Khon Kaen, 22 October 2025: Following the CaRMPAC workshop on 20–21 October, participants visited several facilities in Khon Kaen to see how local initiatives are advancing the city’s low-carbon and circular economy vision.
Participants explored Khon Kaen’s solid waste management situation, including challenges in landfill capacity, high plastic waste generation (estimated at 361 tonnes per day, of which 76% is landfilled), and emerging waste-to-energy (WtE) initiatives.
Field visits to Khon Kaen’s Low-Carbon City initiatives provided a hopeful counterpoint. At the municipal waste management centre, organic waste is increasingly being processed through a composting facility. The WtE facility run by Thai power producer Absolute Clean Energy (ACE) demonstrated Thailand’s growing capacity to integrate renewable energy with waste management. Meanwhile, a local PET and PE recycling plant showed how small-scale innovation can add value to discarded materials.
Despite these achievements, officials acknowledged ongoing challenges: most waste entering WtE plants remains unsegregated, raising costs and environmental impacts. Strengthening waste separation at source and community participation emerged as key next steps for Khon Kaen and for many cities across the region.
These visits underscored how technology integration, community participation, and educational programmes are crucial in advancing Khon Kaen’s transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
Research Associate for Capacity Building
Khon Kaen, 22 October 2025: Following the CaRMPAC workshop on 20–21 October, participants visited several facilities in Khon Kaen to see how local initiatives are advancing the city’s low-carbon and circular economy vision.
Participants explored Khon Kaen’s solid waste management situation, including challenges in landfill capacity, high plastic waste generation (estimated at 361 tonnes per day, of which 76% is landfilled), and emerging waste-to-energy (WtE) initiatives.
Field visits to Khon Kaen’s Low-Carbon City initiatives provided a hopeful counterpoint. At the municipal waste management centre, organic waste is increasingly being processed through a composting facility. The WtE facility run by Thai power producer Absolute Clean Energy (ACE) demonstrated Thailand’s growing capacity to integrate renewable energy with waste management. Meanwhile, a local PET and PE recycling plant showed how small-scale innovation can add value to discarded materials.
Despite these achievements, officials acknowledged ongoing challenges: most waste entering WtE plants remains unsegregated, raising costs and environmental impacts. Strengthening waste separation at source and community participation emerged as key next steps for Khon Kaen and for many cities across the region.
These visits underscored how technology integration, community participation, and educational programmes are crucial in advancing Khon Kaen’s transition towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
Research Associate for Capacity Building
