Waste management: the broken incinerator

Koh Samui's rubbish problem is structural. According to 2025 reporting, the island's incinerator has been broken for more than ten years, so waste accumulates in an open landfill whose odours and runoff affect nearby residents, some of whom have bought water purifiers because of groundwater pollution concerns. Tourism sharply increases waste volumes - bottles, takeaway containers, and packaging scale with visitor numbers - and the island's mayor has acknowledged the infrastructure is inadequate. National programmes exist, but experts note enforcement gaps and that unchecked construction adds flooding and drainage problems. Visitors cannot fix the incinerator, but they can shrink the stream: refuse excess packaging and plastic bags, choose dine-in over takeaway containers, refill water bottles, avoid balloons and sky lanterns entirely, and dispose of batteries and e-waste responsibly (ideally take them home where recycling exists). What you throw 'away' on an island stays on the island.

Dates

Incinerator reported out of service >10 years as of 2025

Highlights

• Incinerator out of service for over a decade (2025 reporting)
• Open landfill pollutes air and local groundwater
• Tourism volumes multiply the waste stream
• Less packaging in = less landfill on the island

Local tips

• Dine in instead of taking away in styrofoam and plastic
• Take batteries and broken electronics home for recycling - Samui has limited e-waste options

Frequently asked questions

What happens to rubbish on Koh Samui?

With the island's incinerator broken for over ten years, waste goes to an open landfill that creates odour and water pollution problems for nearby communities.

Can visitors help with Samui's waste problem?

Yes - refusing packaging and bags, refilling bottles, dining in, and taking e-waste home all reduce what ends up in the island's landfill.