Rawai launches coconut waste project to cut Phuket disposal burden
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.
Rawai Municipality launched a coconut waste project on May 17 after discarded shells and husks became a growing disposal problem in the beachside area, Mayor Thames Kraitat said. The scheme targets waste from businesses in Phuket where fresh coconuts are sold in large numbers, as officials say the island generates more than 10,000 discarded coconuts a day.
Rawai produces about 40 tonnes of waste each day, rising to as much as 80 tonnes in the high season, with organic material making up the largest share. Mayor Thames said coconut waste had been mixed with general rubbish and hauled to the Saphan Hin incinerator, where it damaged garbage truck compactors and drove up handling costs.
Beach businesses separate husks before collection
Rawai Municipality signed memorandums of understanding with operators 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 leave coconut husks at designated collection points, where specialised machinery shreds them into coconut coir.
Municipal officials said the programme is processing about 1,000 kilogrammes of coconut waste per day. They said that is cutting disposal costs by about B725 daily and reducing the amount sent into Phuket’s incinerator system.
Coir reuse linked to agriculture and community training
The shredded coir is being distributed for agricultural use as mulch, fertiliser and a soil improver. Mayor Thames said the project is also intended to show that separated waste can produce practical value rather than being mixed back into the same disposal stream.
The municipality plans to expand the scheme to additional areas including Pak Bang Beach and the Sai Yuan commercial zone while adding more shredding machines to handle larger organic waste volumes. Officials estimate the wider rollout could keep up to two tonnes of coconut waste per day out of Phuket’s incinerator.
Rawai also linked the project to Social Welfare Division vocational training for residents, senior citizens groups and environmental volunteers to make potting soil from coconut coir.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/rawai-cracks-phuket-coconut-waste-problem-100228.php
