Community perspectives and engagement in sustainable solid waste management (SWM) in Fiji: A socioecological thematic analysis

Abstract

Improper waste disposal and low rates of household waste diversion through material and organic waste recycling are a global concern. Understanding community perspectives on solid waste management services, outreach activities, and regulatory measures, and the barriers to sustainable practices, is crucial for designing effective waste management programmes. Longitudinal content analysis of archival data, such as newspapers, is a cost-effective, yet underutilised, research method to identify the viewpoints of diverse civic groups and examine the developments and challenges associated with the waste management sector. This paper investigates divergent stakeholders' perspectives and priorities using the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) to examine the micro-system (intrapersonal and interpersonal), meso- and exo-system (community and institutional), and macro-system (policy level) factors that influence sustainable SWM practices. Using specific keywords, the authors searched online archives of a national newspaper in Fiji with a weekday circulation of over 20,000. Data from 482 newspaper articles, dated 2009-2020, were reviewed and dual-coded by two researchers using QDA Miner Lite. Findings indicate that poor waste management behaviour is linked to all factors within the Socio-Ecological system. While micro-level factors such as negligence, personal responsibility, lack of civic pride, and lack of awareness are causes of anti-environmental behaviour, structural factors such as inadequate waste collection services and recycling infrastructure contribute to low recycling rates. Civic education has been highlighted as a solution to encouraging pro-environmental behaviour (PEB), but there is a need to identify the type of educational tools and the frequency and impact of education workshops. This paper further discusses about the implications of community-based strategies and regulatory measures.

Keywords: Civic participation; Engagement; Socio-ecological model; Sustainability; Systems; solid Waste management.