Browsing by Author "Richards, Lauren Tamsyn"

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    Exploring the perceptions and attitudes of households towards solid waste management in Fisantekraal, Cape Town.
    (University of the Western Cape, 2024) Richards, Lauren Tamsyn
    Waste conscious attitudes and pro-environmental behaviour must become second nature, to achieve environmental sustainability, indefinitely. Solid waste management is inextricably linked to quality of life and environmental degradation. If responsible and ethical solid waste management practices do not become an inherent aspect of everyday life, then our planet and future generations will suffer greatly. As a result, this study is focused on the perceptions and attitudes of households, towards solid waste management in Fisantekraal, Cape Town. Two research sites were consulted, the RDP households and the informal settlement, to determine how influential perceptions have been, regarding the solid waste management practices of low-income households. A qualitative research design was adopted, as the study seeks to explore perceptions, subjective experiences and socialisation in relation to household solid waste management. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 research participants. Thematic analysis was applied to the empirical results and identified structural factors like dwelling type and service delivery, economic factors and pro-environmental behaviour, family life and social norms, and education and level of awareness as influential systems that largely affect the way low-income households perceive solid waste management. Socio-economic status, job insecurity, service delivery and a lack of awareness negatively impacts aspirations of sustainable household solid waste management in the informal settlement. Alternatively, research participants from households located in the RDP settlement, indicated that they had incorporated the 5R waste methodology into their solid waste management practices. As these participants actively choose to refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle their household waste. In order to ensure that appropriate waste disposal methods are acquired. Lastly, Pierre Bourdieu’s Practice Theory underpins the study as it infers that patterns of social life dictate perceptions, thoughts and behavioural traits.