KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF PUBLIC WASTE MANAGEMENTAND ITS IMPACT ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENTIN KOH SAMUI DISTRICT

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) Examine the public’s knowledge and understanding of solid waste management; 2) Investigate the effectiveness of solid waste management among the public; and 3) Analyze the influence of the public’s knowledge and understanding of solid waste management on the effectiveness of solid waste management among residents in Koh Samui Municipality. The study employed a quantitative survey research design. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to 516 residents. The sample size was determined using a multi-stage sampling method. Statistical techniques used for data analysis included mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. The findings revealed that: 1) Overall public knowledge and understanding of solid waste management were at a high level; when considered by aspect, waste reduction ranked highest, followed by waste disposal and waste separation. 2) The overall effectiveness of public solid waste management was at a high level, with waste disposal ranking first, followed by waste separation and waste reduction. 3) Public knowledge and understanding of solid waste management explained 43.50 percent of the variance in overall effectiveness. Specifically, knowledge and understanding regarding waste disposal and waste reduction had a positive and statistically significant effect at the .01 level, whereas knowledge and understanding of waste separation had a statistically significant negative effect at the .01 level.