Abstract:
Household solid waste is one of the contributing factors to the widespread problem of environmental degradation and resource depletion and 'household solid waste prevention' a crucial part of the solution. This thesis investigates the current meaning and application of
'household solid waste prevention' in North Shore City using methodological triangulation
comprised of an audio-taped semi-structured interview and a written questionnaire. Forty-four North Shore residents participated in the study. The results show that there is a generalised misconception about the meaning of 'household solid waste prevention' and what it entails.
Participants understand the concept not in its strict sense of avoidance but, instead, they see it as 'preventing waste from going to landfill'. This means that what householders consider to be 'solid waste prevention' is in fact 'waste minimisation' - a broader concept which includes reactive practices such as recycling. It is therefore recommended that the first step to developing 'household solid waste prevention' programmes and initiatives would need to be the clarification of this misconception via public awareness and education campaigns. In addition, habits were found to be reliable predictors of practices related to household solid
waste and a need for further research of this topic has been identified. Finally, although participants showed positive attitudes towards the environment and demonstrated concern for the problem of mounting solid waste, the underlying values that influence specific behaviours
appear to be at odds with the principles of 'household solid waste prevention'. The evidence points to societal values of human superiority and predominance over the biophysical environment, which assume that resources exist mainly to satisfy human needs and desires.