Assessing Individuals’ Littering Behaviour In Public Spaces In The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area
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Date
2021-12
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University of Ghana
Abstract
Littering is a social and environmental behaviour involving indiscriminate waste disposal practice that challenges the government's quest for a clean city environment. This study explores individuals' littering behaviour in four urban public spaces in Metropolitan Accra, using cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed methods, including in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and litter characterisation. The qualitative data analysis employed a thematic approach, while the quantitative data used descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression with IBM-SPSS version 23.
Individuals' perceptions revealed that littering is an everyday practice in public spaces resulting from collective action and a strategy to minimise private costs. Norms such as weak law enforcement, lack of litter bin, ineffective informal social controls, and absence of written prompts prohibiting littering were cited as justification for littering. Critical litter abatement approaches recommended included an adequate supply of litter bins, intensifying public education, and strict law enforcement. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that participant age, group size, gender, activity engagement, litter items, crowdedness, existing litter in the environment, and distance to the litter bin significantly influenced littering behaviour. Also, age and littering behaviour depended on distance and vice versa.
The litter characterisation and branded audit recorded 37,280 pieces of items, with two-thirds, i.e., 78% being plastics, while paper recorded 14%, and organic, 2%. Broadly, the water and beverage industry litter, with Kasapreko, Multi Pac Limited, and Special Ice industries were dominant. The study identified factors that drive littering behaviour, including individual and contextual factors such as bad governance and leadership and incompatibility between local cultural norms and policies. The study recommends that the sector Ministry promotes civic responsibilities while urging the manufacturing industry and brand owners to channel corporate social responsibility activities towards post-consumer packaging litter management.
Description
PhD. Environmental Science
Keywords
Littering, Public Spaces, Greater Accra Metropolitan Area