Bangkok Implements Mandatory Waste Separation Measures:
#SeparateWasteReduceFees for a Better Bangkok
As one of the world’s most densely populated and frequently visited cities, Bangkok is a significant contributor to domestic pollution, including waste and wastewater. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is facing significant waste management challenges. Currently, the city spends over 7 billion baht annually to manage an average of more than 10,000 tons of waste per day. This waste incurs considerable financial and environmental burdens, particularly food waste, which constitutes nearly 50% (49%) of all waste. Organic waste contaminates other waste types, rendering them unusable. Proper waste separation at source can maximize the value of waste; however, when mixed, waste loses this potential.
Recognizing this, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt emphasizes that waste is human-generated, not naturally occurring, urging citizens and businesses to actively participate in waste reduction and separation at source. To incentivize this, Bangkok revised its waste management service fee regulation, officially announced on March 31, 2025. It takes effective 180 days later, on September 28, 2025, with the new fee structure starting in October 2025. This increase in fees aims not only to resolve waste issues but also to encourage waste separation into at least four categories through the project titled “This House Separates: Separate Waste to Reduce Fees.” The goal is to reduce the waste needing disposal by 1,000 tons per day, saving 2 million baht daily in management costs. Furthermore, separating waste for reuse or recycling can protect the environment and generate additional income. Advisor to the Governor on Sustainability, Pornprom Vikitset, has visited pilot areas such as Suan Luang and Prawet districts, promoting separation of food waste at source, emphasizing that correct waste separation significantly reduces waste volumes.
New Fee Rates and Adjustments
Under the revised regulation, BMA adopts a “Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) Model” to incentivize waste separation. The new fees cover general waste, infectious waste, sewage, and fats. Significant changes impacting most households include an increase in monthly waste collection fees from 20 baht to 60 baht, a threefold increase if no waste separation occurs. However, households properly separating waste and registering under the “This House Separates” program will continue paying the original 20 baht per month.
Fee structure: separated into 3 groups as follows:
- Group 1: Regular Households
- Waste ≤ 20 liters/day (approximately 4 kg/day)
- Fee without separation: 60 baht/month (30 baht for collection and 30 baht for disposal)
- Fee with registered separation: 20 baht/month (10 baht for collection and 10 baht for disposal)
- Group 2: Premises
- Generating waste > 20 liters/day but ≤ 1 cubic meter/day
- Includes condos, shops, restaurants
- Fee: 120 baht/unit (1 unit = 20 liters), tripled from previous rate
- Group 3: Premises
- Generating waste > 1 cubic meter/day (>200 kg/day)
- Includes housing estates and large organizations
- Fee: 8,000 baht/unit (1 unit = 1 cubic meter), quadrupled from the previous 2,000 baht/unit
Additionally, fees for occasional general waste, infectious waste, sewage, and fats have also been updated:
- Occasional General Waste:
- ≤500 liters: 255 baht per collection
- 500 liters–1 cubic meter: 370 baht per collection
- 1 cubic meter: 495 baht/unit
- Sewage and Fat Removal:
- 600 baht/cubic meter (300 baht for collection, 300 baht for disposal)
- Infectious Waste (monthly):
- ≤13 liters/day or ≤2 kg: 780 baht/month
- >13 liters/day or >2 kg: 480 baht/unit
- Infectious Waste (occasional):
- Base fee: 3,000 baht (additional 15 baht/kg over 10 kg, capped at 5,000 baht)
- Collection: 75 baht per 100 liters or 15 kg
- Disposal: 8 baht per 6.5 liters or 1 kg
Higher fees for non-compliant parties and unchanged rates for compliant participants form a critical mechanism to encourage sustainable waste management.
Future Directions and Participation
BMA has clearly outlined methods for citizens to join the “This House Separates” program, focusing on four key waste types: organic/food waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste, and general waste.
Registration methods:
- Individual Registration:
- For households ≤20 liters/day
- Registration through the BKK Waste Pay appilcation (available on iOS and Android) or at district offices
- Requires house ID, name, contact, and photos of separated waste
- Participants receive free food waste bags for the first year
- Over 112,000 households have already registered by July 14, 2025
- Group Registration:
- For communities ≤20 liters/day per unit
- Starts August 1, 2025, requiring community meetings and documented procedures
Monitoring and Verification:
- Participants must regularly submit separation photos via the app starting August 1, 2025
- Households must geo-tag their location for efficient waste collection planning
- Random inspections every 3 months; non-compliance results in losing reduced-fee privileges temporarily
Collaborative Efforts and Early Results:
BMA collaborates with housing estate management, schools, and organizations for awareness and education. Pilot projects in two districts have shown promising results:
- Pilot project in Suan Luang District: Collected 2,729 tons of food waste (Oct 2024–Jun 2025), averaging 10 tons/day, converted into fertilizer and animal feed. Current registration: 1,065 households (22% of the target).
- Pilot project in Prawet District: Collected 5 tons of food waste in June 2025, averaging 17.75 tons/day, used as animal feed, with 3,341 registered households through the BKK Waste Pay application as of July 14, 2025.
These successes indicate the project’s potential to substantially reduce waste and enhance sustainability. The Governor of Bangkok believes that these measures will significantly motivate waste separation, eventually minimizing landfill waste. The BMA also provides the Traffy Fondue application for reporting other city-related issues, marking a critical step towards making Bangkok a more livable and sustainable city through widespread collaboration.
Local administrative organizations can draw inspiration from the case of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to establish effective strategies for managing household waste and promoting waste separation among their citizens.
