Assessing a community-based waste separation program through examination of correlations between participation, information exposure, environmental knowledge, and environmental attitude

Municipal solid waste has become one of major environmental issues and pollution sources. In cities of developing countries, the amount of waste is inversely proportional to the land area available for landfills. Cipayung Landfill in the city of Depok, Jakarta’s southern border, cannot support the volume of waste generated by the city’s 11 districts. This study presents the case of a community group in Tugu Village, Cimanggis, Depok, where a waste separation program had been adopted since 2014 but low rates of participation are still recorded. Earlier observations reveal uneven distribution and location of communal organic bins and transportation of mixed waste. Earlier researches discussed over relationship between waste management and people participation, information dissemination, environmental knowledge, attitude, behavior, facility availability, partially. Thus, this study aims to integrate all these notions by examining the correlations between participation, information exposure, environmental knowledge, environmental attitude and other conditions that may promote participation in waste separation practices. Quantitative approach with quantitative and qualitative methods is implemented. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations are used to collect data. Spearman correlations reveal that participation is very strongly correlated with information exposure, and environmental knowledge, but weakly correlated with environmental attitude. Other conditions include respondents’ daily activities, residence period in the community, family welfare level, facilities provision, and role of community leaders. This study confirms the importance of information dissemination on a routine basis, valid and persuasive messages, facilities provision, and leading actor’s role at the community level to help increase public participation in waste separation.