Sortign for a good cause
Translated title
Sorting for a good cause: a case study of the relation between sorting and reduction of household waste
Author
Christensen, Kirsten
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-07
Pages
74
Abstract
This thesis examines the relationship between household waste sorting and waste reduction in a Danish context where municipalities are rolling out new collection schemes. The aim is to understand how increased sorting affects waste reduction. The study combines quantitative comparisons of waste amounts before and after sorting is implemented (three analyses of biowaste and two of paper, plastic, and metal) with seven qualitative interviews analyzed through environmental behavior theory and practice theory. The quantitative findings show no clear trend: biowaste rises in one area, falls in another, and remains similar in a third; for dry fractions, paper varies, plastic decreases, and metal increases. The figures cover only waste collected at households and can be influenced by changes in handling (e.g., shifting from home composting to biobins) without an actual change in waste generation. The interviews portray sorting as a practice shaped by meaning (societal benefit and doing the right thing), materials (indoor and outdoor bins, including the municipal green biobin), and competences (knowledge of sorting rules). They also reveal a gap between intention and behavior, often linked to home layout and space constraints, as well as motivations such as feeling good about sorting and using swap centers. Sorting increases awareness of waste amounts (especially plastic and biowaste), but interviewees did not report changing consumption. Overall, the study suggests that information efforts may benefit from focusing on how to sort and on interventions earlier in product life cycles if the goal is waste reduction.
Denne afhandling undersøger forholdet mellem affaldssortering og reduktion af husholdningsaffald i en dansk kontekst, hvor kommuner udruller nye henteordninger. Formålet er at belyse, hvordan øget sortering påvirker affaldsreduktion. Metodisk kombineres kvantitative sammenligninger af affaldsmængder før og efter implementering af sortering (tre analyser af bioaffald samt to af papir, plast og metal) med syv kvalitative interviews analyseret gennem miljøadfærdsteori og praksisteori. De kvantitative resultater viser ingen entydig tendens: bioaffaldet stiger i et område, falder i et andet og er uændret i et tredje; for de tørre fraktioner varierer papir, plast falder, og metal stiger. Tallene omfatter kun affald hentet ved husstanden og kan påvirkes af ændret håndtering (fx flyt fra hjemmekompost til biospand), uden at den reelle affaldsgenerering nødvendigvis ændres. Interviewene beskriver sortering som en praksis formet af betydning (samfundsnytte og det at gøre det rigtige), materialer (indendørs og udendørs skraldespande, herunder kommunens grønne biospand) og kompetencer (viden om sorteringsregler). De afdækker også et gab mellem intention og adfærd, ofte knyttet til indretning og pladskrav, samt motivationer som en god følelse ved at sortere og brug af byttecentre. Sortering øger bevidstheden om mængder (især plast og bioaffald), men de interviewede angiver ikke ændret forbrug. Samlet peger studiet på at informationsindsatser med fordel kan fokusere på hvordan man sorterer og på tiltag tidligere i produkters livscyklus, hvis målet er affaldsreduktion.
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