Phuket landfill partially reopens after rubbish shutdown

Phuket’s main waste disposal centre has partially reopened after an overflowing landfill stopped accepting rubbish on 8 November, with officials expecting full operations to resume next week.

Phuket City Municipality announced the reopening on 12 November after a meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom to address the island’s waste crisis.

Phuket City Mayor Supachok Laongphet said the landfill had been struggling with accumulated rubbish for years as waste volumes increased after the Covid-19 pandemic. Waste-disposal and landfill-expansion projects are more than a year behind schedule because of regulatory hurdles, complaints, appeals and lawsuits, while limited machinery and heavy rain have further disrupted work.

The landfill stopped accepting rubbish after trucks from several local administrations dumped waste that blocked access roads, according to the municipality’s account. The incinerator continued operating during the closure, with rubbish delivered at night, while workers cleared and prepared additional landfill space.

Restrictions have now been eased to allow some rubbish deliveries to resume while work continues to improve the dumping area. Supachok said he expected the centre to return to full capacity next week.

The crisis has renewed calls for better waste separation across Phuket. Supachok urged the island’s other 19 local administrations to follow Phuket City Municipality’s practice of collecting organic and general waste separately in Talat Nuea and Talat Yai. He said organic waste accounts for more than 60% of rubbish entering the disposal centre.

The governor introduced five measures at the 12 November meeting to address the problem and prevent another closure. They include resolving legal, procurement and administrative obstacles delaying landfill improvements, tightening controls on rubbish trucks entering and leaving the centre, and setting clearer rules for waste accepted at the facility, particularly bulky items and materials that do not meet disposal requirements.

Officials were also instructed to involve police if anyone illegally dumps rubbish, threatens staff or obstructs operations at the centre.

Phuket’s provincial natural resources and environment office was told to provide environmental information, advise local administrations and residents, and prepare landfill-location maps with monitoring and prevention measures.

All 19 local administrations are also expected to improve waste separation in households, communities, hotels, restaurants and businesses. The plan calls for general, organic and recyclable waste to be separated, with suitable bags or containers used and moisture reduced before disposal. Officials said this would improve incineration efficiency and reduce accumulated waste, odours and disease-carrying pests.

Short-term priorities include restoring waste deliveries and improving traffic management at the centre. Longer-term plans involve expanding disposal capacity, improving waste separation and developing a more comprehensive treatment system. Officials also plan to introduce incentives for effective waste separation.