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This study evaluates the public participation section of environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports in Thailand by using a grading system and the principal component analysis (PCA) method. The aim is to identify the key factors that influence quality in the topic of public participation in EIA reports. Of the EIA reports, 82 were analysed according to date and project type in the transportation sector in Thailand. The results indicated that 84.6% of total EIA reports in the period between 1992 and 2005 are of low quality with respect to the topic of public participation. In contrast, in the period after 2005 the quality of this topic received grades of A and B, which accounted for 76.7% of the total EIA reports in this period. The PCA method demonstrates the process of development in public participation in Thailand. Key factors are shown to be the methods of public participation and public information accessibility.

The circularity of plastic packaging waste (PPW) material via recycling is critical to its circular economy towards sustainability and carbon neutrality of society. The multi-stakeholders and complex waste recycling loop of Rayong Province, Thailand, is herein analysed using an actor-network theory to identify key actors, roles, and responsibilities in the recycling scheme. The results depict the relative function of three-actor networks, namely policy, economy, and societal networks, which play different roles in PPW handling from its generation through various separations from municipal solid wastes to recycling. The policy network comprises mainly national authorities and committees responsible for targeting and policymaking for local implementation, while economic networks are formal and informal actors acting for PPW collection with a recycling contribution of 11.3–64.1%. A societal network supports this collaboration for knowledge, technology, or funds. Two waste recycling models are classified as community-based and municipality-based management, which functions differently by coverage areas, capabilities, and process efficiency. The economic reliability of each informal sorting activity is a crucial factor for sustainability, while empowering people in environmental awareness and sorting ability at the household level is also essential, as well as law enforcement that is effective in the long-term circularity of the PPW economy.

Indonesia’s severely flawed centralized wastewater treatment system has caused economic and socioeconomic losses for decades. An alternative system has been called for under a national-scale program called Sanimas or Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), which would cater to 50–100 urban families in every intervention with urgent needs through the operation of a decentralized wastewater treatment system. Through household participation, this program features a co-production system wherein the national-level government initiates and provides initial funding until construction, after which a community-appointed social organization takes over. This study implemented a multicriteria approach to assess sustainability in Sanimas communities in Jakarta: 67 in Menteng (Central Jakarta) and At-Taubah in Koja (North Jakarta). Connected households and facility-operating committees were questioned separately for their opinions on six aspects that explained the survival of the establishment of a facility: technical, management, community participation, financial, institutional, and environmental. We found that although the facility’s excellence and overall satisfaction with the program were unanimous, Koja and Menteng showed substantial differences in management, institutional, and financial aspects, largely due to administrative policies, payment contributions, and committee commitments. Interviews revealed that periodic testing of the treated water was neglected, against the provided guidance. In conclusion, communities have come to focus more on the technical functionalities of the installation, regardless of the state of the management, which is indisputable not only in Menteng but also in Koja. Finally, we argue that although decentralized systems can substitute centralized systems, they still require stringent and adequate support in quality control and troubleshooting.