Municipal solid waste policy and public participation in household source reduction

This study examines the nature of public participation in implementing household source reduction of municipal solid waste in order to inform the development of waste policy. The objectives are to determine the degree of public participation in household source reduction, the importance given to this waste strategy relative to other waste management approaches with an emphasis on recycling, but also including landfilling and incineration, the motivations behind its practice and the demographic and attitudinal correlates of its practitioners. The method used was a telephone survey of residents in a community in Connecticut, U.S.A. The results were analysed using descriptive and correlational statistics. The results indicate that the activity of source reduction, using a variety of measures, is being widely practiced. Over 50% of respondents participated in at least one source reduction activity. However, the intensity of participation was low, with many individuals participating only infrequently in the activity. Furthermore, the amount of material potentially reduced through source reduction in the home is small. There was an equal degree of public support for recycling efforts with a large percentage of respondents considering recycling to be more important than source reduction. Demographic variables in this community did not prove to be significantly correlated with source reduction attitudes and behaviour. One policy implication is that the home may not be the most effective place for source reduction, as contrasted with recycling, given the limited number of source reduction activities available in the home. A second policy implication is that mechanisms to facilitate source reduction need to be developed. Finally, policy makers need to concentrate educational efforts towards public recognition of both what constitutes source reduction and the importance of this activity. (C) 1996 ISWA.