New Crisis in Phuket - Garbage

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST:

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Phuket Struggles to Handle Excess Waste

Garbage Overload Puts Resort Island in Crisis

ACHADTAYA CHUENNIRAN

Phuket _ Provincial officials are struggling to prevent the island province from being flooded with garbage as an increasing amount of waste has placed the resort island in crisis. The province's waste incinerator, with 250 tonnes-a-day capacity, cannot cope with the 450 tonnes of garbage a day, said Nakhon Phuket Municipality chief Somjai Suwansupana.

She blamed inefficient garbage sorting for the high volume of waste and the poor operations of the incinerator as organic waste hindered the incineration system.

Previously, the municipality hired a private firm to sort garbage but it did not work out. It now plans to build a second incinerator, Mrs Somjai said.

The burner costs around 1.3 billion baht which, she says, is affordable given the municipality's revenues. Besides, she said, the municipality is preparing to ask for a government subsidy.

However, an environmentalist is cautioning against the plan, which is seen as a short-term measure.

Piriyut Wanapruk, director of the Development of Environment and Energy Foundation, said the island needed better waste management to reduce garbage.

He said authorities should encourage local communities to sort the garbage because different types required different methods of disposal.

The foundation, which conducted a study on Phuket's waste management found that the waste was composed largely of organic waste, or ''wet garbage,'' leftovers and other residues from households and hotel kitchens.

This waste is causing a problem for the incinerator because its dampness requires the burner to use more electricity, resulting in lower efficiency. It must be buried, but the island's landfill is inadequate.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of rubbish, provincial officials have asked two municipalities _ tambon Thep Kasatri and tambon Choeng Talay, to join a pilot project to make use of the garbage.

They are being urged to turn the organic waste into fertiliser. A first fertiliser factory was built last year in tambon Thep Kasatri and a second is expected to be constructed soon in tambon Choeng Talay.

To solve the problem long run, the province must curb the increase in its garbage each year from 7% now to less than 5%, Mr Piriyut said.