Sustainable Solid Waste Management in Sports Events: A Case Study of Football Matches in Thailand

Abstract

The International Olympic Committee has adopted Agenda 21 as a countermeasure to the environmental impact caused by sports events. This research addresses its lack of a concrete solid waste management framework by investigating solid waste generated, collected and sorted by the football stadiums in the Thai Premier League. The participation behaviors of spectators were examined by means of a structured questionnaire along with in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in solid waste management. In addition, relevant policies were reviewed. Results suggest that due to the lack of waste separation, less than 15% of the recyclable waste at stadiums proceed to recycling, with the rest going to landfills in the form of commingled solid waste. Carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to the waste produced was estimated by the IPCC’s first-order decay method. Field observations suggest that recycling can be increased by means of a prior-sorting behavior, and this was confirmed by the spectator survey. In-depth interviews with key stakeholders underlined the lack of proper incentives, regulations and environmental awareness to support proper solid waste management. We propose a sustainable solid waste management framework comprised of responsive policies, incentives and public participation focusing on the current deficiencies of solid waste management and increasing opportunities for resource recovery and recycling at sporting events.