Running head: Module 5 Assignment 1

Kabanga Kapaipi

Strategic Communication Management

Module 3 Assignment

[Dr. Michael Millestone]

April, 2019
Module 5 Assignment 2

Introduction

This assignment looks at the need for persuasion of publics from their current beliefs and

attitudes towards waste recycling and by association, waste management. The effort will be

conducted by a fictional company named Green Zambia (GZ) in Lusaka that collects non-

biodegradable waste (plastic, metals, and glass), sorts it, processes it into raw materials for new

products, and sells this raw material to manufacturers.

As the population of cities grow, business activities and domestic consumption lead to an

increase in solid waste (SW) produced. Despite government led campaigns and legislation aimed

at improving solid waste management to keep Lusaka clean including the Make Zambia Clean

and Healthy (MZCH) program, solid waste management (SWM) continues to be a problem in

major cities, especially in dense populations further from the central business district (CBD).

Waste collection, transport and transfer has been a challenge in third world cities because

of the lack of equipment, personnel, finance and lack of management commitment. These

technical challenges create part of the problem with SWM as well as over reliance on state or

municipal government in planning and executing programs and services. However, a main non-

technical challenge is the attitudes of people towards SWM and recycling.

According to reports, only 36% of total waste generated is collected from households

(LCC-WMU Final Report, 2014). The other 64% of waste is either burned or disposed illegally

in drains and open areas causing damaging city aesthetics and causing land and air pollution.

Mostly, the waste that is collected ends up at the Chunga landfill with a daily an average of 350

tons of waste is collected from the City of Lusaka and dumped there.

Green Zambia as a recycling company can help improve ecological problems posed by

non-biodegradable waste. However, effective collection of waste from the publics requires the
Module 5 Assignment 3

separation of recyclables at source. In addition, separation at a household level is an opportunity

to improve the quality of the recyclables as well as the working conditions of the informal sector.

While business owners have taken a positive attitude towards recycling, most consumers in

urban and peri-urban areas have not.

Given the attitudes of the public to SWM and recycling (to be discussed later), effective

collection of materials for recycling is very low. There will be need to persuade the publics to

actively participate in the recycling supply chain through responsible and systematic disposal of

SW.

Background

Recycling is an important matter as landfills are getting full leaving, additional waste

products to pollute the forests, rivers, and other natural environments. Recycling helps turn

garbage into useful material and keeps the environment clean, reduces the amount of waste in

landfills and provides more cost-effective materials when it comes to manufacturing new items.

(Save the World, 2009.)

Waste constitutes a potential source of secondary materials and fuels. Recycling has

environmental and financial benefits and is a key to solve problems being caused by general

consumerist lifestyle. Some of the natural resources non-renewable, like fossil fuels and ore

metals. Utilizing waste and recycled products instead of wasting limited natural resources, is a

way to reduce depletion of these resources (Alwaeli 2011, 58-59.)

There are also financial advantages to recycling. Informal waste recycling is a usual way

to earn income for the poor people in developing countries. According the studies, in addition to

creating jobs and reducing poverty, waste picking can save money, improve industrial

competitiveness, conserve natural resources and protect the environment. About 1 % of urban
Module 5 Assignment 4

population in developing countries survive by collecting recyclables from the waste. This means

more than 15 million people around the world choose picking the waste instead of starving.

(World Bank Group, 2016.)

Public Views and Attitude

A study by Barr (2007) in the United Kingdom showed that a combination of two

psychological factors: perceptions of convenience and acceptance of recycling as a social norm;

and two situational factors, curbside collection for recyclables and knowledge of recycling

services are the most likely to increase both intention to recycle and recycling behavior.

The public’s views on recycling are negative with there being a low sense of

responsibility. Recycling and SWM is regarded as the responsibility of the local authorities and it

is up to them to collect and sort out waste for themselves. There is also general disinterest in

recycling due to the costs associated with garbage collection by local businesses engaged by the

councils which is made mandatory (MORI, 2002).

The members of most households also are not familiar with the recycling process, how it

works and if it even works due to a lack of knowledge. This is because Before the introduction of

garbage collection, most households used pits dug in their back yards to dispose of garbage and

burn or cover it when the pits where full then dig a new one. Because of costs of garbage

collection and unreliable service, a number of households still continue this practice.

There is also the perception that recycling does not make a difference (McDonald &

Oats, 2003). Littering is still a major problem. Although the government has introduced fines

against it, enforcement is still lagging leaving littering to remain an acceptable social norm. This

problem is exacerbated by the perception of inconvenience associated with recycling. It requires

more storage space for garbage, delivery to collection centers and binary to multi-sorting of

different garbage types.

Argument for recycling

To persuade the publics, their beliefs and views of recycling must be changed to cause a change

in behavior. A number of measure will be taken that present arguments for the change in

behavior:

 Disseminating knowledge of what recycling is and what it does so that the publics are

aware of the alternative to littering, burning and burying of SW. Communications

through right channels including TV, newspapers, text messages, workshops, and public

clean up campaigns.

 Enabling the publics through provision of coded skip bins in every community to reduce

the inconvenience of long distance of drop of points.

 Promoting recycling as a social norm by engaging community leaders, local celebrities,

government officials such as mayors and councilors to publicly endorse, encourage and

lead recycling efforts.

 Education of the benefits of recycling including: reduction in landfills, ecological

benefits, energy recovery, preservation of virgin resources, cost reduction in raw material

sourcing, employment from the recycling supply chain created (collection, processing,

distribution to manufacturers).

 Recycling tours and exhibitions at events where publics carry out sorting and view

recycling plants and products. This would be one of the most effective means as people

tend to pay more attention to decisions they have already made (ecozambia.com).
Module 5 Assignment 6

The above steps to promote awareness and the benefits of recycling would be intended to

encourage behavioral change to lead to action towards recycling.

My personal views on recycling in are closer to the public. Until recently I was not aware of

any effective recycling efforts or the benefits of them to the community or to myself in Lusaka.

This was until an interaction at a trade show with a recycling company who shared knowledge

about what they do, the existence of recycling pick up points, and great usable products that are

already on the market with more planned.

As my views have changed, I have the belief that the views and values of the public can

change in a similar way, therefore I am not compromising what I believe to persuade the public

to the recycling cause. This makes my efforts more ethical as I would be advocating for a cause

that I believe in (Wilson & Ogden, 2015).

References

Alwaeli, M. (2011). Municipal Solid Waste -Recycling and Cost Effectiveness. Nova Science

Publishers, Inc. New York

Barr, S. (2007). Factors influencing environmental attitudes and behaviors: A UK case study of

household waste management. Environmental Behavior 2007, 39.

Ecozambia.com. (2017). Behavior change. Retrieved from: https://www.ecozambia.com/

LCC - WMU Final Report. (2016). LCC - WMU Final Report. Lusaka City Council reports.

Lusaka

McDonald, S. & Oates, C. (2003). Reasons for non-participation in a kerbside recycling scheme.

Resour. Conserv. Recycl.2003, 39.

MORI Social Research Institute. (2002). Public Attitudes towards Recycling and Waste

Management, Quantitative and Qualitative Review. Research Study Conducted for The

Strategy Unit, Cabinet Office. London, UK.

Save the World. (2009). Why recycling is important. Retrieved from:

http://www.savetheworld.com/2009/11/why-recycling-isimportant.html

Wilson, L. J., & Ogden, J. D. (2015). Strategic communications: Planning for public relations

and marketing. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.

World Bank Group, Referred 28-05-2017

https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-privatepartnership/library/informal-recycling-sector-

developing-countries