Thailand is stepping up efforts to combat food waste through a nationwide “Zero Food Waste” initiative, aiming to cut food waste in national parks by 50% within four months as part of the government’s long-term goal to halve national food waste by 2030.
The campaign responds to growing environmental concerns as Thailand generates over 27 million tons of waste annually, with more than 10 million tons being food waste—a major source of methane gas, which is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in driving global warming. The policy positions food waste reduction as a national climate priority.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has upgraded its waste management system, in place since 2015, toward a Zero Food Waste model. The program prohibits landfilling or burning organic waste and instead promotes on-site reuse, such as composting and black soldier fly farming (BSF) to convert waste into useful materials.
Implementation follows three key measures:
Reduce – Prevent waste at the source through strict bans on foam and single-use plastics and public awareness campaigns.
Reuse & Recycle – Separate and convert organic waste into compost or other resources.
Responsibility – Involve tourists and businesses in waste separation and education efforts.
Currently, the program is active in 118 national parks across all regions—including Doi Inthanon and Khao Yai—and this program will expand to all 156 parks nationwide by 2030. Early results show impressive progress: waste generation dropped to 0.16 kg per person per day, and parks now manage 60% of their own waste internally.
A four-month “Quick Win” phase is underway to develop best practices, followed by a five-year plan (2026–2030) to achieve 100% Zero Food Waste across all national parks. Authorities also urge tourists to participate by minimizing and properly disposing of food waste.
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