Developing a Comprehensive Waste Management Model with Community Participation towards MaeJo Green City

Abstract

This research aimed to (1) promote community participation in developing an environmentally friendly comprehensive waste management plan in Maejo Municipality, (2) develop effective guidelines for comprehensive waste management through community participation toward a green Maejo city, and (3) construct a comprehensive waste management model based on community participation for advancing Maejo as a green city. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating Participatory Action Research (PAR) with survey research. The population consisted of 23,295 residents in Maejo Municipality and relevant stakeholders involved in waste management. The sample size of 400 respondents was determined using Yamane’s (1973) formula and selected through systematic random sampling. Research instruments included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and document reviews. The questionnaire demonstrated content validity with an Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) greater than 0.60 and reliability with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.848. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential statistics such as t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation. Qualitative data were analyzed using analytic induction.

The findings revealed that (1) overall community participation in waste management was at a high level (mean=3.97), with the highest level in operational participation, followed by benefit-sharing, planning, monitoring and evaluation, and problem identification; (2) the development of comprehensive waste management guidelines involved key processes, including public relations, network communication, knowledge transfer through training, and pilot project implementation, which led to a reduction in waste volume, decreased waste management costs, and income generation from recycling. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) was 2.33, and greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 218.20; and (3) the developed comprehensive waste management model demonstrated a clear relationship between the internal cycle (Plan–Do–Check–Act) and the external cycle, representing five dimensions of community participation: problem identification, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and benefit-sharing. The new body of knowledge derived from this study is an integrated comprehensive waste management model that systematically links management mechanisms with community participation processes. This model can be applied as a prototype for green city development and sustainable environmental management in other local contexts.