By Natthanon Nakkhong

The garbage problem is worsening from the urban lifestyle, which has many factors that accelerate the increase in garbage. Large residential buildings such as condominiums are another major source of garbage problems. However, a 9-story condo in Sukhumvit area has been able to manage garbage very well.

The model condo that we will be learning about today is called “The 49 Plus II”. It is a 9-story condo, divided into 7 residential floors and 2 parking floors. It has 63 rooms and a population of approximately 120 people.

Why doesn't our condo have any garbage sorting?

One question during the meeting that sparked an idea for the condo president, “Phi Jack,” who has knowledge in waste management, to become the leader in organizing the waste separation system in the condo. He started by searching for information from garbage truck drivers who collect garbage to sell, as well as garbage trucks in Bangkok, until he concluded that “there are more than 18 types of garbage that can be separated for use and value creation.”

But to move forward, we need to have supporters first. So, Jack experimented with using cardboard boxes as trash cans and found that residents were more interested than expected. This was a satisfactory response, leading to serious waste separation in The 49 Plus II Condo.

Garbage and travel

Step 1

'Waste at the source'

An example from Mr. Earth, one of the condo residents, who has allocated a small area in the kitchen for easy waste separation into 3 types: Food waste From the kitchen, put it in the prepared container. Recyclable waste Plastic and paper items are separated into 2 large bags. Glass bottles andGeneral waste Separate them into different containers. 

Step 2

'Garbage room'

Waste from the guest rooms travels to the waste rooms on each floor, which are divided into three types of bins: general waste, recyclable waste, and food waste. 

Step 3

'Waste separation zone'

The size of a car is an area that has prepared bins for sorting all types of waste, more than 19 types, including white paper, mixed paper, boxes, aluminum cans, iron cans, glass bottles, clear glass bottles, hazardous waste, clear bottles, bottle caps, colored bottles, opaque bottles, plastic frames, soft plastic, milk cartons, plastic bags/stretch plastic, oil, general waste, and food scraps. You can come down and separate it yourself or have the housekeeper bring the waste from the garbage room down to sort it for you. The income from selling recycled waste, more than 1,000 baht per month, is given to the housekeepers who always work hard.

Separate 18 types of waste. Can all of them be used?

Reading up to this point, many people must have questions and wonder about the detailed waste separation of the 49 Plus II condo. In fact, the separation of over 18 types of waste increases the value of the waste because each type of waste has a different selling price. For example, if we randomly combine plastic bottles, they can be sold for 7 baht/kg. But if we separate them correctly, dividing them into clear PET plastic bottles, they can be sold for 17 baht/kg. and opaque HDPE plastic bottles, they can be sold for 20 baht/kg. It can be seen that just separating 2 types of plastic bottles that are not the same, the price is different. Not to mention the remaining 16 types of waste that will generate a lot of income. '12 December 64, the condo was able to generate income from over 374 kilograms of waste, which is 916 baht.'

In addition to being able to sell waste, food scraps have more uses than one. They can not only be used as fertilizer, but can also be put into Green Cone A bin for food scraps that will decompose into the soil, becoming nutrients for the trees in that area.

Success comes from giving choices.

“We don’t force them to separate, we give them a choice,” said Jack. This may be the idea that makes waste management in condos successful by giving residents a choice. If they don’t want to separate their waste, they can throw it in the general bins. Or if they don’t want to come downstairs to sort it, they can do it simply in the garbage room on every floor, which helps ease the burden on the housekeepers. And when they are ready or want to sort it in detail, everything is ready as well.

In addition to the detailed bins, there is also information and notification of all types of waste on the information board, showing the amount of waste sent to Bangkok to be sold for recycling, donated, and food scraps that are used. This information can be compared between months and years, helping to show the efficiency of the condo's waste management and showing how much you (the residents) have helped the world. 

“In November 64, Condo 49 Plus II recycled approximately 380 kilograms of waste, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by 0.5 to 1 tons, while for the whole year 64, an average of 400 kilograms of waste was recycled per month, helping to reduce CO2 emissions by 6.24 to 12 tons.”

Lessons from The 49 Plus II Condo

  • The more carefully sorted the waste, the more useful and valuable it becomes.
  • When we can separate a lot of waste, we can reduce the amount of waste that needs to be buried.
  • Preparing separate bins, along with providing accurate information and knowledge, can make condo residents aware of the importance of waste separation.

Reference list

  • KongGreenGreen. (December 19, 2022). How to separate trash in condos and dormitories. Easy to do. Helps the world a lot.. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RKAL6PI6jo&t=334s

Illustration from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RKAL6PI6jo&t=334s

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