There are no significant attempts at this time to recycle the organic fraction of the waste through composting or digestion. Waste in rural areas is made up mostly of food scraps, with some other materials. Food waste is fed to animals, and the remainder of the organic waste is composted, or dried for use as fuel. There is no organized disposal option for rural waste, and littering has been reported as a problem in rural areas for this reason. Waste management planning has reached a critical point in many areas of Thailand.
Old landfills are closed, and there is strong local resistance to construction of new landfills.
Public involvement in the waste management issue has increased substantially in recent years. An incinerator has recently been constructed in Chiang Mai which can burn garbage, but has not been operated to date for this purpose because of public resistance. The Institute for Sustainable Cities has developed a model waste management program in Phuket, including proper operation of the landfill, charging tipping fees at the landfill, promotion and education, community composting and organization of landfill pickers. The results of the case studies were analysed to identify recycling approaches which could be successful in Thailand. The approaches finally recommended were those which had proven successful elsewhere, and which the case study research had indicated were appropriate and could be successful in Thailand.