Abstract:
Problems generated by solid waste have become a major national issue in Sri Lanka due
to high levels of economic growth and consumption. Inappropriate management of solid waste
may generate many problems such as environmental pollution, public health, social and
economic problems as well as aesthetic issues. Therefore, this problem needs immediate attention
not only for the management of waste, but also for the study of individual behavior related to
solid waste production and use. This research was carried out as a case study in Kalutara Urban
Council area, where behavior that is related to the production and management of waste is
analysed. To achieve this, a questionnaire survey was conducted for the households of Kalutara
North, Kalutara South and Katukurunda. The households’ descriptive, inferential and informative
believes were identified where they express agreement or disagreement regarding the final
disposal of waste. In total 100 households completed the questionnaire. This work approached the
behavioral aspect of the problem by considering the attitudes towards the environment and the
beliefs about the environment. In addition, knowledge of environment and the problems raised
have been considered for prediction of environmentally protective behavior. In this investigation,
the classification of believes were considered in terms of austerity or limitation of consumption,
conservation and material beliefs or material squandering. Further, the environmental attitudes
were considered as emotional, cognitive (know) and behavioral. Based on the preliminary results
of this study, it can be concluded that believes and attitudes show a certain level of relation with
the behavior of the households. The questionnaire survey was useful to highlight the solid waste
problem that exists in the area and to indicate the trends of attitudes and behavior among the solid
waste management. Further, by considering the findings of this study, an environmental
education program to promote pro-environmental behavior in solid waste management must be
established to change non-effective waste management practices and to promote the households
to use the waste as a resource.
