internal reliability, and inter-observer consistency (Bryman, 2012: 169). The project
applied the measurement of four tests. It adopts techniques and platforms from Riege (2003: 78-79) to the
data collection phase to verify the case’s validity and reliability, as shown in Table 2.
8
Table 2: Implications to ensure validity and reliability of research (based on Yin (2009: 45) and Riege
(2003: 78-79), modified by the author)
Components of
four tests
Description Case study technique The implication of this
project
Construct
validity
identifying correct
operational measures
for the concepts being
studied
use multiple sources of
evidence
collect data from primary
and secondary sources,
perspective, and
observation
establish a chain of
evidence
interview transcripts are
coded and sorted for
thematic analysis, then
integrated with secondary
data
have key informants to
review case study’s drafts
transcripts are sent to
interviewees
Internal validity seeking to establish a
causal relationship,
whereby certain
conditions are believed
to lead to other
conditions, as
distinguished from
spurious relationships
do within-case analysis,
then cross-case pattern
matching
the link across thematic
passages (but not done the
cross-case)
do explanation building use diagrams and tables to
illustrate theories,
framework, process
assure internal coherence of
findings and concepts are
systematically related
interview questions (for
primary data) and analysis
techniques (for secondary
data) are based on
conceptual framework;
External validity defining the domain to
which a study's
findings can be
generalized
define the scope and
boundaries of reasonable
analytical generalization for
the research
display in Unit of analysis
and Collection of Data
compare evidence with
extant literature
conduct a deductive
approach; collected data
are analyzed based on
theories and concepts
Reliability demonstrating that the
operations of a study
such as the data
collection procedures-
can be repeated, with
the same results
give a full account of
theories and ideas
done thoroughly the paper
assure congruence between
research issues and features
of study design
present in Chapter 2
Method
Develop, define, and use
case study protocol
done in Appendix 1
record observations and
actions as concrete as
possible
record the interviews and
take notes on observations
during a field visit
record data, mechanically
develop case study database
record the interviews, save
and keep secondary
materials
assure meaningful
parallelism of findings
across multiple data sources
data extraction and
analysis are based on the
conceptual framework
use peer
review/examination
done with peers for drafts
feedback, assigned for
thesis opposition
9
Constructing the validity, primary and secondary sources are employed. The primary interviewees are
collected from key local actors in the study area, national authority, and business consultant. The printed
materials, webpages, reports, journals, and documents are a secondary collection. Interview questions are
raised and followed by the interview guide (Appendix 2: Interview guide). Likewise, closed questions are
avoided (Bogner, Littig and Menz, 2009: 31). In addition to systematic coherent, questions and thematic
analysis are based on the conceptual framework. Diagrams and photos are inserted for a visual explanation.
Regarding reliability, the project reviews data from different secondary sources. The dialogues are taped,
transcribed, and sent back to the interviewees to clarify and check the correctness. The researcher submitted
interviewing letters, questions, and a consent form beforehand to heads of the potential organizations to
appoint the appropriate respondents to the research. During project preparation, the supervisor and a group
of classmates delivered peer reviews and feedback to the researcher.
2.6 Ethical considerations
Apart from those who provide cooperation, there are those who may be affected by the research results
(Ibid., 179). Thus, ethical consideration is taken to the research design on “methodologically sound and
morally defensible to all those who are involved” (Bryman, 2012: 178). Regarding ethical concern at the
interviewing stage, the respondents were informed on objectives of the research and affirmed to understand
the condition of the GDPR form (Appendix 3: Consent form). The interviewees permit the researcher to
disclose their names and conversation contents.
It is essential to mention that one of the awards that Muang Kalasin Municipality received was from my
current office, Department of Environmental Quality Promotion, under the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment. Hence, these organizations are partners. Therefore, it must be a question that I might
favor both the case municipality and my department. However, the project is a work under a student status,
not a public official. As a researcher, the contents, results, and discussion in the paper directly generate from
facts found from the case study and the interviewing. None of them form with a bias to pro or against the
case, the department, or the ministry.
10
3. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
This chapter provides relevant theories and concepts of the project. It starts with general information
of circular economy, definition and dimension of the circular economy, introduction to solid waste,
sustainable development theories, social practice, and stakeholder. There are also relations of the
circular economy to solid waste management and sustainability. It ends with a framework that
structures the study’s process, such as interview questions, literature reviews, and thematic analysis.
3.1 The circular economy
When a product is being used and threw away as waste when no longer need: take-make-waste, it is called
a linear economy (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017), which creates waste and resource depletion (Skene,
2018: 482). However, most of the planet’s resources meet scarcity and pollution are consequences of
exploitation and careless behavior. Su et al. (2013: 215) raise that D.W. Pearce and R.K. Turner were the
persons who first mentioned the circular economy concept in 1990 in their book, Economics of Natural
Resources and the Environment. The two scholars consider that scarce resources and waste residuals should
have a circular relationship with the economy. Therefore, a circular economy is the alternative model of
neoclassical economic thinking that combines the environmental scheme to economics (Ghisellini, Cialani
and Ulgiati, 2016: 24).
Definitions of circular economy vary between authors concerning background, visions, objectives, and
approach of stakeholders. Main components of 3R – reduce, reuse, recycle – are commonly suggested
(Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 6). Notably, the 3R principle is the core concept of CE as same as
resource recycling is a prominent element of CE (Murray, Skene and Haynes, 2017: 371). Further, the term
has been redefined by several scholars, as shown in Table 3.
Table 3: Definitions of circular economy, illustrated by the author
Number Definition Scholar
1 “The Circular Economy is an economic model wherein
planning, resourcing, procurement, production and
reprocessing are designed and managed, as both process
and output, to maximize ecosystem functioning and
human well-being.”
Murray, Skene and Haynes,
2017: 377
2 CE is a new way to design and use products and materials
within planetary boundaries to keep away waste and
pollution and regenerate natural systems, with
participation from every sector.
Ellen MacArthur,
Foundation2017
3 “Circular economy is an economic system that replaces
the ‘end-of-life’ concept with reducing, alternatively
reusing, recycling and recovering materials in
production/distribution and consumption processes. It
operates at the micro level (products, companies,
consumers), meso level (eco-industrial parks) and macro
level (city, region, nation and beyond), with the aim to
accomplish sustainable development, thus
simultaneously creating environmental quality,
economic prosperity and social equity, to the benefit of
current and future generations. It is enabled by novel
business models and responsible consumers.”
Kirchherr, Reike and Hekkert,
2017: 229
11
From the definitions, it seems that CE proposes positive relations to environmental, social, and economic
aspects. CE reduces risk on resource supply as same as carries out sustainable development by helps to
eliminate the corrupt and unethical suppliers (Andrews, 2015: 310). Further, Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati
(2016) emphasize that “circular economy contributes positively to reconcile all the elements, thanks to its
underlying rationale, mainly rooted in environmental and political as well as economic and business
aspects.” Hence, the CE’s attribution can serve as a fundamental principle for sustainable society by guiding
solid waste management practices in different countries to more sustainability.
3.2 Municipal Solid Waste Management
The increasing volume and complexity of waste become a challenging global problem (Ma and Hipel, 2016:
3). The annual urban waste generation in low- and middle-income countries was 369 million tons in 2010,
and it can increase to 956 million tons per year in 2025 (Saadeh, Al-Khatib and Kontogianni, 2019: 243).
Significant factors that stimulate waste generation refer to economic development and population growth
(Lee et al., 2016: 430; Tseng, 2011: 171) in daily life activities. Crucially, municipal solid waste causes
environmental problems and human conditions such as air and water quality, climate change, and public
health (Ma and Hipel, 2016: 3). Therefore, the waste hierarchy is proposed in Europe by the EU Waste
Framework Directive 2008 for member states to use as guidelines for waste elimination (Figure 4).
Figure 4: EU Waste hierarchy (Ma and Hipel, 2016: 3).
Waste hierarchy starts from prevention; reuse and preparation for reuse; recycle; recovery; and disposal.
Among these five approaches, recycling is a further potential implication for the EU states (Bing et al.,
2016: 584).
Municipal solid waste is a complex problem connected to different issues (Bing et al., 2016: 590-591). It
can start by extracting the meaningful content into sub-problems and finding a cause-and-effect solution
(Ibid.). Municipal solid waste can be managed sustainably through the efficient process: collection,
transportation, sorting, treating, recycling, disposing, and monitoring, and should include stakeholders'
participation in these cycles (Saadeh, Al-Khatib and Kontogianni, 2019: 243). Tools to provide a high
participation level can be the easy access for recycling activities, a conventional goal-setting on recycling,
sufficient public education, and efficient leaders on participation (Ma and Hipel, 2016: 7). More importantly,
municipal solid waste management should consider the social aspect, not only environmental and economic
impacts, to achieve sustainability (Tseng, 2011: 173).
3.3 Stakeholder theory
Stakeholders are “the individuals and groups that are part of an organization’s collective scheme for mutual
benefit” (Greenwood and Van Buren III, 2010: 425). Similarly, one definition mentions that “any group of
people organized, who share a common interest or stake in a particular issue or system” (Grimble and
Wellard, 1997, cited in Luyet et al., 2012: 213). Another definition refers to the persons “who are affected
by the developmental benefits or risks” that can change the value (Saravanamuthu, 2018: 1068) of a
particular issue or project. Stakeholders are usually concerned for their well-being that the organization
provided for, such as product quality and safety (Greenwood and Van Buren III, 2010: 436) and the
Prevention Reuse Recycle Recovery Disposal
12
company succession (Boesso and Kumar, 2016: 816). Besides, stakeholders focus on how the company
cares for the society (Ibid.). For instance, employees in a cosmetic business consider that their company
should produce non-animal tested cosmetics (Greenwood and Van Buren III, 2010: 436).
A business system consists of customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the community as
essential stakeholders (Ferrero-Ferrero et al., 2018: 317). Additional groups can be added in which
depending on the context of each institution (Ibid.), such as non-governmental organizations (Boesso and
Kumar, 2016: 816). Groups of stakeholders have different expectations towards the host organization. For
example, customers demand accessibility and a short time on product purchase, low product price, corporate
environmental responsibility, and eco-friendly products (Ferrero-Ferrero et al., 2018: 321). Employees
prioritize salary, corporate social responsibility, work-life balance policies, and the community aims for the
number and types of jobs created, taxes to be paid, support infrastructure required, local clusters (Ibid.).
Participation ladders categorize into five levels: information, consultation, collaboration, co-decision, and
empowerment (Luyet et al., 2012: 215). The simplest “participation ladders” or “levels of engagement” is
to inform stakeholders while recognition of values, beliefs, and biases of their own and other stakeholders
for better decision making is what the participatory concept aims for (Voinov et al., 2016: 197). Further, an
organization should manage stakeholder relationships to meet stakeholder satisfaction by focusing on value
creation rather than handling corporate’s image and reputation (Boesso and Kumar, 2016: 827) as well as
initiating stakeholder voices and participation in the projects (Rasche, Morsing and Wetter, 2019: 16). The
first criterion in selecting a particular case’s stakeholders is the positive and negative effect of the project
implementation (Ramos, Afonso Teixeira and Rouboa, 2018: 1642). The next index is a broad range of
stakeholder values, i.e., interests, resources, and power/authority position, and claims and rights (ethical or
legal) (Ibid.). Additionally, economic benefit, legitimacy, urgency, proximity, attitudes towards a project,
access to resources, the scale of influence, can also use to identify stakeholder (Luyet et al., 2012: 214-215).
Even though stakeholder participation is a process that consumes time and costs, authorities and
policymakers still promote it (Voinov et al., 2016: 202). The main reason is some participants can deliver
crucial local knowledge, fill in some gaps, and exhibit their useful skills (Ibid.; Luyet et al., 2012: 214) for
the project or community. Another benefit of participation is that it provides “a fair, equal and transparent
process that promotes equity, learning, trust, and respect among stakeholders and the administration” (Luyet
et al., 2012: 214). Importantly, one project can meet succession when having social learning and technical
solutions from the input of knowledge, as same as the support and cooperation from relevant stakeholders
(Ibid.: 213).
3.4 Social practice theory
Cooking, driving, washing, shopping, or playing football are examples of human behavior performed in
routine (Hargreaves, 2011: 82). They are called practices. Shove and Pantzar (2005: 44) explained that
“practices are made by and through their routine reproduction.” Practice theory focuses on processes, such
as routine, practical consciousness, tacit knowledge, tradition (Warde, 2005: 140). In particular, practices
consist of three elements (Figure 5): materials, meanings and forms of competence, and they affect each
other (Shove and Pantzar, 2005: 45).
13
Figure 5: Elements of social practice theory (Shove and Pantzar, 2005: 45).
For a better understanding of elements of practices, playing football is an example. To become a talented
football player with integrated skills, the player must keep practicing and repeating regularly. There are a
set of materials (a ball and a goal), meanings (rules, aim, and proper manners), and competence (football
skills) (Hargreaves, 2011: 83). These three elements produce and then reproduce the links between them
during a football match. Thus, the links disappear when practices do not occur.
Society has some complex problems needed to find solutions. Røpke (2009: 2491) suggests that “social
practices are produced and reproduced across time and spaces in the society.” If social practices generate
improper social relations, problems in social systems occurred. Therefore, social practice theory has
emerged to help the social analyst understand the conceptualization of human activities and social relations.
It is a tool for clarifying relationships between findings of each element and generates interdisciplinary
approaches to meet the behavior change strategy (Spotswood et al., 2015: 30). Indeed, the theory does not
focus on the individual response but rather on institutional responsibility (Ibid.). Engagement in the practices
does not come from individual desires or personal decisions but derived from practices themselves (Warde,
2005: 138). Meanwhile, practices consist of goods and services (Ibid., 140). Consequently, practices create
wants and direct social behavior and consumption of goods and services (Warde, 2005: 137-138) (Figure
6).
Figure 6: Relations of practices to consumption, illustrated by the author.
From the display in Figure 4, consumption is the result element of practices. Hence, to the extent of
promoting more sustainable practices, links, and parts must be continuously produced (Hargreaves, 2011:
14
83). Also, to educate and raise awareness for behavior change, creating environmentally-friendly
consumption, transforming practices for more sustainable (Ibid.), and innovating new practices by making
new links between existing or new elements (Røpke, 2009: 2494) should be considered. Understanding the
interrelation between each item and the reproduction of links that generate routine practices as same as
constructing a new paradigm to change the behavior for the expected practice (Ibid.) are essential for
implementing a circular economy into a particular case. For instance, environmental consideration on waste
reduction and the community’s shared value to create a livable the hometown can encourage villagers to
induce more progressive competence of circular economy consumption to the community.
3.5 The concept of sustainable development
The first definition of the term appeared in 1987. The UN’s World Commission on Environment and
Development published a document Our Common Future, as known as Brundtland report, which defined
sustainable development as “humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs” (Caradonna, 2014: 6). The concept has widely accepted and acknowledged internationally on the
relation of social, economic, and environmental spheres (Giddings, Hopwood and O’Brien, 2002: 188).
United Nations Member States adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to end
poverty, and everyone lives in prosperity by the year 2030 (UNDP, 2020).
The concept of sustainable development is developed from an ecological perspective while the means,
processes, and effects will derive from modernization, economic growth, and capitalism (Pain and Hansen,
2019: 93). However, different aspects have been criticized. Its contradiction with obscurity and illuminating
(Redclift, 2014: 484) and complexity make it difficult for the poor people to preserve resources for the
future when they are in need at present (Desai and Potter, 2014: 478). Groups of people threaten nature with
their unlimited human rights, without accounting for nature’s rights (Redclift, 2014: 484). In the economic
sector, large companies influence governments’ decision making over the environment and social benefits
(Giddings, Hopwood and O’Brien, 2002: 190).
The Linear Economy, the take-make-use-dispose model, consists of some unsustainable factors, such as
population growth, rising income, and urbanization behavior (Andrews, 2015: 305). The factors stimulate a
billion tonnes of global commercial and municipal waste disposal (Ibid., 307). For replacing the Linear
practice, Circular Economy is considered as the sustainable economic model (Skene, 2018: 479; Andrews,
2015: 305), “using natural resources while reducing pollution or avoiding resource constraints and
sustaining economic growth” (Winans, Kendall and Deng, 2017: 825). Potential economic benefits that
developed and developing countries provided from circular economy could be, for instance, production cost
reduction, employment, innovation, productivity, and resource efficiency (Schroeder, Anggraeni and
Weber, 2019: 79). The European Union could save annual net resource expenditure around 600 billion Euros
per year, increase productivity 3 percent per year, and earn net yearly benefit to 1.8 trillion Euros by 2030
(Ibid.).
From different points of view, the circular economy is merely an idealistic concept if it cannot change the
current unsustainable consumption and production practices into sustainable economics (Korhonen,
Honkasalo and Seppälä, 2018: 43). Skene (2018: 488) supports that “the circular economy works against
both the laws of thermodynamics and the underpinning principles of nature” Therefore, it is hard to achieve
sustainability in the future with this paradigm.
3.6 A conceptual framework
Qualitative data is the non-standardized data that needs to be categorized and analyzed through
conceptualization (Bryman, 2012: 507). The conceptual framework can get developed before or during the
data collection process (Bryman, 2012: 474). Alternatively, the project constructs a conceptual framework
at the research design stage to use as a basis for empirical data collection and thematic analysis, as shown
in Figure 7. The model involves four themes: circular economy, municipal solid waste management, social
15
practice, and sustainable development. More importantly, they are interconnected and have a relationship
with each other.
Figure 7: A conceptual model of the study, illustrated by the author.
The main themes are the concept of CE and CE indicators as well as solid waste management.
Implementation of social practice theory assists the behavior analysis of local communities and public
participation in the case study. Also, municipal substantial waste projects might not succeed without strong
civic engagement. Although the case study has different contexts and characters than the European cities,
and those cause difficulties to meet the CE indicators at first glance, the study believes that it features some
potentials to transform local practices into circularity in the future.
16
4. Empirical Background
This chapter presents practices of a circular economy in Europe and Asia, recent initiatives on these
two continents, municipal solid waste in Asia, and necessary information on the waste reduction
project of Muang Kalasin Municipality.
4.1 Circular economy in Europe and Asia
The Member States of the European Union played a distinct role in initiating the circular economy scheme
in the late 1980s. Japan, China, the United States did later follow this trend. Thereby, this section presents
the history and implementation of the circular economy in Europe and some countries in Asia.
4.1.1 Europe
CE concept widely embeds as the national agenda in developing countries, specifically the European Union
states. Figure 8 illustrates a timeline of the circular economy developing in the European Union.
Figure 8: EU’s circular economy initiatives timeline, illustrated by the author.
Germany was the first country in Europe that initiated the CE practice in the late 1980s with the Waste
Disposal Act (Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 15). Then, the European Commission followed the path
with the Waste Directive 2008/ 98/ EC (Ibid.). The Manifesto of resource efficiency and the European
Resource Efficiency Platform ( EREP) in 2012 and the EU Circular Economy Package in 2014 were
subsequently delivered (Ibid.: 25). Later, the ‘Toward a Circular Economy: a zero-waste program for
Europe’ was declared to the Member States in 2014 (Murray, Skene and Haynes, 2017: 375). Besides, the
European Commission has implemented the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy in 2015, which
contains issues on production, consumption, waste management, and secondary raw materials (European
Commission, 2019a).
Additionally, the Action Plan included four legislative proposals amending the legal acts on Waste
Framework Directive; Landfill Directive; Packaging Directive; and Directives on end-of-life vehicles,
batteries and accumulators, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (European Union, 2018: 2). The
European Commission is the examiner to monitor the Member States in reaching the target by the year 2025
or continuously work five years to the ultimate goal in the year 2030. Objectives of waste management
17
present in Table 4.
Table 4: Proposed waste management targets (European Union, 2018: 7)
2025 2030
Share of municipal waste prepared for reuse and recycling 60% 65%
Share of municipal waste landfilled / 10%
Share of all packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 65% 75%
Share of plastic packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 55% /
Share of wood packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 60% 75%
Share of ferrous metal packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 75% 85%
Share of aluminum packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 75% 85%
Share of glass packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 75% 85%
Share of paper and cardboard packaging waste prepared for reuse and recycling 75% 85%
As looking at the numbers set in row 1 and 2 of Table 4, the Landfill Directive proposes municipal waste
be reused and recycled 60% by 2025 and separately collected waste be disposed to landfill about 10% by
2030. From row 3, the Packaging Directive aims at the overall share of all packaging waste and different
types of materials, which are plastic, wood, ferrous metal, aluminum, glass, and paper and cardboard.
Crucially, plastic packaging targets in 2030 may set up in the coming future (European Union, 2018: 7).
The EU aims to change the overall waste into more sustainable material, which lies as the core idea of CE
(Malinauskaite et al., 2017: 2014). Recently, the EU stipulated the CE paradigm in the Resource Efficient
Europe Initiative to enhance sustainable growth and competitiveness of the region and the well-being of the
EU citizens (Hobson and Lynch, 2016: 17). The EU aims to meet sustainable consumption and production
under the Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030 (Malinauskaite et al., 2017: 2014). In January 2018,
a monitoring framework for the CE was launched to help the Member States develop a sensible strategy to
report their achievement, obstacles, and opportunities (Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019).
Regarding the policy interventions, the EU approaches private and public consumption with various
applications, such as Ecolabel, green consumption, green public procurement, and product recycling and
reuse (Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 13). The EU Ecolabel program, released in 1992, grants the
non-food companies and service providers who deliver environmentally friendly production or service
process in the entire life cycle. The same purpose promotes green procurement to require a public
organization to conduct public contracts with green products and services (Ibid., 19). A study shows the
importance of public procurement that it contributed to around 20 percent of EU Gross Domestic Product
in 2009. (Ibid.).
The CE concept influences the global agenda shifted from Industrial Ecology theory to the political-
economic aspect. For instance, as the EU political policies are more focused on eliminating the world’s
natural resources and raw materials, turning waste into valuable resources of products and energy is the
right alternative (Hobson and Lynch, 2016: 17). Nevertheless, many improvements are needed to develop
the circularity notion. The EU target to be a circular society cannot reach without adequate inputs
(Malinauskaite et al., 2017: 2041). Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati (2016: 18) criticize the transition on CE
in Europe actively raises from the bottom, such as NGOs and civil society, not top-down approach by the
governments. The CE concept is preferably implemented mostly at the meso level, excluded micro- and
macro- approach (Milios, 2018: 865). The micro level fits for a single company or consumer; the meso
strategy applies to the industrial sector while the macro scheme works with city, province, region, and
national scales (Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 13).
18
4.1.2 Asia
Apart from Germany, the first country in the European continent that started a CE initiative was Japan by
introducing the concept of a closed-loop economy in the 1990s (Milios, 2018: 865). Japan considered the
3R idea in two laws: Law for Effective Utilization of Recyclables in 1991 and the Japanese CE initiative in
2000 (Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 25), and created a country’s vision for a ‘Sound Material-cycle
Society’ in 2002 (Milios, 2018: 865). Japanese citizens, including private and public sectors, provided
support to the government CE practice (Ibid., 18). The country’s prominent CE policy is “to prevent further
environmental deterioration and to conserve scarce resources through effective waste management,
especially integrated solid waste management” (Su et al., 2013: 215).
China is the second Asian country that adopted the CE principle to fit the country context (Hobson and
Lynch, 2016: 17), but it is the first country to revise the concept to a law in 2008 (Korhonen, Honkasalo and
Seppälä, 2018: 37). Another perspective on the recycling laws of Germany (The Waste Avoidance and
Management Act) and Japan (A sound Material-cycle Society) is that they have influenced China to
transform requirements to more circularity (Murray, Skene and Haynes, 2017: 371). China stages the CE
concept as political policy and approaches it from top to bottom level. Other countries such as the EU, Japan,
and the USA address CE as a bottom-up tool only for environmental and waste management concerns
(Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 11). With the CE promotion on the national agenda, China aimed to
increase economic growth and industrial development. China also improves environmental condition within
ten years and achieve sustainability as its destination (Murray, Skene and Haynes, 2017: 377) by widely
delivering strategies covered horizontal and vertical sectors as well as an enterprise (micro- ), industrial
(meso- ) and society (macro-) levels (Milios, 2018: 865). The ban on importing solid waste, waste plastics
from household garbage, unsorted waste paper, waste textile materials, vanadium slag in 2017 (Tan, Li and
Boljkovac, 2018: 7595) and plastic waste in 2018 of China have created considerable effects on many
countries to find other places for waste disposal (Huang et al., 2020: 1-2). Distinguishingly, 45 percent of
the world’s plastic waste delivered to China between 1992 and 2016 (Ibid.).
South Korea also focuses on 3R principle and launched some prominent laws and regulations, for example,
the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) in 2003, the Waste Management Act in 2007, the Act on
Promotion of Resources Saving and Recycling in 2008, the Food Waste Reduction Policy in 2013,
(Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 15) and the Enforcement of Framework Act on Resource Circulation
in 2018 (Ghosh and Agamuthu, 2018: 482). Consumer responsibility for material use and waste promoted
to Korean and Japanese as the same as the eco-industrial parks establish around South Korea, Japan, and
India (Winans, Kendall and Deng, 2017: 826). The material recycling rate in South Korea was 13.5 percent
in 2017, compared to 16.0 percent of Japan’s (Jang et al., 2020: 7). Recently, the free of charge single-use
plastics are banned in restaurants and cafeteria as same as at large and medium-sized supermarkets (165 m2)
on single-use plastic bags (Jang et al., 2020: 9). The South Korean government strongly supports the waste
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) policy 20 years ago, starting from four to ten types of electrical
and electronic equipment (EEE). The intense degree of obligation and fines change producers to design and
produce recyclable products (Manomaivibool and Hong, 2014, 2014: 211).
India has collaborated with Japan, Germany, and the European Union on waste management and sustainable
economy (Singh, Chakraborty and Roy, 2018: 313). The Government of India has formulated some key
policies towards the circular economy and SDGs. For example, the National Solar Mission in 2010 and
connected to SDG 7 and 8, the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement)
Rules in 2015 related to SDG 6 and 12 (Priyadarshini and Abhilash, 2020: 8). Furthermore, 5R concepts
(reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, redesign, and remanufacturing) apply for basic principle for Solid Waste
Management Rules released in 2016 (Ghosh and Agamuthu, 2018: 481), connected to SDG 11 and 12
(Priyadarshini and Abhilash, 2020: 8). However, the waste recycling rate in India is lower than the waste
generated. About 23 percent of waste treated from 91 percent of total municipal solid waste in 2017 and the
residues are in landfills (Priyadarshini and Abhilash, 2020: 4). Official records or scientific reports on plastic
waste management in India are hardly found (Ibid.).
The 3R concept is also the issue Vietnam has promoted. The country issued the Environmental Protection
Law in 2005 and the National Strategy on Integrated Solid Waste Management, aiming to eliminate waste
19
by 2025 and 2050, with circular economy approaches (Ibid.). Operations to 90 percent of urban household
waste are recycling, reuse, and organic fertilizer production by 2025 (Schneider et al., 2017: 10). Vietnam
aims not to use landfills for waste disposal but useless materials or treated dangerous residues (Ibid., 17).
Thailand declares the master national plans: the National Strategy (2018-2037), the National Reform Plan,
and the 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017-2021), connect to Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) (Pollution Control Department, 2019: 3). The 20-year National Strategy (2018-
2037) manages four types of waste: solid, hazardous, infectious, industrial, and prevents pollution caused
by those waste, under the integration of 3R, circular economy, Polluter Pays Principle (PPP), and Extended
Producer Responsibility (ERP) (Ibid.: 42). Thailand Public-Private Partnership for Plastic and Waste
Management (or Thailand PPP Plastic) is established as part of the strategies of the National Strategy. It is
the collaboration between 15 organizations from the government, private corporates, and NGO agencies to
solve the plastic waste issue and create a plastic circular economy to the society (Pollution Control
Department, 2019b). Also, Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management 2018-2030 underpins at least a 50
percent reduction of Thailand plastic marine debris by 2027 (Ibid.). It is likely that Thailand is at the early
stage of focusing on the CE approach and needs more progress towards the issue.
4.2 Municipal solid waste management in Asia
Not only Europe adopts the CE principle and the 3R components to waste management policy. The USA,
Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, also work in the same scheme (Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 15). Solid
waste management policies are embedded in the national development plans in Asian countries like Japan,
South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore, which are more developed nations in SE Asia. They have appropriate
waste management system services in collection, transportation, process, and disposal with high public
participation but have problems in a landfill and recycle issues (Ibid., 24). Thailand, Indonesia, China, and
India, are developing states that feature good public awareness of recycling but still lack the effective waste
service systems (Ibid.).
The solid waste components in the developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin-America are mainly
biodegradable organic waste (Chiemchaisri, Juanga and Visvanathan, 2007, 15; Gumbo and Simelane,
2015, 206), in contrast to more developed states. Waste in the western world is food waste, plastic, foam,
paper, rubber, leather, wood, metal, glass, and textiles (Chiemchaisri, Juanga and Visvanathan, 2007: 15).
These materials vary in countries depending on some factors, i.e., degree of economic growth and
consumption patterns (Gumbo and Simelane, 2015: 206). Vigorously promoted strategies in Japan and
South Korea on landfill disposal reduction include waste segregation and recycling (Challcharoenwattana
and Pharino, 2015: 7418). Reduction and separation of household waste from separate recyclable materials
and fees charged to consumers who do not separate their waste are in place in Japan and South Korea (Ibid.).
However, these two countries faced problems with a waste system and have coordinated among sectors to
get a well-developed price system.
The population growth from external migration to certain cities, such as in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand,
and Indonesia, cause difficulty in waste management (Yukalang, Clarke and Ross, 2017: 20). Lack of
funding is another vital driver for solid waste recycling schemes in the developing world, including many
Asian countries (Ibid.,18-19). Instead of allocating resources on source-waste minimization, the budget is
mainly forward to collection and disposal processes (Ibid., 19). Some critical factors in waste and resource
circulation should be identified to lead the state from a linear economy to more CE transition and to maintain
materials flow in the system as long as possible (Ghosh and Agamuthu, 2018: 481). Thus, they would benefit
economic and environmental aspects and generate supportive strategies and regulations.
The existing solid waste management in some Asian countries features a framework, such as policy, type
of wastes, collection and transport systems, processing and landfill (Shekdar, 2009, cited in Lee et al., 2016:
430) shown in Table 5. To meet the waste reduction goals in Asia, proper municipal solid waste practice
and operations that fit the country’s condition are needed (Lee et al., 2016: 430).
20
Table 5: Waste management practices in Asia (Shekdar, 2009), modified by Lee et al. (2016: 431) and the
author
Framework Japan (Tokyo) Korea (Seoul) Taiwan
(Taipei) Malaysia
Thailand (Pharino, 2017;
Pollution Control
Department,
2016;
Chiemchaisri,
Juanga and
Visvanathan,
2007; Wichai-
utcha and
Chavalparit,
2019; Office of
Natural
Resources and
Environmental
Policy and
Planning, 2019)
Policy and
legislation
Implementation
of dirt removal
law and waste
management
law
Implementation
of the volume-
based waste fee
system
Implementatio
n of the
volume-based
waste fee
system
Implementation
of solid waste and
public cleansing
management law
(Manaf, Samah
and Zukki, 2009;
Victor and
Agamuthu, 2013)
Implementation
of waste
management
regulation in
accordance with
national plans
Type of wastes Recyclable
waste; bulky
waste;
household
waste; other
waste
Recyclable
waste; food
waste; bulky
waste;
household
waste;
construction/de
molition debris
Recyclable
waste; kitchen
waste; bulky
waste; other
waste
Recyclable waste;
food waste;
household waste;
construction/dem
olition debris
other waste
Recyclable
waste; food
waste;
hazardous
waste;
construction/de
molition debris;
other waste
Collection
system
Waste collection
by government
and local
authorities. All
urbanized areas
are covered
under a regular
schedule
Waste collection
by government
or private
haulers
regularly. Free
of charges for
recyclable
wastes and
proper charges
for discharging
bulky items
Waste
collection by
government
and recycling
industry
regularly
Waste collection
by local
authorities. Low
waste collection
coverage and
irregular
collection
schedule
Waste collection
by government,
local authorities,
or private
providers. All
urbanized areas
are covered
under a regular
schedule
Transportation Use a waste
collection
vehicle with a
compactor and a
compression
device
- Adopt upgrade
waste
collection
vehicles and
recycling
trucks
Propose a Radio
frequency
identification
(RFID)-based
solid waste bin
and truck
Use a waste
collection
vehicle with a
compactor and a
compression
device
21
monitoring
system
Processing
system
Recycle 21%
and incinerate
79% of material
Recycle 57%,
incinerate 17%
and landfill 26%
of material
Recycle 52%,
incinerate 46%
and landfill
2% of material
Recycle less than
5% of materials
Recycle
26.12%,
incinerate
0.36% of
materials in
2017. No
accurate data on
landfills.
Landfilling Cause illegal
dumping
Shut down
around 80%
landfill sites to
limit the amount
of landfill
Cause illegal
dumping
Cause
environmental
problems due to
uncontrolled open
dumping
Cause illegal
dumping
(especially of
infectious
waste),
environmental
and health
problems
Table 5 shows that Korea and Taiwan focus on waste fee systems based on the volume of waste households
produce while Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand base on laws and national plans. The universal waste types
are recyclable and household wastes in every country. Authorities do primary waste collection services in
these five countries, either government or local administrative agencies, or by both of them. The authorities
use modern vehicles to support the operation. Most of the collected waste in Japan incinerated, while 25
percent of them go for recycling. Korea and Taiwan feature the same waste treatments on recycling,
incineration, and landfilling. Taiwan has a higher incineration rate and a lower rate in the landfill. Thailand
has the lowest rate of incinerating, and data on landfills is undetectable. Malaysia records a recycling rate
of less than 5 percent. Lastly, illegal dumping brings critical environmental problems to these countries.
4.3 Waste management activities of Muang Kalasin Municipality
Waste management in developing countries, including Thailand, is mostly responsible for municipalities
(Pharino, 2017: 5). Waste is managed in Thailand by 7,852 local administrative organizations as of April
2020 (Department of Local Administration, 2020), and functioning these organizations into 2,452
municipalities. Respectively, municipalities categorize into three sizes, which consist of 2,237 small towns,
187 for the medium, and 30 large cities. Muang Kalasin Municipality, a medium-sized town, collects solid
waste generated from 33,704 total population in 36 urbanized communities and other 23,107 hidden
population and passersby. Generally, the process of waste collection, as presented in Figure 9, is typical in
developing countries and ends up in a landfill.
22
Figure 9: Solid waste system of Muang Kalasin Municipality, adapted from Shekdar (2009: 1439).
Waste generation originates from three primary sources: houses, commercial businesses such as
supermarkets and hotels, and other sources, such as neighboring municipalities, occasional local fairs. The
next process is the collecting system, regulated by the local authority. Then, waste transports to a landfill
for the last sort out method before dumping to the last process at the landfill.
Regarding fundamental steps in waste segregation, Muang Kalasin Municipality and local community
leaders encourage villagers to reduce waste from home as the first stage before the next process of waste
collecting and landfilling responsible by the Municipality. The activities divide into three managerial steps
based on waste production sources. (Muang Kalasin Municipality, 2018).
The beginning step includes the Free-trash bin community; zero waste schools; waste sorting training for
senior citizens, village health volunteers, supermarkets, organic farmers and local authorities; administrative
management at the community recycling center.
The middle step consists of recycling segregation by municipal waste collectors; organic fertilizer
production organized by the Municipality; and earthworm feeding with organic waste.
The final step takes place at a landfill, holding sanitary landfill’s management and wastes segregation. Waste
segregation performs by village environmental volunteers or waste pickers, who look for the left-over
recyclable waste and sell it for money.
Moreover, Muang Kalasin Municipality implements policy instruments, such as regulatory, information,
and voluntary system, to reduce waste generation. First, the regulatory tool counts on some laws and
regulations of waste management in Thailand and implies to local administrative policy. Next, awareness
campaigns, seminars, and training; and voluntary practice are parts of the informational instrument (Pires
et al., 2019: 16-17) provided to local people, and the 3R principles are core concepts used in training. Lastly,
the Municipality significantly carries out many environmental projects since 2006 (Figure 10) based on
voluntary participation from local residences.
23
Figure 10: Initiative projects from 2006 to 2019 (Muang Kalasin Municipality, 2020).
The case municipality has started the first environmental project in 2006. A project of the free-waste bucket
along the village road initially participated by eight communities, where some of the community committees
live. Next projects have been initiated since then, and the communities run themselves under the
Municipality support. Prominent development was in 2012 when the Environmental Voluntary Fund was
founded. Then, the free-waste bucket roads project expands to 24 communities and more collaboration from
schools and other towns in 2013. Lately, the Municipality found a project to save food loss and reduce waste
from food in 2019.
4.4 Circular economy indicators on waste management
The Urban Agenda for the EU, established in May 2016, aims to promote cooperation between towns of the
Member States, the European Commission, and other stakeholders regarding livable cities of Europe. They
contribute the circular economy indicators for the towns to use as a guideline for monitoring their
performance on the circular economy after a monitoring framework for the Circular Economy had been
released by the EU Commission in 2018 (Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 4). Basically, the circular
economy indicators categorize into four thematic areas: production and consumption, waste management,
secondary raw materials, and competitiveness and innovation (Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 32–
37), has appeared in Table 6. The study considers that the EU’s CE indicators might not be compatible with
Thai cities’ context, which could affect the case study’s performance results. Unfortunately, the author could
not find regulations regarding CE indicators in Thai municipalities from literature reviews. Therefore, the
author proposes that applying the indicator framework to the case study can support the analysis process to
present the current performance and the missing capabilities needed to develop.
24
Table 6: Summary of the original circular economy indicator (Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 32–
37)
Thematic area Category
Theme 1: Production and Consumption - Self-sufficient for raw materials
- Waste generation
- Food waste
- Others
Theme 2: Waste management - Overall recycling rates
- Recycling rates for specific waste streams
- Water management
Theme 3: Secondary raw materials - Contribution of recycled materials to raw materials
demand
- Trade-in recyclable raw materials
Theme 4: Competitiveness and innovation - Private investments, jobs and gross value added
- Patent
Each theme is issued into different categories. Firstly, production and consumption emphasize self-
sufficient for raw materials, waste generation, food waste, and others. Next, waste management concludes
the overall recycling rates, recycling rates for specific waste streams, and waste management. The secondary
raw materials theme focuses on recycled materials to raw materials and trade-in recyclable raw materials.
Lastly, competitiveness and innovation put on private investments and patents.
The measurement can be adaptable and suitable for the waste practices of the case study of Muang Kalasin
Municipality. Therefore, the study selects two thematic areas on production and consumption, and waste
management, and four categories (in Table 7), which are likely to match the current capability and the future
potentials of the case municipality.
Table 7: Circular economy indicator on waste management for the case study, adapted from Technical
Secretariat (Ecorys) (2019: 32–37)
Thematic area Category Indicators
Theme 1:
Production
and
consumption
Waste
generation
Total waste generated per capita
Different waste categories per capita
Waste intensity per NACE activity
Plastic uses prevention (including single-use)
Number of water fountains (as a proxy for plastic waste prevention)
Waste reduction policies
Volume of solid waste generated
Tonnes of (methane producing) organic waste diverted from landfill
Diversion of landfill of biodegradable waste
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial)
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) processed
by landfill sites
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) processed
by incinerators
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) given to
other disposal units
Municipal waste generated (domestic and commercial), total – 1000 t
[urb_cenv]
Tonnes of waste disposed of per inhabitant and per year (building and
demolition waste, industrial waste, domestic waste, retail and service
waste)
Municipal waste, defined as household and similar waste collected by
25
or on behalf of municipalities, and originated from household, offices
and small businesses
Municipal solid waste (t/cap/year)
Landfill rates of municipal waste, defined as the amounts of municipal
waste disposed at landfills as a percentage of amounts treated
Landfill tax rates, the tax levied per tonne of municipal waste disposed
in landfills
Percentage of city population with regular solid waste collection
(residential)
Total collected municipal solid waste per capital
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of in a sanitary
landfill
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of in an incinerator
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is burned openly
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of in an open
dump
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of by other means
Hazardous Waste Generation per capita (tonnes)
Percentage of the city’s wastewater that has received no treatment
Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management
All waste for all industry sectors (tonnes of waste)
Management of local authority waste, share of waste to the following
categories: landfill, incinerated, recycled, other
Waste intensity per household (tonnes of waste per household)
Food waste Initiatives/awareness campaigns at city level for food waste reduction
Edible (avoidable) food waste per year (tons/year)
Energy recovery from residue stream
Theme 2:
Waste
management
Overall
recycling
rates
Recycling rate (percentage diverted from waste stream)
% of waste recycled
Municipal waste processed according to differentiated refuse
collection schemes (pay as you throw)
Recycling rate (% per tonnes, percentage of the city’s solid waste that
is recycled)
EOL-RIR (End of Life Recycling Input Rate)
Recyclability benefit rate
Indicators on separate collection
Recycling or recovery rate of different waste streams
Breakdown of waste streams by different treatment options
Material recovery (includes recovery for recycling and composting)
Recycling
rates for
specific
waste
streams
Waste taken back by the industry for reuse/recycling
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) that is
recycled
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is recycled
Percentage of the city’s hazardous waste that is recycled
The first theme of production and consumption is a waste generation and food waste with several indicators,
while the second theme of waste management distinguishes recycling rates. These indicators can perform
the basic guidelines or measurements for other cities in Thailand to self-monitored since the country has not
framed the CE indicators on solid waste management. Crucially, the indicators can allocate for short-,
medium, and long-term as same as being partly selected on cities’ needs, limitedness, and capacities
(Technical Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 24). Hence, only relevant choices that compatible with the case study
were chose for data analysis in Chapter 6.
26
5. Results
This chapter displays empirics from primary and secondary data generated by document reviews, field visits,
and interviews. The content shows four issues and starts with municipal solid waste management, follows
by public participation, perspective on 3R, and ends with the sustainability of policy formulation and
implementation at local and national levels.
5.1 Municipal solid waste management 5.1.1 Household waste campaigns
Muang Kalasin Municipality commences several campaigns to keep the total waste volume at the lowest
generation. It started by encouraging each community to participate in the trash-free community campaign
in 2006. The Mayor of Muang Kalasin Municipality invited the waste managing expert to visit the city and
train villagers on waste separating. It is noteworthy that the Mayor in 2006 and the current one of 2020 is
the same person. During training, the expert and participants walked along the street, selected a waste can,
and started separating waste. As a result, villagers and the Municipality staff have learned many new things
from the actual training and have known which garbage is usable and which one is not. Eight pilot
communities joined the trash-free campaign and learned to separate waste with the 3R principle. As one of
the eight communities, the Hoh Trai Temple Community, situated 30 community committees’ houses, “The
leader must play a role for other villagers. Before taking the trash out of home, a leader must do it first”
(Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020).
The trash free project also includes “the one house, one trash bin” campaign (Figure 11). Every house
receives one medium-sized bin from the Municipality and must use it as long as possible. The participating
houses must take care of their containers because the Municipality would not provide the new ones.
Simultaneously, the Municipality removes big commons litter buckets along the public roads, starts from
one bin to another, and monitors the behavior changes from local people (Figure 12). Community leaders
inform 278 participating households to place the bins in front of their houses every morning for the trucks
to collect waste, “They (the bins) must be kept inside the gates when nobody is at home, so the public roads
look clean.” (Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020).
Figure 11: One house, one trash bin campaign, photographed by the author.
27
Figure 11 displays a single trash bin distributed to each participating house. It should be placed in front of
the house every morning to get emptied by the municipal waste truck. The plastic bin was only allocated to
each house one time when the project started in 2006. A collective agreement between communities and the
Municipality has set that if a family breaks the bin, the personal purchase takes responsibility for the new
one.
Figure 12: Free waste bins along the roads in communities, photographed by the author.
The photo shows one of the village roads that does not have public trash buckets. Therefore, better
cleanliness surroundings come to this road and the residential area. “We do not have big public bins
anymore. Sometimes, my house does not have any trash to throw away for a month” (Pers.com., Supicha,
Kalasin, 2020).
Generally, the composition of 10 kg of waste from a family in this town is divided into 3 kg organic waste,
6 kg recyclable, and 1 kg toxic and infectious waste (Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020). Some houses
produce organic fertilizers from organic waste, or feed poultry and pigs. Some families take organic waste
to backyard or farms, or feed on earthworms, raising their organic manure. The latter type, hazardous waste,
is dumped to the two red boxes in two public community areas for proper disposal by the Municipality. The
case city had collected data from 36 communities on the waste generation before this campaign started and
compared the output after one and a half years later. There was a significant finding on waste volume.
“Initially, 21 tons of waste decreased each day, including recycling waste and the not-littering type to the
municipal trucks. The numbers declined to more than 30 tons in the latter months. However, I’m not sure if
the numbers on recycling waste may change since waste prices are lowering.”
Pers.com., Tananchai, Kalasin, 2020
28
5.1.2 Waste bank
Another initiative was launched when a group of communities in Muang Kalasin Municipality initiated
Environmental Voluntary Fund in 2012. It was officially registered in 2013 to operate as a public fund and
also called a waste bank, aiming to reduce household waste before dumping to the service trucks. The Fund
constructed a recycling center (Figure 13) to collects 4-5 different types of recycled materials, such as paper,
plastic bottles, and metal, from members and non-members. After that, the Fund sells those materials to
recycling private collectors, who come to collect the waste in large volumes on site. Manager of the Fund
always records data of both buying and selling out, including types of recycling waste, total amounts of
waste, and income. The center also uses a compression machine to reduce the volume of plastic bottles to
increase transportation convenience (Figures 14 and 15). Instead of competing with the private recycling
business, the Fund creates cooperation and network with those local recycling collectors to ensure supply
availability and sufficient income for Fund members and the business.
Figure 13: Separated waste at community recycling center (the Environmental Voluntary Fund), photographed by the
author.
Figure 13 shows that recycling waste, i.e., cardboard paper, PET bottles, metal, are accumulated at the
community recycling center and waited for purchasing operation between the Environmental Voluntary
Fund and the commercial recycling collectors and the middlemen.
29
Two figures address that the community recycling center uses the waste compression machine (Figure 14)
to compress the plastic bottles and packs the flatten bottles for transportation (Figure 15).
Muang Kalasin Municipality also works on reducing the use of plastic bags scheme that the government is
campaigning. Plastic bags are lightweight and require ample storage space, so not many recycling collectors
prefer to collect them while losing the space in their properties. However, the Fund runs the activity and
have middlemen to buy the products. At the same time, local participants acknowledge the importance of
plastic bags campaign, “I always carry some plastic bags in my bag. Anyone who does not have one can
get them at my home. I always clean and hang them dry.” (Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020).
Some villagers have questions on when and where to sell the recycled waste. Hence, each community’s
head arranges the appointment with the Fund staff for the collection days and inform the members. A group
of committees collects the waste at the doors of the members’ houses once or twice per month. Previous
waste-collecting events display in a big poster attached to the community recycling center’s wall in Figure
16. The second option is to sell waste at the Fund center during the operation days.
Figure 16: A poster presents the Fund’s waste purchasing at different places, photographed by the author.
Figure 14: Waste compression machine,
photographed by the author.
Figure 15: Compressed plastic bottles,
photographed by the author.
30
Figure 16 shows the mobile waste purchasing at different sites, such as at the recycling center, at houses, at
the temple, at schools.
5.1.3 Impacts to communities
Regarding results from the campaign, village leaders declare that waste in their communities is dropping in
volume and quantity. Many houses do not place their buckets in front of their homes, waiting for the
municipal truck every day but rather every 3-4 days (Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020). The Fund
consultant supports that even though household waste decreases, factors from the outside of communities
create the increasing volume.
“Estimated that one person generates 1.1 kg of waste per day. Crucially, the number of local waste
generation reduces to 50 percent during the project has been active, which equals to the overall municipal
waste reduction by 20-22 tons per day. More importantly, the local people in the municipality create less
waste than the external population, such as the passerby who travels around the city tens of thousands of
people. Those people bring more than 50 percent of waste to us.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
The national expert also expresses on a trend towards a total waste generation that the amount of waste will
not decrease as same as the waste generation rate does not that much declining. Tourism brings large
numbers of tourists, which increases every year, as well as other factors (Pers.com., Wutthichai, Bangkok,
2020).
5.2 Public participation 5.2.1 Waste bank’s engagement
Muang Kalasin Municipality comprises of 36 communities. Each community selects ten representatives to
work as community committees. These 360 presenters attend the monthly official meeting with the Mayor
of Muang Kalasin Municipality. The assembly is also for informing on waste projects that the Municipality
wants to initiate to the communities. Importantly, each community independently manages itself through
community committees. Regarding the Environmental Voluntary Fund, it focuses on community
engagement while Municipal officials are supporters of vehicles, appliances, training, and seminar
arrangement.
“Principle that the Fund focuses on is to encourage community participation as much as possible. We
select a committee panel and let each committee invites the community members to join public activities
and campaigns. Strategies the committees use are door-to-door talking and distributing flyers to describe
details on the event. For example, committees explain the benefits that the homeowner and the community
might have when each house separates the garbage and sell them to the Fund.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
The Voluntary Environmental Fund gathers 13 committees in the panel (Figure 17). They divide the 278
household members into groups for each committee’s responsibility. The projects have been good
cooperated with villagers (Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020). Member of the Fund must register 100 baht
per share (approximately 3 Euros) but not more than 1,000 baht per person (30 Euros). Even though the fee
31
value seems cheap, it might urge the members to realize in their ownership and contribute to waste
separating practice (Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020). It is noteworthy that all the activities promoted to
communities are a success because villagers actively participate.
“If our neighbors do not cooperate with the committees, the communities could not survive. Everyone was
refuse to sort their waste and wanted to have a public bin in front of their houses when the project started.
Now, nobody wants the big buckets because the garbage will be loaded over. What we have now is the only
individual household bucket.”
Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020
Figure 17: Board of Committees of the Environmental Voluntary Fund of Muang Kalasin Municipality,
photographed by the author.
The big poster at the recycling center presents a group of nine Environmental Voluntary Fund committees:
one chairman, one vice-chairman, two counselors, three committees, one public relation, and one secretary.
5.2.2 Communication tools
To improve the houses’ environment, villagers start the activities by themselves first and then inform the
staff at the municipality for additional support. Local residences think if they wait for help from local
authorities, it would be a long queue before the community gets clean (Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020).
To the extent of communication to neighborhoods to know information regarding projects from both
community initiative and official agendas, the committees apply various methods, i.e., house visits, leaflets,
posters, and a village broadcasting tower. Apart from encouraging participation to the community, the Fund
staff, members as well as the Municipal staff always promote waste recycling in many occasions such as at
the Red Cross Fair, weekend markets, exhibitions in other provinces, supermarkets, elementary and high
schools, universities, private companies, and government offices.
“The Red Cross Fair starts on April 26. We are going to set up our exhibition to educate the attendants and
exchange garbage. People can bring their one kg of recycled waste to our booth and have one bottle of
dishwashing liquid in return, for example. Many places throughout Kalasin province invite us to be speakers
on waste management. Many communities and public officials come to visit us to see our work. Thus, we
can create a network to work together.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
32
When a question on why they want to make the community free of trash was raised, the interviewees
responded in positive statements. The most reasons are because they were born in this city and want to
improve their city to be a better place.
“I like to work for society, and I like to help people. I saw in the past that our communities were not clean.
Wherever has a trash bin, it is dirty, and mice, dogs, flies come to that bin. Therefore, the committee board
comes to think of how to make the communities livable. If we want our communities to be livable, we must
help each other to improve our places. If our communities are clean, everyone wants to live here.”
Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020
“It’s my voluntary habits. I wouldn’t say I like to stay home; it does not benefit me. I was born here, so I
want to serve my community.”
Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020
“Personally, I think we have to think about the future. Today, we encounter the problem of plastic waste,
toxic waste, for example. If we do not do anything now, how will our children and people live in the future?
If we do something to improve the situation, the result will fall to the community as much as possible.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
5.3 The 3R perspectives towards a circular economy 5.3.1 At local dimension
Villagers have learned how to separate waste for many years by using the fundamental 3R principles, which
is helpful and impressive (Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020). The 3R practice is not difficult for them to
follow and do it for routine (Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020). To other principles such as 4R, 5R, or 9R,
the respondents think they are not necessary to get promoted to communities shortly. 3R is enough at the
current circumstances (Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin, 2020).
“If the Municipality wants us to work on other R principles to sort out the waste, the committees must ask
the villagers. Only the community board itself could not run the project unless the community members want
to join.”
Pers.com. Buatong, Kalasin, 2020
“3R is okay with us. If compared to other foreign countries which work on more than 3R, we haven’t reached
that agenda. However, getting more than 3R would be good for our communities to meet a higher standard.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
The national expert asserts that Thailand has worked on the concept of 4R, 5R, and 7R for years but
emphasizes on 3R as a principle for promoting nationwide (Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020). The 3R
Forum is arranged yearly for countries in Asia-Pacific to exchange best practices and share cooperation
within the region. Thailand was the host for the 9th 3R Forum last year, and 3R and circular economy are
among schemes the meeting discussed (Ibid.).
Not only local residences in the case study area that actively activate on waste segregation, but the urbanized
population also act upon it. Interviewee at the Salforest Company mentioned that everyone in the company
has waste practice related to a circular economy. For instance, the office housekeeper cleans recyclable
plastic packages before selling them. Some office supplies, such as the printers, are taken care of by a rental
service, which is cheaper than the company’s purchase. Several private and public organizations in Thailand
promote the issue of harmful foam food packages to the environment, so let’s avoid using them. Therefore,
employees of the Salforest Company do not use or bring foam food boxes into the office.
33
The 3R principle has been widely applied in Thailand. However, society still requires more Rs to support
national sustainable development.
“3R is not enough for society. At present, we only touch small things while the speed of problems increases
and fast rates. Such a phenomenon is a big question for everyone who works in the area of sustainable
development. We must communicate about sustainability, but we do not know which angle is a problem and
must focus on it. However, I would not have to say to stop working on the 3R, but there is no disadvantage
if the government is looking for other opportunities or other incentives to those who care and try to do that
practices.”
Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok. 2020
Apart from the 3R discussion in the previous passages, the next issue is about some barriers block the
recycling progress at the case study. One of the problems facing the Environmental Voluntary Fund of
Muang Kalasin Municipality is the declining price rates of recycling materials while the living cost is going
high. A problem happens to the independent scavengers, poor people who separate garbage and sell for a
living. They cannot earn income from selling recycling materials to the recycling shops or the middlemen
because those shops can buy a cheaper paper from foreign countries that the government allows importing.
“I do not know whether the response from the public (bring recycling waste to exchange for commodity
goods at the Fund exhibition) will be as good as in previous years or not. Because of the high cost of living
makes people think it is a waste of time to separate waste for sell. The 5-6 independent garbage scavengers
(we call them Santa Claus) do not collect the garbage from municipal buckets at all. Now our members give
their waste to the Fund for free, and staff can pick them up at the members’ houses. Hence, the important
factor is the cost of living. The income from selling rubbish is lower than the living expense, so people are
at a loss.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
Likely, paper rubbish in the Salforest office has almost no value (Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020).
Some companies have adopted their service and products to the circular economy, but it is insufficient to
inform the public that they run the business under a circularity scheme. It is easier to search on the internet
for international brands, i.e., Starbucks, Toyota, Coke, P&G, and see that they apply a circular economy to
the supply chain rather than noticing the local brands in Thailand (Ibid.).
5.3.2 At the national extent
Incentive regulation for the aluminum or PET bottles, such as deposit, refund systems, or PANT system in
Sweden, is not yet regulated in Thailand, it must gradually develop together with law enactment (Pers.com.,
Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020). Besides, many public and private firms consider bringing a circularity system
for recyclable waste management, such as aluminum and PET bottles, plastic (Ibid.). Moreover, the
Government of Thailand has conducted some prominent action on plastic and waste management. For
example, a waste management roadmap in 2014, and a roadmap on plastic waste management 2018-2030,
aims to bring the 100 percent of targeted plastics into circularity by 2030. Additionally, Thailand’s Public-
Private Partnership for Plastic and Waste Management (Thailand PPP Plastic) is another national strategy
underpins the unprecedented collaboration between the Thai government, private sectors, and NGOs to
solve the plastic waste issues.
“More importantly, the circular economy is a key driver in the roadmap of plastic waste management. Since
the government is a partner with the industrial sector, its targets base on this sector’s capability to
accomplish in 2027. The country will reduce plastic ocean waste within the territory of at least 50 percent
by 2027.”
Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020
Some strategies are voluntary for private companies, such as removing plastic seals on water bottles’ caps.
As a result of cooperation between drinking water producers and the government, the plastic seals almost
completely vanished from the lids of water bottles last year. Also, microbeads, which are micro-plastic, are
34
not used in cosmetics this year, and it is also the accomplishment of public-private collaboration. A
campaign “Every day say no to plastic bags,” which is part of plastic waste management roadmap, is quite
successful in creating awareness for people. It focuses on the next move on using a thicker plastic (more
than 36 microns) at grocery shopping bags. Many countries appreciate Thailand’s voluntary system on
reducing unnecessary plastic, as many countries prefer using legislation to enforce the commercial sectors
(Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020).
Regarding the national direction towards the circular economy, the state can provide benefits to those who
want to do more or to penalize those who still do the same thing. However, it must be some studies or
research on social, economic, and environmental impact before formulating policies.
“When companies push the burden on consumers to pay for extra money getting a grocery plastic bag, the
economic question raised is it fair for the consumers while the companies can cut their costs on free plastic
bags service. Or the current campaign on reducing plastic bags affect to some houses that they do not have
garbage bags to use. Many behavioral economists have written that one result solution shifts to another
problem (therefore, houses have to buy plastic disposal bags instead of collecting from the free ones from
supermarkets in Thailand).”
Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020
Thailand may not reach the point of the fully adopted circular economy country. External forces such as
national competitiveness at regional and international levels will stimulate the country to do something on
the circular economy (Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020).
“For example, the food supply chain industry has already started moving on the circular economy because
of pressure from the end consumers. CP (the giant commodity and services company in Thailand) imports
fish food for cost-cutting, but it creates negative effects on the local fish food business. Therefore, CP must
fix the supply chain to create a balance between their business and other business. Thus, the circular
economy is a solution that CP must do. Still, it takes time to assure that the company can reach the full scale
of the apply circular economy into their business. At the same time, other external factors affect the solution
as well.”
Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020
A public authority supports Thailand’s circular economy progression with a positive argument, “It may be
difficult to answer on a scale of circular economy implementation of Thailand, but we are not at low ranking.
We are moving along with many countries.” (Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020).
5.4 Policy formulation and implementation of sustainable development
5.4.1 From the local perspective
It is essential not to overlook that the key elements to develop solid waste management to meet the circular
economy agenda should be the proper policy direction and continuing implementation. Muang Kalasin
Municipality uses voluntary policy, not mandatory, to invite villagers to participate in waste reduction
programs.
“The Municipality will not force communities to engage in the campaigns, because being forced will not be
sustainable. When the money runs out, the project stops. Nevertheless, this activity is voluntary to apply and
do it together. It will be more sustainable because the community needs it. However, it depends on whether
the community is ready or not. Because if they are not ready, they will do it for a short time, then stop.”
Pers.com, Thananchai, Kalasin, 2020
Greeting and informing community waste projects to the newcomers is the practice that community
committees always do. Therefore, the new neighbors understand the situation and engage in the activities.
35
The committees do not force new residences to participate in public events (Pers.com., Supicha, Kalasin,
2020), “Our community is a caring community. We will not leave anyone alone. We enter every house that
is newly occupied. We also ask for participation, and they are willing to help.” (Pers.com., Buatong,
Kalasin, 2020).
The communities consider mentoring younger generations to succeed in public activities in the future when
the current committees get old. Public events in the communities are usually held at the weekend so kids
can join without schooling. The committees always ask parents to bring their children to community events,
so the kids can feel a good collaboration and want to work for the communities in the coming years.
“The children see what adults are doing. When they see the cooperation from everyone in the village, they
will get used to it and get involved in the events from their parents and relatives. We usually take photos
and have lunch and snack together after the day.”
Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020
Not everything runs smoothly at Muang Kalasin Municipality. For instance, people from outside the
communities who are not aware of proper littering are also problems of Muang Kalasin Municipality.
“The problem now is people’s unawareness. There is no problem in the Municipality because we care for
the waste issue, but a hidden population or the passerby people cause the amount of waste. For example,
one patient at the hospital has many relatives to visit, so they create waste with improper disposal.
Meanwhile, asking for awareness or social responsibility is like forcing a person to go to the temple. It is
meaningless if that person is forced to do so, but it is a merit if he wants to do it from his inside.”
Pers.com., Apichai, Kalasin, 2020
According to waste prices declining, it may not much affect waste separation in households and activity
continuation in communities. Villagers still separate waste and donate them to the Fund instead of selling
them as usual. In contrast, the government does not solve the current situation affects initiatives at the local
level. Hence, the government needs to solve the root cause (Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020; Pers.com.,
Apichai, Kalasin, 2020).
“We do not expect anything from what we do; we are proud of ourselves; we only want to protect our city
from the overflow waste. However, the government has to solve the reduced waste price if it is possible to
ban waste import. Because only domestic waste is far more disposed of, then why we have to bring garbage
from outside to our country.”
Pers.com., Buatong, Kalasin, 2020
5.4.2 From private and public views
The business sector always questions what to expect if the companies comply with government policies,
such as implementing the production process to circularity. Therefore, the government should propose what
the companies can do, what intensive they would get in return, and push every sector walk in a particular
direction (Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020). Also, there are opportunities to conduct further research
and study the circular economy, such as finding materials that can replace plastics (Ibid.). Informing the
public to reuse plastic bags frequently is another tool for the government because reuse is the simple concept
of a circular economy that lasts the materials as long as possible (Ibid.). Another aspect from the business
interviewee on sustainable development is about the impact of one action on others.
“One thing about sustainable development that the state and all parties have to understand is that it is not
something that has been done and finished. It is development. It uses the word “development” because it
does not mean cutting off this, and then the world is beautiful again. Instead, we should consider whether
one thing could impact other things. On the other hand, the private sector can sharpen themselves for the
upcoming opportunities of a circular economy, or how circular economy help reduces costs.”
Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020
36
Policy official mentions the implementing of using circular economy in Thailand that the country is now
learning from doing many programs at the same time. Obstacles exist along the way, and every sector would
learn from solving the problems.
“Thailand is likely to work on the circular economy because we have good feedback from the private sector.
Even though we have only government policy but without cooperation from the private sector, it would
probably not be possible to keep on. Besides, the government must adjust the plan periodically according
to the situation and problems that occur.”
Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020
So far, findings from interviewing displays in four categories according to the conceptual framework. The
case study distinguishes public participation and waste projects using the 3R practice, the CE’s fundamental
principle. Views from experts concern that Thailand requires adequate direction towards the circular
economy connected to municipal solid waste management. The next chapter gives an analysis of the four
framing issues.
37
6. Analysis
This chapter connects empirical findings from chapters 4 and 5 to the elements of a conceptual framework
in Chapter 3, including a circular economy, solid waste management, social practice, and sustainable
development. These four concepts are analyzed and connected to the aim and research questions of the
study.
6.1 Practices that meet the circular economy concept and indicators
According to waste campaigns in Muang Kalasin communities since 2006, the output turns to the overall
waste volume has been decreasing while gains outcome on public engagement. The basic principle used to
teach villagers to sort out wastes is 3R – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, which accounts for the components of a
circular economy by Skene (2018: 480), van Buren et al. (2016: 3), Winans, Kendall and Deng (2017: 826),
and Kirchherr, Reike and Hekkert (2017: 223). Community’s waste reduction practices of the city represent
the collaborative expansion from the micro level to the macro scale.
For decades, Thailand has promoted 3R principles and other practices related to the circular economy, such
as 4R, 5R, and 7R (Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020). However, nobody called them the circular
economy elements in those periods (Ibid.). There are several regulations implemented for local and urban
waste generation. The roadmap for plastic waste management 2018 to 2030 has launched for having the
targeted plastics circulate into the manufacturing stream 100 percent by 2030. At a regional level, countries
in Southeast Asia and the Pacific regions assemble the 3R Forum yearly to share best practices on 3R, waste
management, and ways forward to achieve a circular economy. However, Thai society requires more than
3R and needs more information on a circular economy from public agencies (Pers.com., Pattraporn,
Bangkok, 2020).
When the researcher did the preliminary checks on the case study’s performances by looking closer to CE
indicators established by the Technical Secretariat (Ecorys) (2019: 32–37) of the Urban Agenda for the EU
member states (tables 8 and 9), not many performances of waste activities are eligible to the indicators.
38
Table 8: Preliminary checks on CE indicators on production and consumption, adapted from Technical
Secretariat (Ecorys), 2019: 32–37
Thematic area: Production and consumption
Category Indicators Eligible
Waste
generation
Total waste generated per capita
Different waste categories per capita
Waste intensity per NACE activity (* NACE is a French term for economic classification - author)
-
Plastic uses prevention (including single-use)
Number of water fountains (as a proxy for plastic waste prevention) -
Waste reduction policies
Volume of solid waste generated
Tonnes of (methane producing) organic waste diverted from landfill -
Diversion of landfill of biodegradable waste -
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) -
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) processed by landfill
sites
-
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) processed by
incinerators
-
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) given to other
disposal units
-
Municipal waste generated (domestic and commercial), total – 1000 t
[urb_cenv]
-
Tonnes of waste disposed of per inhabitant and per year (building and
demolition waste, industrial waste, domestic waste, retail and service waste)
-
Municipal waste, defined as household and similar waste collected by or on
behalf of municipalities, and originated from household, offices and small
businesses
Municipal solid waste (t/cap/year)
Landfill rates of municipal waste, defined as the amounts of municipal waste
disposed at landfills as a percentage of amounts treated
-
Landfill tax rates, the tax levied per tonne of municipal waste disposed in
landfills
-
Percentage of city population with regular solid waste collection (residential)
Total collected municipal solid waste per capital -
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of in a sanitary landfill
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of in an incinerator
(Muang Kalasin Municipality, nearby cities and provinces do not have any
incinerators.)
X
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is burned openly -
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of in an open dump -
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is disposed of by other means -
Hazardous Waste Generation per capita (tonnes) -
Percentage of the city’s wastewater that has received no treatment -
Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management -
All waste for all industry sectors (tonnes of waste)
Management of local authority waste, share of waste to the following
categories: landfill, incinerated, recycled, other
Waste intensity per household (tonnes of waste per household)
Food
waste
Initiatives/awareness campaigns at city level for food waste reduction
Edible (avoidable) food waste per year (tons/year)
Energy recovery from residue stream -
39
Muang Kalasin Municipality is capable of almost half of the indicators regarding waste generation from
production and consumption activities. The dash (-) means insufficient data collected but possible to get
generated. An indicator of incineration is ineligible because the case study does not have any incinerators.
Campaign for reducing food loss started last year, and it has the potential to meet every indicator of energy
recovery if local authorities collect the necessary data.
Table 9: Preliminary checks on CE indicators on waste management, adapted from Technical Secretariat
(Ecorys), 2019: 32–37
Thematic area: Waste management
Category Indicators Eligible
Overall
recycling
rates
Recycling rate (percentage diverted from waste stream) -
% of waste recycled
Municipal waste processed according to differentiated refuse collection schemes
(pay as you throw)
-
Recycling rate (% per tonnes, percentage of the city’s solid waste that is
recycled)
EOL-RIR (End of Life Recycling Input Rate) -
Recyclability benefit rate -
Indicators on separate collection -
Recycling or recovery rate of different waste streams -
Breakdown of waste streams by different treatment options -
Material recovery (includes recovery for recycling and composting) -
Recycling
rates for
specific
waste
streams
Waste taken back by the industry for reuse/recycling -
Annual amount of solid waste (domestic and commercial) that is recycled -
Percentage of the city’s solid waste that is recycled
Percentage of the city’s hazardous waste that is recycled -
Muang Kalasin Municipality has insufficient capability on waste management more than the previous theme
on production and consumption. However, some missing data can be collected and calculated in percentage
to meet the indicators; some of them are beyond the capacity of a local agency.
Findings from fieldwork suggest that waste reduction campaigns at the case study could not fully complete
the CE indicator even though local residences perform very well on the basic 3R principles. Local people
know how to reduce plastic bags, turn food waste to feed animals feed or produce fertilizer, and turn
recycling waste to cash at the community’s waste bank. However, to become more circularity, a city or even
a country needs more inputs, resources, and efforts to transform the current performances. Crucially, Muang
Kalasin Municipality can become a circular economy city if it has been supported by technical training and
sufficient resources to better performance and the indicating criteria. Good backgrounds on active local
agencies and community leaders, as well as very engaging local participation, can bring the city get to the
target.
Circularity implications in Thailand are claimed for the comparable capacity to many countries and obtained
good images from the international partnership (Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020). However, the
Government of Thailand should not overlook to the other R and provide an attractive incentive for the
business to initiate circularity concept to their products and services (Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020).
Even though only a few companies in Thailand apply circular economy to their business, the rest of them
have the potential to work on the issue but lack supportive policy and guidance from the government. The
global trend on circular economy is the opportunity for Thailand to formulate effective national policy and
practical strategies for the enterprises, like the EU Commission that issues the Action Plan for Circular
Economy for the Member States to follow 2030 goals.
40
6.2 Municipal solid waste management
Municipal solid waste of Muang Kalasin Municipality systematically segregates into three steps. It starts
from individual house separation on recyclable, non-recyclable, and organic waste. Senior citizens, students,
private corporates, and public agencies are encouraged to train on waste separation from Muang Kalasin
Municipal staff. When villagers know that waste volume can get minimized, trash buckets along the roads
are unnecessary anymore. A thick plastic bin is distributed to each house instead. Crucially, some houses
do not frequently dispose of their waste to the municipal waste collecting trucks because there is no rubbish.
From 30 voluntary housing in 2006, the free-trash bin campaign extends to 278 houses of 34 communities
(from 36) at present. Apart from the free-common big buckets project, the Municipality establish a waste
bank or officially called the Environmental Voluntary Fund in 2011 to buy recycling materials from the
Fund members, including paper, PET bottle, glass, plastic package, and metal.
The intermediate step to manage the solid waste of the city focuses on local waste collectors or scavengers
training to re-separate recycling waste from public buckets. It is more likely to the double collection, but it
is to ensure that recycling waste is taken out before being transported to the landfill. On the other hand, food
waste, about 30 percent of total household waste, is transformed into organic fertilizer for plants in farms
or earthworms, chicken, ducks, and pigs feeding. In this step, organic fertilizer can produce at the Municipal
fertilizer station or the backyard of each house. The last step of local management takes place at a sanitary
landfill. The village environmental volunteers re-separate recycling waste as the third check after the first
and second stages to ensure that only usable garbage is left at the landfill. The case city used to collect about
50-60 tons of waste per day, but the projects and campaigns pay the effects on waste decreasing. The city
decreases the total waste volume of 21-30 tons per day since the initiative in 2006. The figures suggest that
if villagers have not sorted out waste, the Municipality must encounter 21-30 tons of waste per day.
The waste volume has increased to 34.62 and 36.31 tons per day in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Data
collected by the Municipality staff shows that other places and agencies, such as supermarkets, hospitals,
tourists, passerby travelers, also contribute to additional waste. The overall national waste generation has
the same situation as the local city that waste increases every year. The tourism industry brings large
numbers of tourists to attractive sites and other factors that affect littering, such as population growth
(Pers.com., Vuttichai, Bangkok, 2020). Thailand and some Asian countries do not have effective waste
service systems (Ghisellini, Cialani and Ulgiati, 2016: 15), for example, landfill disposal reduction
regulations or fee-charging on those who do not separate waste before disposing to public waste collecting
service (Challcharoenwattana and Pharino, 2015: 7418).
Strategies have been implied locally and nationally. The case study expands collaboration and awareness to
other sectors while public agencies enforce regulations and building collaboration at national and
international scales. However, these attempts are not enough to reduce the country’s waste crisis as long as
people are still unaware of the effects of waste on their well-being.
6.3 Roles of stakeholders and public participation in social practice
Changing behavior of a large group of people from disposing unsorted trash into the public bins to a more
conservative pattern demands an understanding of relations of factors that influence such action, and
strategic intervention innovates requiring changes. A social theory provides a clear picture of what people
act every day, i.e., cooking, eating, sleeping, shopping, playing, working, and they call practices (Røpke,
2009: 2490). These practices consist of three elements – material, images, and forms of competence, or
differently termed by some scholars as products, meanings, and competences (Shove and Pantzar, 2005:
45), or equipment, images, and skills (Røpke, 2009: 2492). The components essentially form relations
between each other (Shove and Pantzar, 2005: 45). As a matter of fact, a person performs daily routines
based on experiences and habits, and not many people concern that their everyday practices impact the
environment (Røpke, 2009: 2493-2496). Crucially, the study analyzes that the Mayor and local authorities
prioritize the environmental issues as the challenging aspect to change the villagers’ waste disposing
behavior. The two projects and a communal waste bank are strategies that have pushed forward to the
communities to influence the routine practices. Besides, the study significantly applies three constituents of
41
social practice, stakeholders, and public engagement theories to analyze the case study’s local residence
behavior, as shown in Figure 18.
Figure 18: Elements of social practice of Muang Kalasin Municipality, modified by the author.
The element of materials includes objects, equipment, and body parts (Røpke, 2009: 2492); thus, the case
study features in two campaigns - one house-one trash bin and the free-bucket roads. The Environmental
Voluntary Fund is another supportive tool for the separated waste because it purchases recycling materials,
i.e., cardboard, PET bottles, glass bottles, from the members. Not only visiting the Fund center for waste
selling, but another service is also the members can wait at their homes for the Fund staff to purchase
recycling garbage. The last element of materials presents through a door-to-door strategy conducted by
community leaders to promote waste campaigns to their neighbors. Overall, even though practice on waste
separation and reduction of the case study aligns with the EU waste hierarchy (prevention, reuse, recycle,
recovery, and disposal), targets miss out on the city’s policy, such as when and how many percentages each
hierarchy should achieve.
Next, public engagement counts in the box of meanings factor. It covers the emotions, beliefs, and
understanding when practitioners carry out the practices (Røpke, 2009: 2492). Regarding the case study’s
characteristics, it performs three meaning items. First, according to the participation ladder: inform, consult,
collaborate, co-decide, and empower (Luyet et al., 2012: 215), 34 communities take steps of participation
from the first to the last levels. Communities get information, training, site visits, financial and technical
supports from the Municipality. More importantly, communities are free to decide whether to join or not to
join the projects, without forces from the officials. Next, it is crucial to notice that stakeholder engagement
is another prominent factor in the case study’s waste practice. The present Mayor supports the Municipal
staff and local communities to work on waste campaigns, such as inviting the expert to train villagers and
local officers to separate waste. Another example is the support of site visits to the village representatives,
who get chances to exchange their knowledge and experience with other cities that also have good practice
in waste management. The last element of meanings presents through the social shared value on
environmental concern. The interviewees have the same driver in making their hometown a better place that
is clean, safe, and warm for everyone. So far, the case study generates activities that match stages of the
waste cycle (collection, transportation, sorting, treating, recycling, disposing, and monitoring) (Saadeh, Al-
Elements of social practice
of Muang Kalasin Municipality
Materials
- One house, one trash bin
- Free-waste bin roads
- Environmental Voluntary Fund
- Door-to-door collecting offer
Forms of competence
- 3R principles
- Waste sorting behavior
Meanings
- Community participation
- Active leaders/stakeholders
- Environmental concern
Intervention
- Price of recycling waste
- Personal perception
42
Khatib and Kontogianni, 2019: 243). However, each action on each cycle cannot be systematically managed
due to insufficient managerial systems on technical knowledge, financial budgets, and scarcity resources.
Lastly, forms of competence count on the waste sorting behavior of villagers and knowledge of 3R,
deriving from interaction with materials and meanings. Before the project gets started, villagers litter rubbish
improperly, so public roads and atmosphere were dirty and untidy. Things have changed since 2006.
Villagers use the 3R principle to separate their garbage, and the result turns out that they can reduce a
massive amount of waste per day. Most houses do not throw away their garbage to the municipal collecting
trucks for many weeks. Started by eight communities, 34 from 36 communities are participating now.
Community representatives share their practices with other agencies in Kalasin province and other
provinces. To the fact that practices create wants on goods and services consumption (Warde, 2005: 137-
138), practice must change routine behavior to a more sustainable pattern by creating an environmental-
friendly community. Many awards guarantee that Muang Kalasin Municipality transforms the residence
consumption through awareness cultivation and the benefits of physical cleanliness and proudness
achievement. Local communities as the same as municipal employees who engage the activities by focusing
on institutional responsibility (Spotswood et al., 2015: 30) because they want to keep their hometown clean
and livable.
Even though the prominent elements of social practices generate a successful waste reduction system of the
case study, unexpected interventions are gently slow down the community practices. Declining recycling
waste price is another obstacle to villagers not to separate the garbage. The price of recycling waste has
decreased during the past few years, thus separated waste likely has no incentive. It is not worth to spend
time on sorting out and selling to the Voluntary Environmental Fund. Also, the Fund finds difficulties in
financial balance since it buys recycling waste at a higher price than the current market rate. It is at a loss
for the Fund as same as that some members donate recycle waste to the Fund for free. Another uncontrolled
intervention is the perception or motivation of individuals. When a community has new families to move
in, committees always visit their houses to get to know the newcomers and invite them to join campaigns.
However, some of them do not interest in participating in community waste projects. Even though most
residences cooperate with community events, personal perception of public activities is the uncontrollable
factor. Such ignorance can impact the waste practice of Muang Kalasin Municipality since every activity
and campaign are not mandatory for everyone. Hence, a new strategic approach should be formulated by
provincial authorities or, if possible, the central government to dissolve the communities’ situation and other
municipalities all over the country.
6.4 From municipal solid waste to sustainable development
The approaches that actors in the case study take on waste reduction are the same as interviewees’ points of
view from public and private agencies categorized into three elements regarding the sustainable
development paradigm.
6.4.1 Environmental aspect
The circular economy brings waste management to meet sustainability by minimizing materials use and
waste, and any residue that can cause environmental and human health problems (Pharino, 2017: 7).
Municipal solid waste at Muang Kalasin Municipality has managed through the 3R concept since 2006, and
the consequences turn out that the communities help reduce half of the overall waste generation than it was.
Roads are clean from garbage, bad smells, and animals, for instance, mice, flies, cockroaches. Regulations
on environmental problems should intensely enforce as to promote environmental responsibility to the
public. They do not separate waste as same as littering garbage everywhere. Further, national policy should
display other strategies so that citizens can support the nation’s circular economy direction, rather than
informing only to stop using plastic straws and plastic bags (Pers.com., Pattraporn, Bangkok, 2020).
43
6.4.2 Economic aspect
From a local perspective, villagers can sell their recycling waste to the Environmental Voluntary Fund.
Although there is not much money and villagers cannot live on that small cash, it is better than doing nothing
and leave all waste to the local authority waste collection service. Importantly, the Fund itself generates
income without relying on financial support from the Municipality and independently distributes the income
to meet community benefits. A new incentive strategy can apply to individual and household levels, such
as a PANT system like Sweden. The value of PET bottles and soft drink cans with PANT labels printed on
already include in the product price, each container marked with one or two Swedish kronor (SEK).
Consumers can return those PANT bottles and can at the recycling machine to get a cash slip back for the
next purchase at the supermarket or donate it to the Red Cross. Thailand does not have this kind of returning
system and machines. People can instead sell the bottles and cans to the recycling purchasers. Collecting
bottles take time, so many Thai people do not collect them to sell. However, if each bottle has explicitly
label on value, it is possible to gain attention for some people not to littering but bring them to get a cash
payback.
At national feedback, experts focus on financial strategy. The private sector provides good cooperation to
the government’s circularity policy. However, a private business should get strong support on incentive
provision when they imply a circular economy into its production cycle. The global trend on circular
economy is the opportunity for the Thai government to conduct further research and studies on the issue,
promote it to every sector in the society for cooperation, and formulate the direction of the country towards
a circular economy to connect to sustainability.
6.4.3 Social aspect
Voluntary participation is the main element to drive waste campaigns of Muang Kalasin Municipality to
sustainability. If the community is being forced by the local government to do projects, people will stop
doing anything when financial support from the municipality runs out (Pers.com., Tananchai, Kalasin,
2020). On the other hand, if a community wants to do it from their own needs, they will help each other to
run the projects even if financial support is invalid. Crucially, a caring community that leaders matter to the
members’ problems and always support everything stimulate ethical wills within the community to create a
better society. The current leaders are considering shaping some younger generations to work for the
communities in the future. Information providing is another tool for cooperation from local residences. The
villagers get training and educating on the importance of waste reduction affecting their communities. Some
of them, including local leaders, have some visits to other villages in provinces with best practices on waste
campaigns. This fundamental informative strategy inspires villagers to care for their hometown and be
concerned about environmental problems that impact their lives. Importantly, the case study’s social
approach is the outstanding character that brings the success of waste campaigns and makes the city be one
of model cites on municipal solid waste management.
44
7. Discussion
The content of this chapter discusses the answers to research questions. Simultaneously, some distinguishing
aspects embedded in the previous chapters and from the case study’s empirics also underpin within the texts
to support the proposed solutions.
7.1. The current waste management practice of Muang Kalasin Municipality
The current solid waste management practice of the case study is very active regarding total waste volume
decreasing. Almost every community has joined waste campaigns and uses the 3R principle as a basic waste
sorting guideline to separate waste from each house. Cooperative practices provide positive outcomes for
the communities. When local residences generate less waste, the monthly accumulative waste generation
decreases to 50 percent. The Municipality can save much of the waste administrative and operative cost
from waste management services. Community public roads look clean from not having trash bins and the
scattered, smelly garbage. Local residences also learn to gradually stop using plastic bags in daily life as a
national campaign from the government towards plastic bag waste reduction schemes.
Social practice theory explains the relation of the case study’s waste practicing and possible sustainable
strategies for waste management. The materials component interconnects with meanings and competences
(Shove and Pantzar, 2005: 45) to produce waste sorting behavior, resulting from the relations. As the
materials, several projects are initiated by the Municipality to reduce waste generation from houses, i.e., one
trash bin-one house, free-trash buckets roads. Also, participants are more accessible to dispose of their
recycling waste by the door-to-door offer from the Environmental Voluntary Fund. Meanings factor about
environmental policy alone is not enough to bring social members to participate in public campaigns. Active
Mayor of Muang Kalasin Municipality, community leaders, and municipal officers are also the key elements
that bring waste management projects into success. The Mayor of Muang Kalasin Municipality, Mr.Jaruwat
Boonperm, prioritizes diminishing environmental problems for the past years. Strong facilitating supports
from the top-level administrative encourages local officers and villagers to follow the direction.
Additionally, efficient and talented local staff are the middlemen to transform policies from the top level to
the action generated by local residences. Another vital component is the active community leaders who
promote public activities to members and encourage them for participation.
Apart from the social practice paradigm, waste separation behavior concerns how to keep the practice
working in the long run. The first factor should consider self-willingness, which creates the first move to do
better things for oneself. Villagers can sustainably operate their activities if everyone wants to sort out waste
with their own will to get recycling materials, organic waste, and unusable garbage. Even though financial
support is essential for solid waste management in many countries in Asia (Yukalang, Clarke and Ross,
2017: 18-19), the Municipal staff believe that when financial aid does not provide by the Municipality to
the community, every house still keeps separating garbage as a daily practice, with self-willingness. Another
factor is the successor, so the current committees are training the younger generation to replace the senior
leaders. Lastly, the composition for sustainable waste management to the case study is by using social
practices to delimiting consumption. Social practices generate goods and services consumption (Warde,
2005: 137-138), and more sustainable practices conduct from repetitive links and elements of the practices
(Hargreaves, 2011: 83). Therefore, waste behavior should be monitored and stimulated frequently, either
by community leaders or public agencies, together with promoting awareness of the new residences moving
in the villages.
7.2 The circular economy practices that have implemented in Muang Kalasin Municipality
The prominent accomplishment of Muang Kalasin Municipality is the community commitment to care for
their home town. The 3R practice that communities used for waste segregation account for the CE principle.
45
However, the whole cycle for municipal solid waste management has not met the CE requirement yet, done
by the simple check presented in the previous chapter. Considering the four thematic areas of EU’s CE
origin indicators, the study chooses two categories in the framework - production and consumption, and
waste management - in the analysis to suit circumstance and influential factors of the case study. The other
two themes are beyond the Municipality’s capability to gather data and analyze them to match the criteria.
The result shows that Muang Kalasin Municipality features some potential indicators that match the EU
standards. The missing performance in the selected themes are not painful for the case to take more inputs
and develop fundamental activities based on the villager’s routine if the local and central governments have
facilitated support. Assistance and knowledge training to both officials and local people are essentially
required in order to help develop data collection and waste activities to meet all the indicators. Alternatively,
categories and indicators of the selected themes can get developed to match the case’s factors and contexts
when planning to become the CE model city. Positively, the study believes that the right combination
between local communities and local authorities could enable the city to move towards a circular economy.
7.3 The policy directions that would bring Muang Kalasin Municipality to achieving a circular economy
Technical training and knowledge assistance should provide to Muang Kalasin Municipality to improve the
performance that could meet the circular economy indicator. Monitoring community waste practice
frequently is necessary for data updates and strategy analysis. According to implementing the other R beside
the 3R principle to the communities, villagers think that 3R is enough for their communities. However, other
R, which other countries or the EU applied to now, is interesting to apply for another waste separation
scheme, but only if the community’s consensus approves and accepts it. Scholars suggest CE components
differently, such as restoration; renewable energy use (Skene, 2018: 480); refuse; repair; refurbish;
remanufacture; repurpose; recover energy (van Buren et al, 2016:3); redesign; remanufacture; recovery
(Winans, Kendall and Deng, 2018: 826).
External factors affecting the circularity and sustainability of Muang Kalasin Municipality are the low-price
rate on recycling waste and individual motivation. People used to gain some income from selling recyclable
waste, but the thing is turned down by a market recession on the recycling price rate. Nobody in the
communities knows the root cause of such circumstances. However, some assume that it is because the
government permits the energy producers to import waste for incinerators, which is cheaper than domestic
sources. The Voluntary Environmental Fund also gets the effect of losing financial balance. If the recycling
price is continuously decreasing, the Fund may likely stop buying waste from members to save the lost.
This phenomenon on pricing can also lead to behavior change among local people to pay less attention to
separating their household waste. Another obstruction goes to self-motivation among current residences and
the newly moved to join the public activity. Only 2 out of 36 communities do not participate in the road-
free buckets and the one bin-one house campaigns. Since public activities are based on voluntary
participation, local authorities and neighboring committees cannot intervene in their final decision.
However, the non-cooperated houses can create an impact on total waste accumulation and other waste
management costs for the Municipality.
So far, high engagement from residences, active stakeholders, and continue policy direction are the
fundamental factors that Muang Kalasin Municipality obtains. Together with self-monitoring with the CE
indicators and strategic intervention for recycling waste’s market price from the government, the city can
become a circular city in a waste management setting.
7.4 The barriers for Thailand to achieve a circular economy
Barriers for Thailand to achieve CE are the lack of direction and agenda on how the country moves forward
under the CE direction. The inadequate promotion of the importance of CE is also counted. To the extent of
viewpoints from national policy official, Thailand focuses on the 3R principle as the foundation practice for
citizens to separate waste. The country works on 4R, 5R, and 7R before the CE trend is acknowledged in
the country. However, the study argues that most Thai citizens, even the responding environmental public
46
agencies, are unbearable to notice the other R that has been promoted in the past years. The direction of
Thailand towards CE is still unclear without aims and targets, despite a roadmap on plastic waste
management that was issued to work from 2018-2030 and claimed that it is part of CE at the national level.
7.5 The potential strategies on the waste management system for sustainable development in Thailand
The private sector usually supports waste campaigns as well as provide good cooperation to the government.
Also, the public sectors have several experts to formulate relevant policies and regulations. Therefore, it is
not difficult for Thailand to set the national CE framework in the national direction. For example, work
plans, timeframes, strategies, indicators, responsible agencies. Policy collaboration through public
procurement between governmental purchasers and private suppliers on delivering the circularity products
and service is a potential solution that may stimulate the CE progress (Ghosh and Agamuthu, 2018: 481) in
Thailand. Importantly, the CE information, economic incentive, and supportive policies should take into
proper consideration. Policy on implementing circular economy into practice should include one of the
national agendas. CE indicators on waste management should get employed to local municipalities and used
as the performing measurement to promote or reward the mayors.
Overall, waste management has prioritized as one of the crucial national agendas that need prompt action
from every sector. Several regulations have been enacted to manage municipal solid waste, including the
latest 2018-2030 plastic waste roadmap. However, the overall waste quantity increases every year by some
influential factors, not only in Thailand but also at the global level (World Bank, 2020). Therefore, proper
managerial waste strategies for a sustainable future should base on systematic thinking to balance the effects
on the environment, economics, and society (Murray, Skene and Haynes, 2017: 377). The other cities can
study the outstanding fundamental practices of Muang Kalasin Municipality on waste management and then
apply them to fit the cities’ context. Analyzing social behavior with social practice theory help policymakers
identify the three components representing the routine practices. More importantly, behavior can change
when proper tools as the materials insert to the society to replace the current meaning and competence
elements.
Further, local adaptive demands repetition on waste sorting promotion and campaigns despite barriers facing
the communities. Waste circulation should identify to analyze materials flows, which brings to effective
strategies formulation (Ghosh and Agamuthu, 2018: 481). Energy production from waste resources is a
possible solution that the government can invest in but under sustainability consideration. Besides, even
though green technologies such as solar panels and wind turbines replace waste incinerators, which are not
likely popular in Thailand, services and replacement are expensive as same as the materials are difficult to
recycle (Murray, Skene and Haynes, 2017: 377). Additionally, waste cycle or waste campaigns, with
awareness-raising purposes, should be illustrated in short and understandable messages for the public,
instead of technical and formal terms.
47
8. Conclusions
Identifying factors that enable municipal solid waste management to approach a circular economy scheme
is the aim of this study. Interdisciplinary theories and research help shape the study design and methodology
to meet the results, analysis, and conclusions. Besides, the main statement puts on contributions from the
study and suggestions for future research.
8.1 Fact findings for the aim and research questions
Regarding the aim and research questions, the case study reveals the factors that enable the city to obtain
the best practice on waste management. The core component of CE, the 3R principle, has implemented for
sorting out waste over a decade. Local authorities and local residences meet the common goals by sharing
collaboration. Social relations between the active Mayor, municipal officers, and community leaders are
taking part in influencing villagers to join the activities. The strategies of direct communication and waste
collection service are the prominent characters of this municipality. However, the case study has not yet
achieved circularity on waste management regarding the CE indicators’ missing performance. To complete
the circular waste management and a CE city, technical training and knowledge assistance are necessary for
the authorities and community members to improve their capability and meet the CE indicators, that suit the
area context. Further, community waste practice should frequently monitor for data updates and strategy
analysis, including intervening the elements of social practice to induce behavior change.
The circular economy has been gained attention from various sectors for its economic returns and
environmental impacts. EU Commission takes a leading role in setting a circular economy framework and
targets for the European Union Member States to transform the future into more sustainable. Waste
management is part of the notion and measured by indicators to assure that the EU countries have the same
standardized measurement. China and Japan represent Asian countries that are now directing the nations
with circularity policies and issue regulations to manage different kinds of waste generated from production
and consumption activities. Thailand has worked on a waste reduction scheme by using the 3R principle as
a basis for citizens to sort out waste and ensured legitimacy for waste management at national and local
levels over the decades. Nonetheless, Thailand has not endorsed the circular economy direction and push
for one of the national agenda. Policies, strategies, incentives, period, responsible agencies, and public
procurement between public and private agencies for circularity service and the products should be focused.
8. 2 Further research
Tentative programs to improve performances of Muang Kalasin Municipality for the CE indicators is a
suggested step for the next research. To keep working on CE issues and municipal solid waste at a local
scale, the future study can examine the cities with varying concerns: sizes, demographic population, social
behavior, norms, waste practice, waste service, municipal’s financial ability, etc. The study could compare
similarities and differences of findings between small and large cities and generate explanations in such
cases, in a particular country or across the lands.
To extend the research at a national scale, the potential framework and practical policies of CE for Thailand
is another interesting topic that should explore as a pilot study. A sustainable solution to support recycling
waste’s market price is also a topic that needs in-depth study. Academic findings from focusing on social
practice theory and potential strategies to tackle critical situations regarding social, economic, or
environmental issues could benefit society.
48
Acknowledgement
This paper is indeed a good chance for me to endeavor in the Swedish higher education system, sharpen
critical thinking, and improve my English proficiency at the same time. I could not complete the paper on
my own without the support of these following people. Thank you to my supervisor, Cecilia Mark-Herbert
(Ph.D.), who always providing me relevant resources, constructive feedback, and meaningful time for the
advisory. More gratitude expresses to Professor Anders Roos, who gives insightful reviews for me to
improve the thesis and make it sound and academic research.
Thank you, thesis course director, Malgorzata Blicharska (Ph.D.), and study counselors, Amanda Johnson
and Jenny Thor, for managing all the deadlines, documents, and follow-up emails. Friends at the student
corridor, classmates in UU and SLU, and friends in Thailand are among groups deserving my appreciation
for blissful moments shared in classes and at parties. I would also like to thank all the interviewees and
colleagues for giving me their time and hospitality during the fieldwork.
More importantly, thank you to my family: dad, mom, sister, and brother, for the endless support in what
I am doing and always beside me.
49
References
Andrews, D. (2015) ‘The circular economy, design thinking and education for sustainability’, Local
Economy: The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit, 30(3), pp. 305–315. doi:
10.1177/0269094215578226.
Bernstad Saraiva Schott, A., Aspegren, H., Bissmont, M., la Cour Jansen, J. (2013) Modern Solid Waste
Management in Practice: The City of Malmö Experience. London: Springer London (SpringerBriefs in
Applied Sciences and Technology). doi: 10.1007/978-1-4471-6263-6.
Bing, X., Bloemhof, J., Ramos, T., Barbosa-Povoa, A., Wong, C., van der Vorst, J. (2016) ‘Research
challenges in municipal solid waste logistics management’, Waste Management, 48, pp. 584–592. doi:
10.1016/j.wasman.2015.11.025.
Boesso, G. and Kumar, K. (2016) ‘Examining the association between stakeholder culture, stakeholder
salience and stakeholder engagement activities: An empirical study’, Management Decision, 54(4), pp. 815–
831. doi: 10.1108/MD-06-2015-0245.
Bogner, A., Littig, B. and Menz, W. (eds) (2009) Interviewing experts. Basingstoke [England]; New York:
Palgrave Macmillan (Research methods series).
Bryman, A. (2012) Social research methods. 4th ed. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.
van Buren, N., Demmers, M., van der Heijden, R., Witlox, F. (2016) ‘Towards a Circular Economy: The
Role of Dutch Logistics Industries and Governments’, Sustainability, 8(7), p. 647. doi: 10.3390/su8070647.
Caradonna, J. L. (2014) Sustainability: a history. New York: Oxford University Press.
Challcharoenwattana, A. and Pharino, C. (2015) ‘Co-Benefits of Household Waste Recycling for Local
Community’s Sustainable Waste Management in Thailand’, Sustainability, 7(6), pp. 7417–7437. doi:
10.3390/su7067417.
Chiemchaisri, C., Juanga, J. P. and Visvanathan, C. (2007) ‘Municipal solid waste management in Thailand
and disposal emission inventory’, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 135(1–3), pp. 13–20. doi:
10.1007/s10661-007-9707-1.
Department of Local Administration (2020) Untitled Document. Available at:
http://www.dla.go.th/work/abt/summarize.jsp (Accessed: 25 April 2020).
Desai, V. and Potter, R. B. (eds) (2014) The companion to development studies. Third edition. London; New
York: Routledge.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) What is the circular economy? Available at:
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy (Accessed: 16
December 2019).
Elo, S., Kääriäinen, M., Kanste, O., Pölkki, T., Utriainen, K., Kyngäs, H. (2014) ‘Qualitative Content
Analysis: A Focus on Trustworthiness’, SAGE Open, 4(1), p. 215824401452263. doi:
10.1177/2158244014522633.
European Commission (2019a) Circular Economy Strategy. Available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm (Accessed: 23 December 2019).
European Commission (2019b) ‘Reflection paper towards a sustainable Europe by 2030’.
European Union (2018) ‘Circular economy package - Four legislative proposals on waste’. European Union.
50
Available at:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2018/614766/EPRS_BRI(2018)614766_EN.pdf.
Ferrero-Ferrero, I., Fernández-Izquierdo, M., Muñoz-Torres, M., Bélles-Colomer, L. (2018) ‘Stakeholder
engagement in sustainability reporting in higher education: An analysis of key internal stakeholders’
expectations’, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 19(2), pp. 313–336. doi:
10.1108/IJSHE-06-2016-0116.
Ghisellini, P., Cialani, C. and Ulgiati, S. (2016) ‘A review on circular economy: the expected transition to
a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, pp. 11–
32. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007.
Ghosh, S. K. and Agamuthu, P. (2018) ‘Circular economy: The way forward’, Waste Management &
Research, 36(6), pp. 481–482. doi: 10.1177/0734242X18778444.
Giddings, B., Hopwood, B. and O’Brien, G. (2002) ‘Environment, economy and society: fitting them
together into sustainable development’, Sustainable Development, 10(4), pp. 187–196. doi: 10.1002/sd.199.
Greenwood, M. and Van Buren III, H. J. (2010) ‘Trust and Stakeholder Theory: Trustworthiness in the
Organisation–Stakeholder Relationship’, Journal of Business Ethics, 95(3), pp. 425–438. doi:
10.1007/s10551-010-0414-4.
Hargreaves, T. (2011) ‘Practice-ing behaviour change: Applying social practice theory to pro-environmental
behaviour change’, Journal of Consumer Culture, 11(1), pp. 79–99. doi: 10.1177/1469540510390500.
Hobson, K. and Lynch, N. (2016) ‘Diversifying and de-growing the circular economy: Radical social
transformation in a resource-scarce world’, Futures, 82, pp. 15–25. doi: 10.1016/j.futures.2016.05.012.
Huang, Q., Chen, G., Wang, Y., Chen, S., Xu, L., Wang, R. (2020) ‘Modelling the global impact of China’s
ban on plastic waste imports’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 154, p. 104607. doi:
10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104607.
Kirchherr, J., Reike, D. and Hekkert, M. (2017) ‘Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114
definitions’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 127, pp. 221–232. doi:
10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005.
Korhonen, J., Honkasalo, A. and Seppälä, J. (2018) ‘Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations’,
Ecological Economics, 143, pp. 37–46. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.06.041.
Kuah, A. T. H. and Wang, P. (2020) ‘Circular economy and consumer acceptance: An exploratory study in
East and Southeast Asia’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 247, p. 119097. doi:
10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119097.
Lee, C. K. M., Yeung, C. L., Xiong, Z. R., Chung, S. H. (2016) ‘A mathematical model for municipal solid
waste management – A case study in Hong Kong’, Waste Management, 58, pp. 430–441. doi:
10.1016/j.wasman.2016.06.017.
Luyet, V., Schalaepfer, R., Parlange, M. B., Buttler, A. (2012) ‘A framework to implement Stakeholder
participation in environmental projects’, Journal of Environmental Management, 111, pp. 213–219. doi:
10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.06.026.
Ma, J. and Hipel, K. W. (2016) ‘Exploring social dimensions of municipal solid waste management around
the globe – A systematic literature review’, Waste Management, 56, pp. 3–12. doi:
10.1016/j.wasman.2016.06.041.
Malinauskaite, J., Jouhara, H., Czajczyńska, D., Stanchev, P., Katsou, E., Rostkowski, P., Thorne, R. J.,
Colón, J., Ponsá, S., Al-Mansour, F., Anguilano, L., Krzyżyńska, R., López, I. C., Vlasopoulos, A., Spencer,
51
N. (2017) ‘Municipal solid waste management and waste-to-energy in the context of a circular economy
and energy recycling in Europe’, Energy, 141(C), pp. 2013–2044.
Manaf, L. A., Samah, M. A. A. and Zukki, N. I. M. (2009) ‘Municipal solid waste management in
Malaysia: Practices and challenges’, Waste Management, 29(11), pp. 2902–2906. doi:
10.1016/j.wasman.2008.07.015.
Manomaivibool, P. and Hong, J. H. (2014) ‘Two decades, three WEEE systems: How far did EPR evolve
in Korea’s resource circulation policy?’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 83, pp. 202–212. doi:
10.1016/j.resconrec.2013.10.011.
Milios, L. (2018) ‘Advancing to a Circular Economy: three essential ingredients for a comprehensive policy
mix’, Sustainability Science, 13(3), pp. 861–878. doi: 10.1007/s11625-017-0502-9.
Mohee, R. and Simelane, T. (eds) (2015) Future Directions of Municipal Solid Waste Management in
Africa. Africa Institute of South Africa. doi: 10.2307/j.ctvh8r2sj.
Muang Kalasin Municipality. (2018). A summary of documents presented to the environmentally
sustainable city committees. (Pamphlet). [In Thai].
Muang Kalasin Municipality (2020) ‘Municipal solid waste management of Muang Kalasin Municipality’.
(Presentation). [In Thai].
Murray, A., Skene, K. and Haynes, K. (2017) ‘The Circular Economy: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of
the Concept and Application in a Global Context’, Journal of Business Ethics, 140(3), pp. 369–380. doi:
10.1007/s10551-015-2693-2.
Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (2019) Environmental quality
situations of Thailand 2018.
Oliver, G. (2004) ‘Investigating Information Culture: A Comparative Case Study Research Design and
Methods’, Archival Science, 4(3–4), pp. 287–314. doi: 10.1007/s10502-005-2596-6.
Pain, A. and Hansen, K. (2019) Rural development. London ; New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis
Group.
Pharino, C. (2017) Challenges for Sustainable Solid Waste Management. Singapore: Springer Singapore
(SpringerBriefs on Case Studies of Sustainable Development). doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-4631-5.
Pires, A., Martinho, G., Rodrigues, S., Gomes, M. I. (2019) Sustainable Solid Waste Collection and
Management. Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-93200-2.
Pollution Control Department (2016) ‘Municipal Solid Waste Management Policy in Thailand’.
UNESCAP. Available at: https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/PCD_MSWM%20policy.pdf.
Pollution Control Department. (2018). Report of status of disposal sites for municipal solid waste in
Thailand 2018. http://infofile.pcd.go.th/Waste/Wst2018.pdf (accessed: December 18, 2019.). [In Thai].
Pollution Control Department (2019a) Booklet on Thailand State of Pollution 2018.
Pollution Control Department (2019b) ‘Thailand Public Private Partnership for Plastic and Waste
Mangement (Thailand PPP Plastic)’. Pollution Control Department.
Priyadarshini, P. and Abhilash, P. C. (2020) ‘Circular economy practices within energy and waste
management sectors of India: A meta-analysis’, Bioresource Technology, 304, p. 123018. doi:
10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123018.
52
Ramos, A., Afonso Teixeira, C. and Rouboa, A. (2018) ‘Environmental Analysis of Waste-to-Energy—A
Portuguese Case Study’, Energies, 11(3), p. 548. doi: 10.3390/en11030548.
Rasche, A., Morsing, M. and Wetter, E. (2019) ‘Assessing the Legitimacy of “Open” and “Closed” Data
Partnerships for Sustainable Development’, Business & Society, p. 000765031982587. doi:
10.1177/0007650319825876.
Riege, A. M. (2003) ‘Validity and reliability tests in case study research: a literature review with “hands‐
on” applications for each research phase’, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 6(2), pp.
75–86. doi: 10.1108/13522750310470055.
Saadeh, D., Al-Khatib, I. A. and Kontogianni, S. (2019) ‘Public–private partnership in solid waste
management sector in the West Bank of Palestine’, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 191(4), p.
243. doi: 10.1007/s10661-019-7395-2.
Saravanamuthu, K. (2018) ‘How risk information and stakeholder-participation affect the sustainability of
collaborative decisions: A case study on how the sustainability of stakeholder decisions is affected by
different levels of stakeholder participation in preparing risk informa’, Business Strategy and the
Environment, 27(7), pp. 1067–1078. doi: 10.1002/bse.2052.
Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2007) Research methods for business students. 4th ed.
Harlow, England ; New York: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
Schneider, P., Anh, L., Wagner, J., Reichenbach, J., Hebner, A. (2017) ‘Solid Waste Management in Ho
Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Moving towards a Circular Economy?’, Sustainability, 9(2), p. 286. doi:
10.3390/su9020286.
Schroeder, P., Anggraeni, K. and Weber, U. (2019) ‘The Relevance of Circular Economy Practices to the
Sustainable Development Goals: Circular Economy and SDGs’, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 23(1), pp.
77–95. doi: 10.1111/jiec.12732.
Seawright, J. and Gerring, J. (2008a) ‘Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of
Qualitative and Quantitative Options’, Political Research Quarterly, 61(2), pp. 294–308. doi:
10.1177/1065912907313077.
Seawright, J. and Gerring, J. (2008b) ‘Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research: A Menu of
Qualitative and Quantitative Options’, Political Research Quarterly, 61(2), pp. 294–308. doi:
10.1177/1065912907313077.
Shekdar, A. V. (2009) ‘Sustainable solid waste management: An integrated approach for Asian countries’,
Waste Management, 29(4), pp. 1438–1448. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2008.08.025.
Singh, M. P., Chakraborty, A. and Roy, M. (2018) ‘Developing an extended theory of planned behavior
model to explore circular economy readiness in manufacturing MSMEs, India’, Resources, Conservation
and Recycling, 135, pp. 313–322. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.07.015.
Skene, K. R. (2018) ‘Circles, spirals, pyramids and cubes: why the circular economy cannot work’,
Sustainability Science, 13(2), pp. 479–492. doi: 10.1007/s11625-017-0443-3.
Spotswood, F., Chatterton, T., Tapp, A., Williams, D. (2015) ‘Analysing cycling as a social practice: An
empirical grounding for behaviour change’, Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and
Behaviour, 29, pp. 22–33. doi: 10.1016/j.trf.2014.12.001.
Su, B., Heshmati, A., Geng, Y., Yu, X. (2013) ‘A review of the circular economy in China: moving from
rhetoric to implementation’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 42, pp. 215–227. doi:
10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.11.020.
53
Technical Secretariat (Ecorys) (2019) ‘The Urban Agenda: indicators for circular economy (CE) transition
in cities - Issues and mapping paper (version 4)’. Technical Secretariat (Ecorys).
Tseng, M.-L. (2011) ‘Importance–performance analysis of municipal solid waste management in
uncertainty’, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 172(1–4), pp. 171–187. doi: 10.1007/s10661-010-
1325-7.
UNDP (2020) Sustainable Development Goals, UNDP. Available at:
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html (Accessed: 12 April
2020).
Usapein, P. and Chavalparit, O. (2014) ‘Development of sustainable waste management toward zero landfill
waste for the petrochemical industry in Thailand using a comprehensive 3R methodology: A case study’,
Waste Management & Research, 32(6), pp. 509–518. doi: 10.1177/0734242X14533604.
Victor, D. and Agamuthu, P. (2013) ‘Strategic environmental assessment policy integration model for
solid waste management in Malaysia’, Environmental Science & Policy, 33, pp. 233–245. doi:
10.1016/j.envsci.2013.06.008.
Voinov, A., Kolagani, N., McCall, M. K., Glynn, P. D., Kragt, M. E., Ostermann, F. O., Pierce, S. A., Ramu,
P. (2016) ‘Modelling with stakeholders – Next generation’, Environmental Modelling & Software, 77, pp.
196–220. doi: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2015.11.016.
Warde, A. (2005) ‘Consumption and Theories of Practice’, Journal of Consumer Culture, 5(2), pp. 131–
153. doi: 10.1177/1469540505053090.
Wichai-utcha, N. and Chavalparit, O. (2019) ‘3Rs Policy and plastic waste management in Thailand’,
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 21(1), pp. 10–22. doi: 10.1007/s10163-018-0781-y.
Winans, K., Kendall, A. and Deng, H. (2017) ‘The history and current applications of the circular economy
concept’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 68, pp. 825–833. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.09.123.
World Bank (2020) What a Waste. Available at: http://datatopics.worldbank.org/what-a-waste/ (Accessed:
14 April 2020).
Yin, R. K. (2009) Case study research: design and methods. 4th ed. Los Angeles, Calif: Sage Publications
(Applied social research methods, v. 5).
Yukalang, N., Clarke, B. and Ross, K. (2017) ‘Barriers to Effective Municipal Solid Waste Management in
a Rapidly Urbanizing Area in Thailand’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public
Health, 14(9), p. 1013. doi: 10.3390/ijerph14091013.
Wilson, D. C., Rodic, L., Scheinberg, A., Velis, C. A., Alabaster, G. (2012). Comparative analysis of solid
waste management in 20 cities. Waste Management & Research, 30(3), pp. 237-254.
54
Appendix 1: Case-study protocol
A case-study protocol develops for testing the reliability of social research that when the formal field
procedure repeated, the same results occur (Yin, 2009: 40-41). The protocol consists of date and site of
visiting, sample size, data collection procedures, the main findings (Bryman, 2012: 103), as well as
protections on informed consent and confidentiality for informants, potentially clearly types of questions,
and forms of documentation on the case (Yin, 2009).
Case study
Solid waste management in relation to circular economy at a local town in Thailand
Case study background
Presented in Chapter 4
Research questions
Presented in Chapter 1
Data collection methods/sources
- Semi-structured face-to-face interviews
- Documents (published reports, project presentation, information material provided by the informants)
Data collection procedure and history
October – before
Christmas break
2019
Gathered information from websites and other relevant documents for thesis
proposal preparation, including looking for a potential case study site and preparing
interview questions
Feb 2, 2020 Approached Tananchai Choodetwatthana, Muang Kalasin Municipality, by email
for interview approval
Feb 3, 2020 - Approached Pollution Control Department by email for interview approval
- Conducted the interview guide, prepared mobile recording application, and tested
the equipment
Feb 6, 2020 Confirmed Tananchai Choodetwatthana, Muang Kalasin Municipality, on date and
time of interview
Feb 10-11, 2020 Traveled to Kalasin Province for field work and interviews: Supicha Boontook;
Buatong Chatchalee; Apichai Namchan; and Tananchai Choodetwatthana
Feb 11, 2020 - Approached Pattraporn Yerburgh, Salforest Company, by email for interview
approval
- Changed date of interview with a representative from the Pollution Control
Department due to improper paper submission method
Feb 12, 2020 Confirmed Pattraporn Yerburgh on date and time of interview
Feb 13, 2020 Submitted the printed formal documents for interview at the Pollution Control
Department
Feb 19, 2020 Interviewed Vuttichai Kaewkrajang, Pollution Control Department
Feb 24, 2020 Interviewed Pattraporn Yerburgh, Salforest Company
Feb 25 – April 22,
2020
The precaution period for Covid-19 spreading crisis in Thailand
April 23-29, 2020 Transcribed interviews
April 30, 2020 Sent transcripts to interviewees for validation: Supicha Boontook; Buatong
55
Chatchalee; Apichai Namchan; Tananchai Choodetwatthana; Vuttichai
Kaewkrajang; Pattraporn Yerburgh
May 21, 2020 Sent transcript to Pattraporn Yerburgh again due to email technical error from the
researcher
May 1 – June 4,
2020
Categorized, analyzed, and wrote a report
Ethical considerations
- The researcher informs interviewees about the objectives of the study and the purposes of the consent
document.
- Interviewees know their dialogues recorded.
- Interviewees permit to publish their names and data by signing the consent documents.
Interview guide
Appendix 2
Special preparations
- Commit exact time for an interview under guiding time and place from the informants
- Interview guides, phone recording application, a notebook, and pen prepared for a face-to-face
interview
- Camera phone brought to the field study
- Small gifts from Sweden for the informants after interviewing (not necessary but it is complimentary
from the researcher)
Full list of interviewees
Presented in Chapter 2 under approval from the informants
56
Appendix 2: Interview guide
The interview starts with the researcher introduce name, the purpose of the interview, the consent issue, and
the post-interview process. The questions are selected to match each interviewee's role and background.
Since the conversation and questions held in Thai, transcription translated into English.
“Thank you very much for your time today. I’m conducting a case study about solid waste management
under a circular economy perspective and I heard that this village (or municipality) is among the active
municipalities on solid waste management. I would like to interview you as the core participant
(officer/expert) today. Your data and information provided in this project are used for educational purposes
and published to the public, as mentioned in the consent form. However, I will remain your name as
anonymous if you require that. Hence, would you mind if I record our conversation which will later be
transcribed, translated to English and put on the report?
“After completing the interviews from the interviewees, I will analyze the answers by using some
frameworks on municipal waste management, circular economy and sustainability to make some
suggestions on solid waste management toward circular economy in Thailand.”
Stakeholders Municipal solid
waste management
Public
participation/
engagement/social
practice
CE principle and
indicators
Sustainable
development
Community
leaders
Background
question Can you
introduce yourself
and your role in
the village related
to waste
management?
- Do the
communities have
projects on waste
management? How
does it work?
- How do you
dispose of the waste
from your house?
- Are there policies
on waste reduction
from the
municipality,
including plastic
uses prevention?
- Since you have
joined the projects
for years, have you
seen that the amount
of waste reduced
(reused and
recycled)?
- Please describe the
waste projects in the
village:
1. What do you and
other villagers do?
2. Why do you join
the activities?
- How do you
communicate about
the activities to
other
neighborhoods?
Does the 3R
principle enough for
the community? Do
you think of any
other R?
- What are the
obstacles/challenges
for the community
at present and in the
future to reduce
waste?
- Do you think
should be any
change or update on
waste policies?
Municipality
Background
question Can you
introduce yourself
and your role in
the municipality
related to waste
management?
- Please describe
how does the waste
projects initiated by
the municipality
work.
- Are there policies
on waste reduction
from the
municipality,
including plastic
uses prevention?
1. What do you for
the waste projects?
2. Why do you join
the activities?
Do you have data
and numbers of
these following?
1. total amount
(percentage) of the
Municipal solid
waste (t/cap/year)
2. a percentage of
Municipality’s solid
waste that dispose
of in a sanitary
- What are the
obstacles/challenges
for the Municipality
at present and in the
future to reduce
waste?
- Do you think
should be any
change or update on
waste policies?
57
- Regarding waste
reduction policies
and projects that
have been initiated
by the municipality
for many years,
have the annual
amount of solid
waste collected by
Muang Kalasin
Municipality and
generated to landfill
(or other disposal
means) been
decreased?
landfill, the openly
burned, and the
openly dump
3. an annual amount
(percentage) of
solid waste that
recycled in the
Municipality
4. Other relevant
statistics
- Does the 3R
principle enough for
the community? Do
you think of any
other R?
Private enterprise
Background
question Please
introduce yourself
and your role in
the company
related to waste
management.
- What do you think
about the progress
of circular economy
practice in
municipal solid
waste management
in Thailand?
- How does your
company sort out of
waste?
What do you think
about the social
responsibility of
Thai people on the
environment?
- How does your
company implement
a circular economy
into business?
- Is there any
cooperation
between companies
to achieve a circular
economy?
- Does the 3R
principle enough for
the community? Do
you think of any
other R?
- Which direction of
the circular
economy policy of
Thailand should be?
- What would you
suggest to the
government for
improving the
circular economy
policy?
- Do you think
Thailand can
become a circular
economy country?
What are the
difficulties or
obstacles in
implementing
circular economy
practice in Thailand
at present and in the
future?
Policy experts
Background
question Can you
introduce yourself
and your role in
the institution
related to the study
topic?
Regarding waste
reduction policies
and projects that
have initiated at the
local level by the
municipalities for
many years, have
the annual amount
of solid waste
collected by
municipality and
taken to the landfill
Is there any
cooperation needed
between countries
to achieve circular
economy goals? If
so, how?
- What is the current
contribution and
policy of Thailand
to a circular
economy?
- Does the 3R
principle enough for
the community? Do
you think of any
other R?
- What are the
difficulties or
obstacles in
implementing
circular economy
practice in Thailand
at present and in the
future?
- What is the future
direction or policy
in Thailand on a
circular economy?
58
(or other disposal
means) decreased?
- Do you have data
and numbers of
these following?
1. total amount
(percentage) of
municipal solid
waste (t/cap/year)
2. a percentage of
Municipality’s solid
waste that dispose
of in a sanitary
landfill, the openly
burned, and the
openly dump
3. an annual amount
(percentage) of
solid waste that
recycled in the
Municipality
- How far is
Thailand driving the
circular economy
compares to other
countries in Asia
and at the global
level, especially on
MSW management?
- How do you think
Thailand can
become a circular
economy country?
“You have answered all of my questions. Do you have anything important and would like to add?”
“Thank you very much again for your time provided for my research.”
59
Appendix 3: Data protection document
Date… February 2020
Processing of personal data in a research project
When you take part in the thesis project Enabling Circular Economy Concept in Local Solid Waste
Management: A Case Study of Muang Kalasin Municipality, Thailand, Uppsala University (UU) will
process your personal data including name, position, responsibility concerning the waste project and circular
economy as well as opinion and answers for interview questions.
Consenting to this is voluntary, but if you do not consent to the processing of your personal data, the research
cannot be conducted. The purpose of this document is to give you the information you need to decide
whether or not to consent.
You can withdraw your consent at any time, and you do not have to justify this. UU is responsible for the
processing of your personal data. Your contacts for this project are Pornpimon Somneuk (student),
[email protected], mobile phone in Thailand 0812-789-504, and Cecilia Mark-
Herbert, Ph.D. (supervisor), [email protected].
The purpose of the processing of your personal data is for the UU student to carry out their thesis project
using a scientifically correct method, thereby contributing to research within the field of solid waste
management under a circular economy perspective.
You will find more information on how UU processes personal data and about your rights as a data subject
at https://uu.se/en/about-uu/data-protection-policy/.
I consent to UU processing my personal data in the way described in this document. This includes any
sensitive personal data, if such data is provided.
_______________________________________________
Signature Place and date
_______________________________________________
Name in block letters
