Awareness, understanding and practices of household waste recycling: A comparative study of low-and high-income communities in the North of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This study assessed the awareness, understanding, and practices of household waste recycling in high-income and low-income communities in the North of Pretoria, South Africa. A structured questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews and a door-to-door survey. A purposive sampling involving 122 participants was carried out. Data were collected from September 2023 to April 2024 and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Pearson chi-square test. The study area was divided into four sites (A, B, C, and D) based on income levels. At sites A, B, and C (low-income communities), 81.6%, 81.4%, and 75.0 % of participants, respectively, did not separate waste, whereas at Site D (high-income community), 61.5% of the participants did not separate their household waste before disposal. Participants from all the communities were aware of recycling in the following order: Site D (76.9%) >Site C (60.7%) >Site A (60.5%) >Site B (51.2%). However, actual recycling rates remained low, with only 30.7% of high-income and 15.8% to 20.1% of low-income participants partaking in recycling practices. Lack of time and inadequate infrastructure were identified as major obstacles to household waste recycling. Recycling was only carried out when there was a perceived financial benefit. Despite their knowledge of recycling, most participants did not recycle their household waste. Awareness campaigns and incentives ought to be introduced to encourage recycling and boost community participation. The establishment of local recycling centres could enhance engagement in recycling, resulting in employment opportunities.