Management of Solid Waste from Phuket International Marathon Running Event

Sporting events with a large number of people are an important source of waste. Marathon running is a popular sporting event that attracts competitive runners. Therefore, the race venues are major sources of waste and are difficult to manage. This research aimed to study the management of solid waste from an international marathon running event in phuket. The data comprised the types and compositions of the waste, the characteristics of waste containers, waste storage and collection, waste transfer and transport, and waste disposal. data of the waste materials were recorded on 7–9 June 2019 from two mains activities, 14 sub-activities and 6 distance running events. The total amount of waste within 3 days was 4,168.20 kg which included 3,737.20 and 431.00 kg that were related directly to the marathon running and not related directly to the marathon running, respectively. The rate of waste based on the amount per person was 0.31–0.37 kg/person/day. All waste was separately recorded into compostable waste, general waste, recyclable waste and hazardous waste for each main activity. general waste was the greatest amount and hazardous waste was the lowest amount in each group. Some containers and vehicles did not follow the laws. The waste workers wore unsuitable personal protective equipment. the waste materials were separated into two main groups for disposal: (1) compostable waste, general waste and hazardous waste that were mixed without separation before transfer for disposal and (2) recyclable waste that was separated at the sources before transfer. The first group of waste was removed for incineration and the recyclable waste was taken to recycling shops. However, all waste at a race venue needs to be reduced and classified at the source before transfer for disposal or recycling for the best solid waste management at a marathon.