Luwangan: The Local Javanese Wisdom for Household Waste Management

Abstract

Every community has local wisdom that becomes its cultural identity. This study analyzes ”luwangan” as the local Javanese wisdom for managing household waste. Information, facts, and data are revealed to understand the concept of household waste management in Javanese society. The study uses a phenomenological approach. Javanese people, “sesepuh,” and community leaders were chosen as research subjects, while the informants were cultural experts and Javanese language lecturers. Observational data, interviews, and documents were compared to determine the validity of the data. The data analysis technique used was the Colaizzi method. The results showed that ”luwangan” is a form of local wisdom of the Javanese people for managing household waste. Garbage is disposed of in ”luwangan” based on its type, namely organic and inorganic waste. Organic waste is left because over time it will decompose with the soil and fertilize it, while inorganic waste is burned because it cannot decompose naturally. This is pro-environmental behavior. However, nowadays, with the increase in globalization and the lack of land in the region, the waste is taken by the garbage officers and disposed of at the final waste collection point. There has been a shift in the meaning of ”luwangan” which affects the behavior of throwing waste in Javanese society. Socialization and enculturation are needed to preserve the pro-environmental behavior using ”luwangan” as a medium for managing household waste in Javanese society. Keywords: luwangan, local wisdom, Javanese society, waste management, household