Factors Related to Plastic Waste Management in the Community around Thachin Basin, Thailand: A Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Solid waste is a global problem, especially plastic waste, which can spread and pollute various elements of the environment such as soil, river, forests, etc. The weakness of the existing plastic waste management model requires holistic management, especially in a community in the basin of Thailand. This study aims to conduct a model of plastic waste management in communities in Thachin basin. Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 368 households using cluster random sampling in 4 provinces of Thailand (Chainat, Suphan Buri, Nakhon Pathom, and Samut Sakhon). Multiple logistic regressions were conducted for plastic waste situation managing in the community model. Results: The plastic waste situation was 6-10 pieces per household including a plastic bag, a plastic bag for food, a plastic bottle, and foam. The households had a high level of awareness of plastic waste management with middle-level of plastic waste behavior. The factors associated with plastic waste management in the community were sex (Adjusted Odds Ratio (Adj.OR) = 3.07; 95 % Confidential Interval (CI): 1.64 – 5.74), income between 5,001 – 10,000 baht (Adj.OR = 5.13; 95 % CI: 2.49 – 10.58), a member or volunteer in a community committee (Adj.OR = 0.56; 95 % CI: 0.29 – 1.09) and an awareness for plastic waste management (Adj.OR = 5.06; 95 % CI: 2.33 – 11.03). Conclusion: Participation of stakeholders could improve plastic waste management in the community.  Moreover, stakeholders should be strategically more involved in development management and actively participate more than centralized management.