1 — First, Meet Our Team 😊

Our group nickname is “ถุงดำ (ไม่) รับจบ / No More Mixed Trash Bags” (with the origin of this name to be explained later 😁), We come from design backgrounds and have gathered here to tackle the waste management problem at Khao Yai.

I especially want to thank P'Noon (Thapanee Srisawat), the staff of the environment team and P'Nat (Natt Phenjati), the founder of Thai Gov Design for mentoring and guiding the team.

Cheers to our team 🤟 and the entire Thai Gov Design crew!

2 — The Discover 👩‍💻

Initial Requirements

The challenge began with a request to improve the Pinto Go-Round project, introduced by P'Tae, the president of the Khao Yai Tourism Association. The goals is to waste from single-use products by providing reusable tiffin boxes for tourists visiting Khao Yai National Park to use during their meals.

Reassessing the Goals

At first, Pinto Go-Round seemed like a good solution—but we decided to step back and look at the bigger picture: our ultimate goal is reducing waste. By redefining the problem, we believed we could find a more focused and effective approach.

so our key question became

"How might we reduce waste generated by tourists?"

To explore this, we conducted desk research to understand what solutions Khao Yai National Park already has in place. We discovered that various waste-reduction initiatives have been implemented or are currently ongoing in the park.

Defining the Target Audience

Thanks to our desk research, we gathered valuable insights that allowed us to create an ecosystem map. This helped us visualize all the stakeholders involved in the system and understand their roles better.

We assumed that the group contributing the most to waste generation is campers at Khao Yai. This assumption stems from the fact that campers typically bring food, supplies, and various items for their stay, as they prepare meals and stay overnight. These activities create more opportunities for waste generation compared to other visitor groups.

3 — Understanding Each Stakeholder

Revisiting the Goals with P' Tae

We went back to interview P'Tae to better understand the original goals and requirements he provided. This session helped clarify the problem, refine the objectives, and gather additional insights Tae had about the campers at Khao Yai.

Key Takeaways

• “Tourists don’t sort their waste, leaving park staff to separate and transport it.

• Local vendors already sort their waste because they directly benefit from recycling.

• Over 50% of the waste consists of food packaging.

• Waste volume increase during festival seasons.

• Park staff are already stretched thin with their existing responsibilities.

Interviewing Campers

We conducted in-depth interviews with individuals who had camped at Khao Yai before. The goal was to better understand their behaviors, backgrounds, and attitudes related to camping and waste management.

The recruitment: We recruited participants through team members’ acquaintances. Fortunately, some of our team members are avid campers themselves, which made it easier to reach out to this group.

Key Insights:

• While camping, they keep a garbage bag with them and dispose of all waste in a single bag without sorting it.

• Before heading to the campsite, campers typically purchase supplies from markets or convenience stores.

• Hazardous waste, however, is usually set aside and handled separately.

4 — Define Our Experience Goals ✊

Scope of Focus

From our interviews, we found that many tourists do not sort their waste while camping. So, we decided to focus on understanding this behavior using the COM-B Model framework, particularly looking at their capability to manage waste.

Campers visiting Khao Yai show a “willingness to dispose of waste properly,”
but they lack the “convenience needed to sort waste effectively

Experience goals

Now that we know campers show a willingness to dispose of waste properly but lack the convenience to sort it, our goal is to create intrinsic motivation that::

"Make Sorting waste is easy and the right thing to do."

This is why our team chose the name “ถุงดำ (ไม่) รับจบ / No More Mixed Trash Bags” to represent our goals to change the behavior of mixing all types of waste into one bag.

5 — Our Concept ✍️

Existing Solutions Research

We conducted desk research to explore global methods for encouraging people to adopt waste-sorting behaviors. One approach that caught our attention was the system used in South Korea, where color-coded bags are utilized to make waste sorting easier.
Reference: คำแนะนำเกี่ยวกับวิธีการรีไซเคิลขยะของเกาหลี

Individual Storyboard and Sharing

Based on the existing solutions from our research, each team member sketched out their own ideas and shared them. The goal was to visualize how their proposed journeys would work in practice.

Build the toys ver.1

After grooming and refining each team member’s storyboard, we developed our prototype while revisiting our experience goal: “Make sorting waste easy and the right thing to do.”

Our design centered around color-coded garbage bags

• which are divided into Food waste, Hazardous waste, Recyclables, General waste

• Each bag features colors, labels, and icons that clearly indicate the type of waste it’s meant for, making it easier for campers to sort and dispose of waste correctly.

• Both the information and color scheme were inspired by Bangkok’s waste management project (โครงการไม่เทรวม)

• Reference: Greener Bangkok

  
  

6 — Validation with Users 👧🏻 👦🏻

Testing with Target Users

After developing the first toy, we conducted concept testing with target users. Each team member reached out to their assigned groups, which were divided as follows:

• Main target: people who have camping experience.

• Sub target: General users who could provide feedback on waste-sorting behavior.

Our Objectives:

• Understand users’ perspectives on this idea.

• Understand users’ perspectives on this idea.

• Identify areas for improvement.

Task Overview

• Understand their background related to waste sorting and camping experience.

• Show them the garbage bag designs for feedback.

• Present various types of waste to see if they can sort them correctly using the provided bags.

We encouraged participants to think aloud throughout the process, focusing more on their thought process than whether their answers were correct.

Feedback for ver1.

After testing our Toy Ver. 1 and regrouping during the follow-up session, we reviewed and sorted user feedback. Below are some key takeaways:

Attitude:

• “I usually sort waste because I believe it benefits those who come to collect it.”

• “If sorting bins or bags were provided, I think I’d do it in a real scenario.”

• “If the park distributes bags like this, it shows they want us to sort waste, and I’d be willing to do it.”

Suggestions:

• Recommend using different sizes for garbage bags. Hazardous waste and food waste bags could be smaller as these types are less common.

• Suggest including pictures of waste items relevant to camping on the bags to make sorting more intuitive.

Barrier

• Concern that four bags might be too many, especially since hazardous waste is unlikely to be generated in large quantities.

• Questioned whether items like empty gas canisters truly qualify as hazardous waste once they are empty.

Refining the Design: Ver. 2

After incorporating user feedback, we revised the design of the garbage bags

• Reduced the number of bag categories to three types (General waste, Recyclables, Food waste)

• Adjusted the size of each bag to reflect the expected volume of waste:

• Included examples of common camping waste on the bags to make sorting easier and more intuitive.

  
  

Testing Ver. 2

After finalizing the Ver. 2 design, we conducted another round of testing. We used the same tasks as before, but with the updated bag designs to gather new insights.

After conducting the Ver. 2 tests, we regrouped to review the findings.

We began noticing consistent patterns in user attitudes:

• Users said they would try to sort waste as much as they understood if the bags were provided.

• Receiving the bags left a positive first impression and encouraged them to sort waste.

and since we reduced the number of bag types, we added a question about managing hazardous waste during this round of testing. Users generally resolved this by saying they would place hazardous waste separately, near the designated waste area, rather than mixing it with other bags.

The Good-Enough Version

After gathering user feedback from concept testing for both Ver. 1 and Ver. 2, we refined the design once more to create a good-enough version within the constraints of our timeline. This iteration incorporated improvements directly informed by user insights.

When combined into a storyboard, the overall journey flow will like this:

1. Tourists arrive at Khao Yai.

2. Register for a campsite and receive color-coded garbage bags

3. Set up tents and enjoy cooking meals.

4. Waste is generated from cooking and sorted into the appropriate bags.

5. The next morning, sorted waste is disposed of at designated collection points.

   
   

7 — Field Study at Khao Yai 🌳

During the process of building our toys, our environment team conducted a field study at Khao Yai to observe the real situation and gather insights from the park staff.

Feedback on Our Design

We presented the garbage bag designs and storyboard to the park staff to gather their feedback.

Expected Benefits

• If tourists actively sort their waste, it would reduce the workload for the waste collection staff, saving time on daily waste management.

• It could foster a stronger sense of environmental responsibility among tourists.

Considerations:

• Budget concerns: The park has a limited budget, and providing garbage bags to tourists could increase expenses.

• Workload concerns: The park staff is already limited in number, and this initiative might add to their responsibilities.

8— Presentation + Next step ⭐️

Presentation

After six weeks of work, we consolidated our findings and presented our idea alongside other teams working on the Environment topic, as well as all teams within the Thai Gov Design initiative.

Showcase Highlight : Environment Team Showcase (Our group starts at 23:14.)

Next Things to Validate

If stakeholders or others are interested in implementing or building upon this idea beyond the 6 weeks we worked on it, the following areas would need further validation:

Testing Accessible Distribution Points for Garbage Bags

• In our storyboard, distribution points for garbage bags are part of the system.

• The distribution should be optional, allowing tourists to decide whether they want the bags.

• This ensures that the bags are not over-distributed, which could unintentionally create more waste.

Testing Sorting Stations for Waste Disposal

• To complete the waste cycle, disposal stations must align with the bag categories.

• This ensures that sorted waste can be properly disposed of, reinforcing the system.

Behavioral Testing

• Additional behavioral testing is needed to ensure the design effectively encourages waste-sorting behavior.

• For example, distributing prototype garbage bags to tourists and observing whether they use them as intended and sort their waste correctly.

What' s next

Currently (Dec 2024) , after our team’s presentation, Thai Gov Design has taken our idea (along with ideas from other groups) to discuss further with P’Tae.

Next steps:

• Launch Prototypes: Test a “sorting station” at P'tae storefronts and expand to more businesses if successful.

• Implement Sorting Bins: Use Pepsi-sponsored color bins at the Mun Yai Mak concert, then repurpose as sorting stations.

• Create a Funding Loop: Pilot covering bag production costs by selling recyclable waste during the proof of concept phase.