The Guidelines for Behavioral Development of Solid Waste Management of Fresh Market Sellers in Maha Sarakham Province.

Abstract

The purposes of this study were 1) to investigate factors influencing solid waste managing behavior of fresh market sellers in Maha Sarakham province; 2) to establish guidelines to develop solid waste managing behavior of fresh market sellers; and, 3) to carry out a trial run of and assess the guidelines for behavioral development of solid waste management of fresh market sellers. The research procedures were organized into three phases as follows: Phase One: a quantitative study was conducted to examine factors influencing solid waste managing behavior of fresh market sellers. The sample consisted of 361 fresh market sellers in Maha Sarakham province. The data were collected through questionnaires and were analyzed by the structural equation model (SEM) in the LISREL program. Phase Two: the researcher gathered 20 stakeholders into a focus groups and brainstorming sessions. The purpose of these gatherings was to find a solution in establishing guidelines for behavioral development of solid waste management of fresh market sellers. The final product was then assessed by three specialists to check whether the model was appropriate before a trial run. Phase Three: the guidelines for behavioral development of solid waste management of fresh market sellers was carried out to 30 fresh market sellers in Maha Sarakham province who volunteered to be a part of this trial run. The researcher then analyzed the pre-and-post test of the guidelines to develop solid waste managing behavior using repeated measure MANOVA (α=.05). The results were as follows: The factors influencing solid waste managing behavior of fresh market sellers in Maha Sarakham province (α=.05) were knowledge of solid waste (β=0.43), participation (β=0.13), attitude towards solid waste problems (β=0.13), and communication (β=0.08), respectively. The guidelines to develop solid waste managing behavior of fresh market sellers consisted of 12 activities: 1) systematic solid waste management, 2) garbage management, 3) garbage management groups, 4) 'Garbage can be useful' campaign, 5) garbage as a supplementary income, 6) Line application using, 7) public relation signs, 8) field trips, 9) '5 S' principle, 10) green market, 11) 'Garbage is alive' campaign, and 12) fresh market passenger announcement. The result of the guidelines to develop solid waste managing behavior of fresh market seller revealed that there were statistically significant differences at the level of .05 between the pre-and-post test of the guideline. More precisely, the fresh market sellers were well-aware of the solid waste problems and able to manage the solid waste better than before the guidelines were applied.