How does household characteristics influence their waste management?

Abstract

The amount of waste generated is ever-increasing due to population growth, however adequate waste management has never been a focus in everyday life. The action of the household as the beginning stage of waste management is also crucial. How households manage their waste is also influenced by their socio-economic characteristics. This study aims to investigate household characteristics that influence their waste management. This study employed the Indonesian Family Life Survey 2014 data using probit regression method. The result shows that location significantly affect waste management behaviour which households in urban areas hold higher probability to manage their waste compared to those in rural areas. The level of education and knowledge also have positive impact on household's waste management. The level of income also positively affect waste management behaviour of households. Demographic variables such as age and gender are significant and indicate that women and older people have better waste management compared to men and younger people. These results support the hypothesis that household's waste management behaviour is significantly influenced by their characteristics.