Rawai Mayor Thames Kraitat said the municipality launched the initiative after coconut waste became a mounting problem in the beachside community, where large numbers of tourists consume fresh coconuts daily.
Phuket generates more than 10,000 discarded coconuts each day, according to information released through the MCOT Green Market programme and Rawai Municipality.
Mayor Thames explained that Rawai alone produces around 40 tonnes of waste per day, rising to as much as 80 tonnes during the high tourist season, with organic waste making up the largest share.
Previously, coconut shells and husks were mixed with general waste and transported to the Saphan Hin incinerator site, creating added transport costs and operational problems for waste collection crews.
“Coconut waste damaged garbage truck compactors, increased disposal costs and contributed to waste accumulation in the area,” Mayor Thames said.
To address the issue, Rawai Municipality signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with businesses operating at Nai Harn Beach, Yanui Beach, Rawai Beach and the Rawai Sea Gypsy Fish Market to separate coconut waste before disposal.
Under the project, businesses deposit coconut husks at designated collection points, where the waste is shredded into coconut coir using specialised machinery.
Municipal officials said the programme currently processes around 1,000 kilogrammes of coconut waste per day, reducing disposal costs by about B725 daily while also cutting the amount of waste sent to Phuket’s incinerator.
WASTE TRANSFORMED
The processed coconut coir is distributed to residents for agricultural purposes, including use as mulch, fertiliser and soil improvement.
Mayor Thames said the initiative demonstrated how properly separated waste could create benefits for both the environment and the community.
“What we clearly see is that waste that was once worthless, when separated correctly, can create benefits, reduce the burden on the municipality, and help the community with agriculture,” he said.
He added that the programme was also helping build public confidence in waste separation schemes.
“It dispels the misconception that even if you separate waste, the municipality will just mix it all together anyway,” he noted.
Rawai Municipality also plans to expand the project to additional areas including Rawai Beach, Pak Bang Beach and the Sai Yuan commercial zone, while increasing the number of shredding machines to cope with rising organic waste volumes.
Officials estimate the expanded programme could eventually reduce coconut waste entering Phuket’s incinerator system by up to two tonnes per day.
JOB CREATION
The municipality is also linking the project with vocational training programmes run through its Social Welfare Division.
Residents, senior citizens groups and local environmental volunteer clubs are being trained to produce potting soil from coconut coir, creating opportunities for supplementary income and small-scale community businesses.
Mayor Thames said the long-term aim was to transform waste into an economic resource while addressing Phuket’s ongoing rubbish crisis.
“Waste is a crisis for Phuket Province. If we don’t work together to manage waste at the source and don’t take waste sorting seriously, soon all local administrative organizations will be unable to keep up,” he warned.
“My goal is to find a way to make waste have value.”
GROWING PARTICIPATION
Rawai Municipality also reported increasing participation in its community waste bank programme, which has been operating for two years.
Membership has grown from 80 to 150 members, while the amount of recyclable waste collected has risen from around one tonne to 2.5 tonnes.
Municipal officials said the coconut waste project was helping raise environmental awareness among both residents and tourists while promoting greater community cooperation in waste management efforts.
The initiative is part of wider attempts by local authorities across Phuket to reduce the volume of waste entering the island’s already strained disposal system as tourism numbers continue to grow, Rawai Municipality noted.