Walailak University helps municipality save Bt2.3m on waste disposal

Walailak University has helped a tambon municipality in Nakhon Si Thammarat save 2.3 million baht annually by implementing waste separation and reuse measures.

The public university in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat has been working with Tambon Pak Poon Municipality in Mueang district to reduce the amount of waste requiring disposal from 18 tonnes per day to just 1.8 tonnes.

Waste Separation Campaign Achieves 85% Cost Reduction

Assoc Prof Dr Krissanadet Charoensuthasini of Walailak University explained that residents of Tambon Pak Poon were educated and encouraged to separate their household waste for reuse, significantly cutting the municipality’s waste disposal budget by up to 85% per year.

Through this initiative, the daily waste requiring disposal was reduced by a factor of ten, Krissanadet said.

Tambon Pak Poon Municipality oversees 16,000 households across 12 villages, which, prior to the campaign, generated 18 tonnes of waste per day—or 6,570 tonnes per year. Previously, the municipality spent 2.7 million baht annually on waste disposal, but this figure has now dropped to just 361,350 baht per year.

Supporting a Circular Economy with Recycled Waste

The project has also contributed to the tambon’s circular economy. Villagers now separate food waste to produce animal feed, while combustible waste is sold to a cement plant in Thung Song district for use as fuel.

Additionally, organic waste is repurposed into organic fertiliser and biogas, tree branches are turned into compost, and plastic bags are processed to extract biodiesel oil, Krissanadet added.

Showcasing a Sustainable Waste Management Model

The university is now exhibiting its collaboration with the municipality as a model for sustainable waste and resource management, demonstrating effective strategies for waste reduction and environmental sustainability.