Keeping our garbage segregated properly at source – at our homes and in the offices where most of the waste is generated – is the very first step toward a cleaner, greener and healthier city.
For this to happen, collaboration and collective action by city residents are necessary, which is why the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is running ‘This House Doesn’t Mix Waste’ (Baan Nee Mai Tei Ruam), a new waste segregation campaign, in a bid to promote waste sorting at source and encourage behavioral shifts.
Since the start of registration on January 14, the campaign has attracted considerable attention from residents, with more than 230,000 households having registered as of early September.
They strongly support the proper waste segregation idea, saying the practice can not only help improve the health of the environment but also the health of the people, while increasing the chance of recycling, which helps reduce new material usage and cuts the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Waste separation keeps people safe
Praewa, 35, a Laksi resident, who has already signed up for the program, noted that proper garbage sorting at source helps prevent harm to people.
In particular, the practice can make the lives of people who work with the waste safer.
“Garbage collectors pick up and sort waste and recycled items, putting them at risk of injuries and exposing them to harmful substances and disease. Sorting our garbage at home could help reduce their risks,” she said.
Her family has taken waste segregation seriously since the Covid-19 pandemic, when millions of face masks and infected household items were thrown away daily and the food delivery business generated tremendous unrecycled garbage.
“We don’t mix waste. We’ve always kept plastic water bottles separated and give them to collectors. They can recycle them for money. It’s also good for the environment,” she said.
Praewa’s family has sorted their waste into five types – wet waste, dry waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste and pet waste.
“We’ve put used needles and face masks in a red plastic bag and thrown dog and cat poop in a special dustbin, making it a little easier for waste workers to handle and transport,” she said, adding that she’s treating her cat with kidney disease at home and using needles to administer the fluids under the pet’s skin.
She noted that poorly managed and mixed waste can be smelly, unpleasant and bad for the health. To avoid it, they keep all food waste and other waste separately to ensure that the dry waste can be recycled.
“Food waste can cause contamination and attract pests, making our home unhygienic. We need to keep it separated as our waste is not collected on a daily basis. Mixing food waste with plastic water bottles and paper, makes recycling impossible,” she said
Praewa added that the BMA’s initiative is also a money saver as residents who have taken part in the campaign will be provided with an incentive that helps them save.
“
We can save 480 baht on the waste disposal fee per year. That’s cool,” she said.
Sorting helps with recycling
Supattra, 52, owner of an auto service station, concurs, saying proper waste separation can create value by turning recycled materials into new products, which can help promote sustainability.
She once upcycled a broken mug she picked up from a recycling dustbin into a handmade pen holder, to make the best of the waste.
“Ceramic mugs are generally recyclable. If you’re good with crafts, you can use clay, glue, paints and other stuff to create a stylish holder. You can keep it on your worktable to hold pens or in the kitchen to hold spoons. Recycling gives the material a new life, which means you don’t need to use new resources. This helps save energy and protects the environment,” she said.
Supattra, a Prawet resident, backs the BMA’s campaign, saying that proper waste segregation can make the city greener and more sustainable.
But she admits that it’s tough to create a waste disposal habit, which is influenced by environmental knowledge, attitude and a sense of responsibility.
“Some people cannot be bothered to sort and recycle their waste just because they think that it’s difficult to do. They have to figure out where food waste, plastic containers and paper should go. Many believe that it’s not their responsibility to do it. It’s the job of waste workers,” she said.
To encourage the service station’s workers to adopt the waste-sorting practice, she plans to invest in color-coded bins and place them in a convenient location, making it convenient for them to drop their waste.
She’s also going to educate them to ensure they understand how to manage their waste correctly, how important responsible waste management is, and how recycling benefits the environment.
“Not everyone is a fan of recycling. We will place more recycling bins in the center to encourage our team to recycle responsibly,” she said, adding that the center also has a plan to work with a recycling plant to ensure that the materials from her auto repair center, including old parts, are repurposed.
“When we recycle more, we send less waste to landfills,” Supattra said.
Don’t mix it up, please
Suan Luang District officers visited the community in Soi Pattanakarn 53 to help residents subscribe to the BKK Waste Pay programme.//Photo courtesy of Muang Thong 2/3 community
Starting October 1, the BMA will begin collecting waste disposal fees under a new rate structure as part of its broader waste management reforms.
It will provide discounts for households which have signed up for ‘This House Doesn’t Mix Waste’ program and sorted their garbage at source.
The program will reduce waste management expenses and allow for effective waste management, while boosting recycling.
Currently, the BMA collects and disposes of more than 10,000 tons of waste per day, 50% of it organic waste and food scraps that have the potential to cause contamination. It spends an estimated seven billion baht per year on waste management.
The administration has set ambitious goals of increasing the amount of waste collected and disposed from 500 tons per day in 2025 to 1,000 tons per day in 2026. The efforts are expected to cut the waste management budget by two million baht per day.
Under the new fee structure, households that generate no more than 20 liters of waste will be charged 60 baht per month if they fail to sort their garbage.
But households that have registered with the program and followed the waste separation guidelines will pay only 20 baht per month.
Owners of shops and SMEs who have generated more than 20 liters of waste and signed up to the program will pay 120 baht per month.
Shopping centers and fresh markets that create a large amount of waste, will face tiered fees based on volume, with rates of up to 8,000 baht per cubic meter.
Residents wishing to participate in the program can register via BKK Waste Pay mobile app or the website. Registration can be made with officials who visit homes or at the Sanitation and Public Parks Division of local district offices.
Individual registrations are reserved for houses or properties that produce no more than 20 liters of waste per day.
The group option is allowed for residents living in condominium projects with juristic persons.
Under the program guidelines, each participating group is required to provide a centralized waste collection area divided into four categories: food waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste and general waste.
