Changing Public Behaviour at the Source: Reframing Household Waste Sorting as the Foundation of Sustainable Waste Governance in Indonesia

Abstract

Waste management problems in Indonesia have become a strategic issue in environmental development, characterised by high generation of unmanaged waste, low levels of waste reduction and source sorting, and the dominance of a management approach oriented towards downstream handling. A gap exists between the will to regulate and implementation in the field, making it a serious problem. This paper analyses the root causes of waste management problems and formulates policy strategies using a behaviour-change approach informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). The analysis uses a qualitative approach, and data are collected from literature and regulatory reviews, as well as policy evaluations, using the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and appropriateness. The results of the analysis show that the main problem in waste management in Indonesia is low public concern, particularly regarding source-level waste sorting. This condition is influenced by a low public awareness in waste management due to a lack of understanding of its importance, resulting in low public concern for the environment. Based on the evaluation results, the most promising policy alternative is to strengthen social norms and exemplary practices that are integrated into the upstream-downstream waste management system through behaviour change. This policy is considered more effective in encouraging changes in people's behaviour, in accordance with the social character of Indonesian society, and is able to address the root of the problem more comprehensively, in order to realise a Clean Indonesia 2029.