Document Type
Report
Publication Date
Spring 4-5-2023
Course
Psychology 3840G: Research Methods in Psychology - Surveys
Community Partner
City of London
Description
The City of London’s off-campus student population exhausts much of the Waste Management Department’s time and resources with their irresponsible waste disposal habits. To better understand the factors affecting student waste mismanagement, a Qualtrics survey was administered on problematic streets populated largely by post-secondary students. This survey examined whether understanding one’s waste management expectations translated into responsible waste disposal. The survey also explored the impact of environmental, economic, and community concerns on waste management behaviours. Finally, students answered questions regarding perceived barriers to responsible waste management. Analyses revealed that students who understand waste management expectations are more likely to responsibly dispose of household waste. Students who are concerned about the environment and feel connected to their community are also more likely to exhibit responsible waste management behaviours. Lastly, students’ perceived barriers to responsible behaviour included difficulties accessing information, and frustrations with London’s waste collection schedule. To ameliorate London’s waste mismanagement challenges, we recommend investing in educational materials that target the most problematic subsets of this population, and that emphasize the impact of waste mismanagement on the economy, environment, and community. Finally, we recommend that future initiatives address the identified barriers to waste management in order to make complying with waste management expectations more feasible.