research file · web viewintroduction. ban samran gai na is a rural community located...

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BAN SAMRAN GAI NA 1

Solid Waste Management in Ban Samran Gui Na

Research Proposal

Emily Strome, Alex King, Annie Zhang,

Laura Franke, & Liz Hart


Abstract

The purpose of this study is to gain a baseline understanding of common waste disposal practices

within the rural community of Ban Samran Gai Na. Obtaining this information will shed light on

where gaps in knowledge or access to waste management may occur among villagers and the

potential health risks accompanying these limitations. Semi-structured interviews will be

conducted across the village, with emphasis being placed on the disposal methods of food waste,

recyclables, foliage, toxic waste and other miscellaneous waste (packaging, construction waste,

etc.). In order to gain a more thorough understanding of how waste management is viewed

among various groups in the community, focus groups will be conducted with Village Health

Volunteers along with community members residing both near and far from the trash disposal

site. In addition, observation will serve as a primary tool in measuring sufficiency of the trash

disposal site and prevalence of waste burning. In this preliminary round of data collection, the

research team expects to find patterns of frustration with the reliability of municipal waste

services in the community along with a lack of understanding of alternative waste options. An

overarching lack of awareness of waste-related health risks is expected, though secondary data

collection will further answer this prediction. Through obtaining a baseline understanding of

solid waste management in Ban Sam Ran Gai Na, researchers can begin to grasp possible gaps in

the system and where future intervention may fit in.


Introduction

Ban Samran Gai Na is a rural community located about nine kilometers north of Khon

Kaen. The community is within the Ban Samran Tam Bon district and consists of approximately

160 households, or about 400 people. Within the community, common occupations include

farmers, vendors/store owners, laborers, housekeepers, and government/police workers. A

temple and primary school exist within the community, with a health promotion hospital in the

Tam Bon, closer to the urban villages. The community is serviced by the municipality for waste

management and pick up but the effectiveness of the system is unclear from the initial

community visit.

Previous research in Gai Na, through the use of a general questionnaire survey, has

helped identify potential health problems and community needs. During the first visit, trash

burning and overflowing trash receptacles were observed. Regarding the municipality collection,

Ban Samran faces issues of timeliness, cost, and location. Improper waste disposal can pose

potential health issues: burning waste can release toxic and dangerous fumes, run off from sitting

waste can pollute water sources and spread disease, insects and animals that are easily able to

access the waste can spread disease and contribute to the unsanitary conditions. Due to

community concern, feasibility of the problem, magnitude, student concern, and severity, further

research will be completed to better understand the municipal solid waste management needs of

Ban Samran Gai Na. Through the use of focus groups and semi-structured interviews, research

will be conducted to better shed light on waste management in the community and potential

interventions to improve the current situation.


Research Goals and Questions

The goal of research in Ban Samran Gai Na is to gain a baseline understanding of

common waste disposal practices within this community. The research question being

investigated is: how do members of the Ban Samran Gai-Na community dispose of the various

aspects of household waste: foliage, construction waste, recyclables, food waste, and toxic

waste? Through this research question, the primary objective is to gain a greater understanding

of common waste disposal practices within the Ban Samran Gai Na community, and determine

where gaps in knowledge or access may occur among community members. Within this

objective it is a goal to understand the role of the municipality and the households in waste

management and what issues are perceived by the community. The secondary objective is to

determine if there are any significant health risks in the community due to their methods of waste

disposal. Health concerns and ways to address these needs will be discussed through focus

groups and semi-structured interviews with village health volunteers and community members.

For this research project it is hypothesized that due to gaps in either knowledge or access to

proper waste disposal system, within the Ban Samran Gai Na community, there is minimal to no

separation of materials within waste.

Literature Review

In 2009, the volume of waste generated in Thailand reached approximately 15.1 million

tonnes (a tonne is a unit of mass that is equal to 1000 kilograms or 2,240 lbs.). Per day that is

approximately 41,410 tonnes. Of this total waste, 3.3 million tonnes, or 22%, was separated and

sent to recycling centers (Gheewala, Bonnet, and Menikpura 2013). According to the Thai

Pollution Control Department, in 2010 approximately 61% of Thailand’s municipal solid waste

(MSW) was generated in Bangkok and the other urban areas (municipalities’ areas) of Thailand.


The remaining 39% was generated in the rural areas of Thailand. Of this total waste about 64%

was organic waste from food, 17% was plastic and 8% was paper. In 2008 only 11% of MSW

was recycled, 9.4% was treated in a sanitary landfill and 78% was disposed of in open, non-

regulated, dumps (Cherdsatirkul 2012).

Thailand’s MSW is managed by three ministries and each area’s local government. The

first ministry is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Within this ministry the

Office of Natural resources and Environmental Policy and Planning and the Pollution Control

Department actually engage in MSW management. The second ministry is the Ministry of Public

Health. It controls MSW management through the Department of Health. And lastly, the

Minister of Industry’s Department of Industrial Works manages the licensing of MSW treatment

facilities. These energy projects are provided subsidies in part and with the help of the Ministry

of Energy. Overseen by the Ministry of Interior, the Bangkok Municipality along with each

area’s local government, which is involved in implementing waste management operations,

manages MSW treatment and disposal for each area.

Currently there are ninety three sanitary landfills in operation around Thailand. In

addition eight have never operated and five have ceased operations, while twenty two are under

construction. Integrated systems for waste management exist in Wieng Fang (Chiang Mai),

Rayong, Chonburi, and in Mae Sai (Chiang Rai) (PCD 2012). The goal of an integrated waste

management system is to create renewable energy from waste as opposed to a landfill which

does not separate materials or process them for their potential energy. Integrated waste

management systems reduce landfill mass by utilizing recyclable and compostable materials. In

addition to municipality run waste disposal sites, there are privately operated sectors. Several

hundred private recycling centers operate around Thailand. These centers purchase various types


of materials such as plastics, metals, paper and glass from individuals referred to as

“scavengers”, and use them to create recycled goods (Gheewala, Bonnet, and Menikpura 2013).

Due to limited accessibility to regulated landfills, integrated waste management systems,

and municipality waste management services, many Thai citizens and their communities dispose

of their waste in other ways. The use of non-regulated open dump sites is one method commonly

used. These dump sites present health concerns to surrounding areas through air and water

pollution. Dump sites that are accessed by way of dirt roads offer concern for properties located

downwind. The combination of diesel and dust has been found to not only be costly

economically and aesthetically, but also can be detrimental to a communities or individuals

public health. Particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter in dust presents hazards for

individuals suffering from respiratory disease and in some cases inducing it. As a means to

address the issue of dust, landfill owners will often use leachate on roadways (leachate is defined

by Merriam Webster as a solution or product obtained by leaching). The downside of this

practice is that surface water pollution often results. Pollution takes place when precipitation is

followed by runoff. The pathogenic organisms and chemical contaminants found in the leachate

make their way into the surface water and become harmful to the environment (Lee and Jones-

Lee 1993).

In addition to non-regulated open dump sites the burning of waste is a widely used

method of waste management in Thailand. According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of

Environment 2013 (SME), the practice of burning garbage often occurs at low temperatures,

approximately 250-700 degrees Celsius and in oxygen deprived conditions. Under these

conditions toxic gases such as hydrocarbons, pesticide compounds and chlorinated materials are

generated. These gases are toxic to both humans and the environment. Within these gases there


are dioxins, furans, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter (PM), hydrogen chloride

(HCI), carbon monoxide (CO) , oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, and liberate metals such as

antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, mercury,

phosphorus and titanium (SME 2013).

It is estimated that dioxin and furan emissions resulting from the daily burning of two

households MSW can equate to the average emissions of dioxins and furan from an MSW

combustor that burns 182,000 kg a day of the same kind of waste. Mixed garbage burning has

been estimated by The United States Environmental Protection Agency to be a greater

contributor to dioxins in the environment than coal combustion, ferrous metal smelting,

hazardous waste incineration or bleached pulp mills. MSW burning also has been found to

create greater amounts of ash and debris. Two kinds of ash that result are bottom and fly ash.

Bottom ash is heavier than fly ash and has many useful functions such as snow and ice traction

control, aggregate in lightweight concrete products and feed stock for production of cement

(USEPA 2014). Fly ash is made of very light, toxic metals, dioxin and furan, and is trafficked

into the environment by combustion gases. Fly ash can travel hundreds of miles before becoming

a part of the food chain, affecting areas within a very large radius (SME 2013).

In the Ban Samran Gai Na community waste management occurs through the use of

municipality provided and serviced dump sites. Despite this, many community members practice

alternative methods of waste disposal and management due to the reported unreliability of the

municipality services. Previous research done in this community indicates that it is a prevalent

area of concern for many individuals, though there currently is not enough information to

determine the source and the extent of the problem.


Methods

Sampling Method

There are approximately 160 households and 400 people in Ban Samran Gai Na. For this

project, the data will be collected using both semi-structured interviews (see Appendix B) and a

series of focus groups. Focus groups will attempt to understand community wide views, while

structured interviews will focus on household information. Thus, interviews will be a random

convenience sampling of community members, with no more than one individual interviewed

per household.

Three focus groups, of six to eight participants, will also be used to gain a greater

understanding of waste management in Ban Samran Gai Na. One will consist of Village Health

Volunteers (VHVs), the second will consist of individuals who live in close proximity to the

municipal trash pick up sites, and the last will consist of individuals who live farther away from

the municipal trash pick-up site. These individuals will be adults (over the age of 18) living in

the community and will be chosen based on availability and their ability to fit the individual

focus group criteria listed above.

Study Design and Planning Process

Semi-structured interviews will be used in order to gain a better understanding of

household waste management and waste disposal in Ban Samran Gai Na, while focus groups will

be key to understanding knowledge and health concerns (from VHVs), and overall community

trends. This study design is designed to be descriptive and qualitative. Questions are designed to

gain a better understanding of the communities waste disposal habits and waste management

concerns. The questions hope to gain both personal information as well as overall perceptions


within the community. Questions will be left open ended and follow-up questions have been

drafted.

The topics addressed in the interviews and focus groups will be discussed with the

translator in advance in order to eliminate any confusion regarding phrasing or definitions,. The

translator will also receive a copy of the research goals and questions before implementation of

the research tools.

Measurement

During each interview, one member of the research team will ask a majority of the

questions, maintain eye contact with the interviewee, and interact with the translator. Other

research team members roles will be split between adding appropriate follow up questions,

taking notes on the content of the interview, or taking observational notes on the

surroundings/environment in which the interview was conducted. All interviews will contain

similar basic questions, but different follow-up questions will be asked based on the responses,

and reported actions of the interviewee.

During each focus group, two members of the research team will ask a majority of the

questions, while other team members will add follow up questions where appropriate. One

research team member will facilitate the discussion space, specifically focusing on interactions

between the translator, research team members, and focus group participants. The remaining two

researchers will be taking notes on the content of the focus group.

Throughout both research tools, all members of the research team will have a notebook

and pen in hand to record notes. Written notes will collected from each interview and focus

group. Both tools, will begin with similar basic questions regarding concerns, knowledge, and


methods of waste disposal, but will allow space various follow-up questions based on participant

responses and knowledge on the topic.

After conducting focus groups, researchers will record observations regarding waste

management and disposal around the community, focusing specifically on burning sites, and

municipal waste collection bins.

Data Analysis

Notes from the focus groups and interviews will be organized into a single document for

further in-depth analysis of waste management practices and health concerns. This organization

will allow for identification of commonalties among responses from various community

members. Data will primarily come from written notes during the interviews and focus groups or

from research teams observations. Observations will be compared with information obtained

during focus groups and interviews to allow a greater understanding of the current waste disposal

system within the community.

Ethics

Prior to the start of both the interview and focus groups, researchers will confirm

participant consent, and inform all participants that responses will be kept strictly confidential.

Names will not be used in association with responses. In addition, participants will be told that

response is optional for all interview and focus group questions. Those participating in the focus

group will be allowed to leave or return at any time during its duration.

Conceptual Framework (see appendix one)

This framework is a visual representation of the goals and structures of the proposed

research project and its expected outcomes. It also addresses the key variables affecting waste

disposal and management in Ban Samran Gai Na. In order to answer the research question,


objectives were formed to further focus the research and provide clear goals for the project.

Three key activities were chosen to achieve the research goals and objectives: semi-structured

interviews, focus groups, and observations. Descriptions of these activities are expanded to

include target samples and the specific topics they will address. Expected results of the research

are listed at the bottom of the chart as a result of the activities that were undertaken. These

results are intended to assist in the creation and application of an intervention that addresses

waste management problems and concerns in Ban Samran Gai Na. Researchers will use this

framework to guide the execution of the project and establish future direction for the collected

results.

Expected Results

With limited baseline information on Ban Samran Gai Na’s solid waste management

system, the community visit will be used to gain a general understanding of current solid waste

practices found in the community. However, a previous community visit to Gai Na has provided

brief insight into their waste system that has contributed to the expected results for the upcoming

research to be conducted in Gai Na. In the previous community visit, residents expressed

frustrations with the timeliness, location, and cost of municipal services. The waste disposal

arrangement between the Gai Na community and the municipality is that residents would pay a

certain amount of Baht per month for the municipality to regularly collect the waste once a week.

Yet multiple residents in the previous visit have mentioned the irregularity of municipal waste

pickup that often leads to excess waste, which can cause health and environmental problems for

the community.

Based on the previous visit to Gai Na, we expect to find continual community frustrations

with the municipality’s unreliable services. The excess waste will create a need for the


implementation of an effective internal waste management system within Gai Na that can

include larger waste containers and alternative waste disposal methods. Based on the lack of

alternative waste disposal methods (i.e. recycling and composting) used to tackle excess waste

found in the previous community visit, we expect most residents to have a lack of understanding

of alternative waste disposal methods. Instead, some residents have addressed the excess waste

issue by burning or accumulating waste, which indicates that the residents of Gai Na are unaware

of the health related issues.

Conclusion

In the Ban Samran Gai Na community waste management occurs through the use of

municipality provided and serviced dump sites. Despite this, many community members practice

alternative methods of waste disposal and management due to previously reported unreliable

municipality services. The goal of this study is to obtain a baseline understanding of the current

waste disposal practices within the Ban Samran Gai Na community so that researchers can begin

to grasp possible gaps in the system and where future intervention may fit in. This will be

executed through several semi-structured interviews and three focus groups yielding the

perspectives of Village Health Volunteers and community members residing both near and far

from the trash disposal sites. Gathering this baseline information will allow researchers to begin

to grasp possible gaps in the system and where future intervention may fit in.


References

Chak Cherdsatirkul. (2012). Generation and disposition of municipal solid waste (MSW)

management in Thailand. Columbia University. Retrieved from

http://www.seas.columbia.edu/earth/wtert/sofos/Thailand_MSW_Chak_essay.pdf

Gheewala, Shabbir H., Dr. Bonnet, Sebastien., and Miss Menikpura, S.N.M. (2013). Thai Style

Recycling. Waste Management World. Retrieved from http://www.waste-management-

world.com/articles/print/volume-12/issue-5/features/thai-style-recycling.html

Government of Saskatchewan (SME). (2013). Ministry of Environment. Health and

Environmental Effects of Burning Municipal Solid Waste. Retrieved from

http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/adx/aspx/adxGetMedia.aspx?DocID=753dade6-f2aa-

4fe1-9810-159290fd18d7

Lee, G.F. and A Jones-Lee. (1994, May). Impact of Municipal and Industrial Non-Hazardous

Waste Landfills on Public Health and the Environment: An Overview. Prepared for

California EPA Comparative Risk Project. Retrieved from

http://www.gfredlee.com/Landfills/cal_risk.pdf

Thai Pollution Control Department. (2012, August). Municipal Waste Management. Retrieved

from Thailand PCD website http://www.pcd.go.th/info_serv/waste_wastethai48_53.html

United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (2014, February). Backyard Burning.

Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/waste/nonhaz/municipal/backyard/index.htm


Appendix AConceptual Framework

How do members of the Bann Samran Gai-Na community dispose of the various aspects of household waste: foliage, construction waste, recyclables, and compostables?

Goal/ Research Question

To gain a greater understanding of common waste disposal practices within the Ban Samran Gai-Na community, and determine where gaps in knowledge or access may occur among community members.

To determine if there are any significant health risks in the community due to their methods of waste disposal.Objectives

Activities Structured Interviews

Focus group

VHVs/ head

villagers

Villagers in close

proximity to disposal location

Villagers in far proximity to disposal

location

Random sampling of households

Current waste disposal practices in place, health problems/concerns, attitudes, views/perception of municipal waste disposal options

Results

Frustrations with municipal services and reliability Need for larger trash bins or a system for managing excess trash Lack of understanding for alternative waste disposal options Lack of awareness of health related issues

Observation

Municipal collection bins /household waste burning sites


Appendix B

Semi-Structured Interview Questions:

1) How/where do you dispose of your waste?2) How do you dispose of :

a. Food wasteb. Recyclingc. Foliaged. Toxic wastee. Undefined (packaging, etc.)

3) How do you store your trash and how often do you empty it?4) Are you satisfied with the municipals trash service?5) Is there anything you think could be improved?6) Do you have any further concerns?7) If a problem arises, who do you contact?8) Do you know where the closest recycling center is? Have you ever used it?· Headman: What do you see as available resources?

(9)Burning/(10)Recycling:a. Where do you burn your waste?b. What type of waste do you burn?c. What percentage of your waste do you burn?d. Under what circumstances do you burn your waste?

Scavenging:11) Are you aware of scavengers in your community and what they do?12) If you are a scavenger:o a. How often do you collect?o b. How much $ do you receive for collecting?o c. Where do you bring it?

Education:13) How and where did you become educated about trash disposal in your community?

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