''People have been Paid to Sweep the Place!"- Exploring the Antecedents of Littering Behaviour in Ghana.

Abstract

This study explored why Ghanaians litter their environment indiscriminately in spite of its adverse consequences. Twelve students from the University of Ghana were interviewed and the data analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged, reflecting participants' 1) Knowledge concerning littering, 2) Reasons why they litter their environment and 3) Ways of curbing littering. Participants knew what littering was but still littered their environment because, among other things, they did not feel responsible for the proper disposal of litter, littering felt like "it's part of you". titter begets littering and there were no bins or none close by. It is important that individuals are educated on the dire consequences of littering and that the government enforces the laws governing littering. Reward and punishment systems should be instituted to acknowledge clean communities and enforce penalties in unclean communities.