On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, Dr. Kemachart Kemavuthanon from the School of Information Technology, Mae Fah Luang University, together with Mr. Chaiyon Srisamut, Mayor of Mae Sai Municipality, Chiang Rai Province, were honored to participate in the award ceremony presided over by the Prime Minister. They received the "Prime Minister's Digital Award 2023 in the category of Digital Community of the Year," presented by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) at the Techsauce Global Summit held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. This accolade recognized their research on the Data Supporting System for Management of Toxic Waste from Community (D-ToC), which systematically manages municipal waste in Mae Sai and advances the work towards developing new innovations.
Data Supporting System for Management of Toxic Waste from Community (D-ToC) is a web application under the research center Circular Economy for Waste-free Thailand (CEWT) developed to solve the long-standing issue, more than 10 years, persisting for over a decade, of how to dispose of hazardous community waste after collection. Initiated in 2017 through the collaboration of the Chiang Rai Provincial Administration Organization, Mae Fah Luang University, and all 143 local administrative organizations (LAOs) and subdistrict administrative organizations (SAOs) in Chiang Rai Province, the D-ToC system serves as a central platform for collecting and assessing community waste data via a weighing system.
The system tracks hazardous waste collection by the 143 LAOs and SAOs and relays this data in real-time to the Provincial Administration Organization through the website. This enables the Provincial Administration Organization to accurately monitor waste quantities and budget for contracting companies to dispose of hazardous waste (Hazardous waste, which cannot be disposed of by regular means such as landfilling or incineration due to its toxic nature, poses significant environmental and community health risks). Mae Sai, being a major tourist municipality with a large population and significant waste generation, has effectively utilized the data from the D-ToC system to enhance waste management in the area by implementing systematic and well-planned waste management practices and proactively planning for waste management, Mae Sai has extended its efforts to improve waste management in other type as well. In 2024, Mae Sai successfully managed 8,298 kilograms of hazardous waste, ranking second in Chiang Rai Province. This effective waste management has improved quality of life and better health for the Mae Sai community, free from hazardous waste and environmental toxins.
