What we buy, what we throw away and how we use our voice. Sustainable household waste management in the UK

Sustainable waste management is a core issue facing local and national governments. It is widely acknowledged that although producers of goods and materials have a role to play in reducing waste, the general public, in the way that we consume and utilize products, have a key role in delivering sustainable waste management. This paper supports this assertion with data from a study of waste management attitudes and reported behaviours in southwest England. The paper presents a conceptual framework for examining attitudes and behaviours towards waste management, incorporating environmental values, situational factors and psychological variables. Using this framework, the paper demonstrates the range of influences acting on attitudes and actions towards sustainable waste management practices, focusing especially on recycling behaviour. The paper argues that the framework could provide a useful tool for examining the variety of factors influencing a range of public actions relevant to sustainable development. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.