Community Participatory Solid Waste Management Model in the Service Area of Laodaeng Sub-district Health Promoting Hospital, Don Mot Daeng District, Ubon Ratchathani Province.

Abstract

     This research aimed to: 1) study solid waste management situations at household and community levels, 2) examine people's behavior and participation in waste management, and 3) develop a community participatory waste management model. The study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology from December 2023-2024, collecting data through questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observations, and household waste records. The purposive sample included 274 household representatives and 15 stakeholders. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics.

     Findings revealed that most households lacked waste separation systems and local government collection services, but people managed waste independently through burial, burning, and disposal in community pits. Public participation was high overall (M = 3.92, SD = 0.14), particularly in implementation (M = 4.05, SD = 0.13), but lower in decision-making (M = 3.79, SD = 0.40). Waste management behavior was moderate overall (M = 2.33, SD = 0.36), with strengths in disposal (M = 2.50, SD = 0.35) and waste reduction (M = 2.38, SD = 0.37), but weaknesses in reuse (M = 2.13, SD = 0.42) and separation (M = 2.33, SD = 0.38). A 5-day waste tracking study of 60 households found general waste (M = 81.52, SD =6.65) and organic waste (M = 35.62, SD =5.18), with average waste generation of 0.68 kg/person/day (SD =0.14). The research developed the "6P PLUS Laodaeng Community United" model comprising six components: Policy, Participation, Promotion, Profit (value from waste), Protection (environmental conservation), and Partnership through collaborative stakeholder engagement and economic/environmental incentives.