Closing the Loop on Waste - Institute for Culture and Society Community Engagement, Cultural Diversity, and Shared Responsibilities in Waste ...

 
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Closing the Loop on Waste - Institute for Culture and Society Community Engagement, Cultural Diversity, and Shared Responsibilities in Waste ...
Institute for Culture
                   and Society

Closing the Loop on Waste
   Community Engagement, Cultural Diversity,
 and Shared Responsibilities in Waste Management
            in Canterbury-Bankstown
Closing the Loop on Waste - Institute for Culture and Society Community Engagement, Cultural Diversity, and Shared Responsibilities in Waste ...
CLOSING THE LOOP ON WASTE

First published, 2019

Creative Licence copyright ©

Authors: Paul James, Abby Mellick Lopes, Sebastián Martín-Valdéz,
Shuman Partoredjo, Juan Francisco Salazar, Flora Zhong

Published by the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University,
Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia

A report commissioned by the City of Canterbury Bankstown

Image: A shopping trolley dumped near new high-rise apartments, Canterbury, 2019 Image: Abby Mellick Lopes

Cover image: Public compost bins, Cooks River, Canterbury, 2019 Image: Abby Mellick Lopes

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Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                                                             4
                           ≥≥ Overview
                           ≥≥ Insights

RECOMMENDATIONS                                                                               6

INTRODUCTION		                                                                                8

CHAPTER 1                  PRACTICES OF WASTE                                                 12
                           ≥≥ Recycling
                           ≥≥ Dumping
                           ≥≥ Littering
                           ≥≥ Composting
                           ≥≥ Re-use

CHAPTER 2                  MAKING WASTE PUBLIC:                                               20
			                        SHARED RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH
			                        ONGOING ENGAGEMENT
                           ≥≥ Working Together
                           ≥≥ Communications

CHAPTER 3                  CULTURAL QUESTIONS IN SOCIAL CONTEXT                               25

APPENDICES		                                                                                  32
                           ≥≥ Anticipating Policy Shifts and the Circular Economy Challenge
                           ≥≥ Social Change in Canterbury-Bankstown
                           ≥≥ Engagement Strategies in Culturally Diverse Communities
                           ≥≥ Online Survey Questionnaire

REFERENCES		                                                                                  70

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Executive Summary

OVERVIEW                                                                                                    One of the key challenges facing all councils                                                         INSIGHTS
                                                                                                            is that waste management is considered
Canterbury-Bankstown is a complex and                                                                       primarily to be an individual’s responsibility,                                                       The key findings from the literature review,
rapidly changing municipal area, facing all the                                                             with a bias toward residents of houses, which                                                         focus groups, critical issue workshop, and
challenges of a suburban region in a world of                                                               is still the main dwelling type in Canterbury-                                                        online survey are listed below:
increasing economic, ecological, political and                                                              Bankstown—though as noted this is rapidly
cultural fracturing.1 Demographic change,                                                                   changing. Residents tend to be treated and                                                            1. Accessibility to a diverse range of
rapid densification, and increased pressure on                                                              communicated with, mainly as individuals,                                                             co-research participants is critical for
basic infrastructure, are all characteristic of                                                             with neighbourliness seen as an accident                                                              ongoing engagement in Canterbury-
this and similar municipalities.                                                                            of circumstance and, when things go right,                                                            Bankstown over waste issues.
                                                                                                            an added benefit. The City of Canterbury
Cultural diversity and demographic change                                                                                                                                                                         The demography of the survey, focus groups
                                                                                                            Bankstown does a lot in the broad area of
are defining features of Canterbury-                                                                                                                                                                              and critical issues workshop reveal that
                                                                                                            community engagement, seeking to go
Bankstown: both are significant challenges                                                                                                                                                                        Council were not able to reach and recruit
                                                                                                            beyond a delivery-of-information approach
and two of its greatest assets. The Local                                                                                                                                                                         culturally and linguistically diverse residents
                                                                                                            with great success. This community-
Government Area (LGA) is home to one of                                                                                                                                                                           for this research via their usual channels,
                                                                                                            engagement approach could be further
the most diverse populations in Australia and                                                                                                                                                                     including traffic to the website. This difficulty
                                                                                                            leveraged in the waste-management area,
the world. More than 44 per cent of residents                                                                                                                                                                     is not unusual and was exacerbated by a
                                                                                                            and integrated fully into its approach.
are born overseas and almost two-thirds                                                                                                                                                                           demanding time-frame.
speak languages other than English at home.                                                                 Considering the rapid densification taking
There is, in addition, an extraordinarily diverse                                                           place in Canterbury-Bankstown, neighbourly                                                            2. Information and communication
range of NGOs in Canterbury-Bankstown (see                                                                  relationships should be considered as
Appendix 2). This creates both opportunities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  tend to be treated by councils
                                                                                                            structurally significant in terms of the effective
and challenges for developing programs that                                                                                                                                                                       as the same thing.
                                                                                                            management of waste. In collaboration with
successfully engage with members of the                                                                     community leaders and strata managers.                                                                Councils tend to rely substantially on
community and meet their needs.                                                                             This is perhaps the key overall finding of this                                                       a diffusionist model of communication
                                                                                                            Closing the Loop on Waste report:                                                                     promoting the transfer of information from
The city is comparatively dense. The city’s
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  those who have knowledge to those who
population density stands at a relatively                                                                   Council should ideally focus on engaging with                                                         don’t. The City of Canterbury Bankstown is no
high 31.4 persons per hectare, compared to                                                                  communities as groups of people cohabiting                                                            exception. However, the evidence suggests
the South Sydney Region of Councils’ 24.3                                                                   in a location—particularly as residents of                                                            that good communication only happens under
persons per hectare and Greater Sydney’s                                                                    a new multi-unit dwellings—to facilitate                                                              certain structured conditions where person-
overall 3.9 persons per hectare (see Appendix                                                               a perception of waste management as a                                                                 to-person relationships are developed with
2). In addition, there is a trend to multi-unit                                                             community responsibility.                                                                             individuals and communities.
dwellings and multi-storey apartment living.
This means that the pressure on infrastructure                                                              Individuals both within Council and in the
is increasing.                                                                                                                                                                                                    3. In responding to behavioural
                                                                                                            community, are currently working very hard to
                                                                                                            monitor and educate people to improve their                                                           change, Councils tend to work
In this context, waste-management is critical                                                               waste-management practices. Nevertheless,                                                             with a behaviourist model.
and becoming increasingly complicated.                                                                      the feeling of ‘barely scratching the surface’                                                        There is a tendency in the waste-management
Waste and recycling are essential services                                                                  is being conveyed in Council and community                                                            literature and the strategies adopted
provided by the City of Canterbury Bankstown                                                                forums. An enhanced community-level                                                                   by councils and municipalities to rely
with major implications for impact on the                                                                   approach might help to alleviate some of this                                                         substantially on an attitude-behaviour-context
safety, health, amenity and wellbeing of the                                                                burden on individuals including the wellspring                                                        model of behaviour change. The City of
residents of the LGA. Waste management is                                                                   of community advocates, creating a norm of                                                            Canterbury Bankstown is no exception. Such a
one of the most significant and most intensive                                                              civility and a shift in the cultural disposition                                                      method may successfully foster an identity of
services provided by the City of Canterbury                                                                 toward waste management in                                                                            environmental citizenship for a limited number
Bankstown (21 per cent of its budget).                                                                      Canterbury-Bankstown.                                                                                 of residents in the LGA, particularly based on

1   1 NB. The Council name is ‘City of Canterbury Bankstown’ and abbreviated to CBCity; the urban area is referenced as Canterbury-Bankstown; and ‘Canterbury-Bankstown Council’ is the legal name of the city.

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waste recycling in certain community groups.       practically encouraging local precinct-             goods as desirable, resilient and often of a
However, this kind of governmentality, upon        based composting), is possibly                      higher design quality than the ‘fast’ options
which the attitude-behaviour-choice model is       leading to a lack of engagement.                    available on the market.
predicated, tends to ignore the need for, and
could potentially be inhibiting consideration      Because many migrants have a deep                   10. Participatory communication
of, broader societal change concerning urgent      relationship with growing, sharing, or
                                                                                                       and education is important,
environmental issues involving consumption         harvesting food, this might be an opportunity
                                                   to introduce on site options including
                                                                                                       particularly where it promotes
and waste.
                                                   technologies for organics recycling (discussed      local leadership and diversity.
4. Learning about waste is clearly                 in Chapter 1, Insight 6), which might be more       Shared responsibility on waste management
                                                   conducive to the limited space available in         is not best accomplished through public
culturally specific, however,
                                                   multi-unit dwellings.                               information sessions and presentations
this not necessarily in itself an
                                                                                                       organised by industry, often in partnership
explanatory basis for attributing
                                                   7. There is evidence that developing                with government. These tend to support
problems of ‘bad behaviour’.
                                                   a positive approach to reuse and                    individual-level responsibility in a largely
The few participants in our focus groups who       systematically working with local                   top-down fashion. Such events need to be
had come to Australia from countries other         communities to manage and formalise                 brought into a larger program of community
than Europe reported that in their country         informal kerbside exchange can                      engagement.
of origin, waste had little meaning. However,      mitigate waste production.
more importantly, our recycling system is                                                              11. The first civic encounter that a
complex and is by necessity becoming more          Dumping is undoubtedly a serious problem in         newly arrived citizen in Canterbury-
complex, which demands ongoing attention to        Canterbury-Bankstown, with a range of risks.        Bankstown experiences is critical.
educational needs. Even committed recyclers        Following the recommendations of community
were unsure about what could and couldn’t be       participants, however, we suggest exploring         There are significant problems with waste
recycled, what the various symbols imprinted       the possibility that dumping is possibly a result   minimisation and recycling across new
on products mean and what was still relevant       of structural issues, which might yield further     mixed-use and medium-density residential
or what was a legacy of the past. (See Chapter     options for addressing the problem.                 developments. When people arrive in
3 on cultural diversity and responses to waste.)                                                       Canterbury- Bankstown, whether from
                                                   8. A significant kind of casual litter              another council area or from another country,
5. Beyond the immediate questions                  in Canterbury-Bankstown seems                       how do they first learn about Council services
                                                                                                       and their own responsibilities regarding
of waste management there                          to be anonymous fast litter.
                                                                                                       waste management? Participants in the
should be a stronger focus on
                                                   The material component of what we are               focus groups identified the need for a good
issues of over-consumption.                        calling ‘fast litter’ is mainly fast-food           ‘first encounter’, which goes beyond offering
Several recent studies highlight that the          packaging. This suggests ways of responding         language option on the Council website.
focus on waste management and how to               to the problem, including working in
get rid of waste efficiently and with minimal      partnership with the fast-food outlets to
damage to our health and the environment           deliver litter reduction.
is important, but the ultimate goal needs to
be a focus on avoiding waste creation. The         9. An inchoate but important second-
basic key in relation to resource management       hand culture and repair network
and sustainability for future generations is to    exists in Canterbury-Bankstown.
counter over-consumption.
                                                   An existing second-hand culture could be
6. Working on picking up organic waste             further promoted in Canterbury-Bankstown,
                                                   as a first-choice option for all. This might
in green bins where the community
                                                   involve campaigns that re-code second hand
do not see the outcomes (rather than

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Recommendations

SHORT AND MEDIUM-TERM                            Recommendation 3. That the Council                Recommendation 5. That the Council
RECOMMENDATIONS                                  emphasise face-to-face contact                    consider precinct-level organic waste
                                                 with building managers of multi-                  recycling depots (possibly using
Recommendation 1. That the                       unit dwellings when implementing                  new processing technology options),
Council escalate the importance                  a successful trial program.                       linked to precinct community gardens,
of waste and recycling outcomes                                                                    where people can see the outcomes
                                                 This might emphasise recovering and
by incorporating these issues into               recycling polystyrene, soft plastic, cardboard,   of their green-waste recycling.
Local Strategic Planning Statements              e-waste, clothing and mattresses (from            This might well have been added to the
and Local Environmental Plans.                   Chapter 3).                                       next set of ‘Complex and Long-Term
This is required as part of the recent State                                                       Recommendations’ for while the phenomenon
government planning reforms to support A         Recommendation 4. That the Council                of precinct community gardens has a long and
Metropolis of Three Cities: The Greater Sydney   considers ways of supporting                      successful history, setting up new gardens
Region Plan (from Appendix 1).                   the repair and re-use culture in                  requires long-term planning and considerable
                                                 Canterbury-Bankstown, including                   commitment (from Chapter 1).
Recommendation 2. That                           through working more closely with
Council develop a policy and                     one or more of the reuse networks that
practice of transparently and                    operate in Canterbury-Bankstown.
comprehensively reporting back
                                                 A culture of reuse could be deepened
to its many communities.                         considerably in the municipality by bringing
This might include on the outcomes of            different local organizations and community
the work of various waste-management             groups into association with reuse networks
subcontractors such as recycling companies       and kindred NGOs (from Chapters 1 and 3).
(from Chapter 3).

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COMPLEX AND LONG-TERM                              ≥≥ Pay special attention to the first generation   the relevant communities to introduce ideas
                                                      of migrants;                                    and collaborate with council in their aims
RECOMMENDATIONS                                                                                       to produce more relatable and effective
                                                   ≥≥ Give priority to face-to-face engagement;
Recommendation 6. That the                                                                            outcomes. This approach to community
                                                   ≥≥ Test and refine communication materials
                                                                                                      engagement, which build on a long tradition
Council consider moving beyond                        and messages through face-to-face
                                                                                                      of participatory design, opens the ‘black
the usual emphasis on information                     communication; and
                                                                                                      box’ of communication between a ‘provider’
distribution as a means to                         ≥≥ Recruit culturally diverse officers and/or      (i.e. local council) and a ‘recipient’ (i.e., the
change people’s behaviour.                            train facilitators; and                         community). Co-design is gaining traction in
Effective policy interventions should pay          ≥≥ Treat community consultation as important       the public sector in Australia and all over the
attention to both the material (everyday              from the beginning of any project.              world (Hanckel et al., 2016).
infrastructures such as bins, storage
space, receptacles) and the social contexts        (From Appendix 3 under the heading of              Recommendation 10. That the
(available time, face-to-face engagement,          ‘Engagement Strategies in Culturally Diverse       Council work with local communities
household composition) that shape practices        Communities’).
                                                                                                      to develop a protocol and process
of waste avoidance (reuse, repair), disposal,                                                         for welcoming new residents into
and recycling. Furthermore, there is a             Recommendation 8. That the Council                 the city of Canterbury-Bankstown,
need to investigate potentially beneficial         should build upon systematically                   including a welcome orientation
everyday habits of consumption and waste           work with existing networks and                    to waste management.
management, such as practices of repair and        institutions, including religious
reuse, ‘giving away’ unwanted items, or simply     and community centres.                             This would ideally involve working with
consuming less goods. That is, the activities                                                         established NGOs in the new-arrival and
of Council should leverage already existing        Building on existing networks and community        migrant-settlement space (from Chapter 1).
practices (from Chapter 3).                        groups not only offers better communication
                                                   channels with culturally diverse groups.
                                                                                                      Recommendation 11. That Council
Recommendation 7. That the Council                 Crucially, approaching waste strategies in
                                                                                                      explores ways of systematically
                                                   collaboration with these community hubs
treat ongoing social research and                                                                     addressing the problem of over-
                                                   may provide the opportunity to leverage
dialogue with local people as basic to                                                                consumption through working
                                                   on informal practices of sharing, reusing,
refining waste-management strategies.              repairing and other social practices that,         with local groups and community
It should be recognised that the present           although in line with waste management             organisations, schools and
Closing the Loop on Waste report is based          goals, may be invisible for local authorities.     faith-based organisations.
on minimal diversity engagement, and is
                                                                                                      This is a massive area of work, and perhaps
only a first small step. This research and         Recommendation 9. That the Council                 the most difficult given the permeation of
dialogue should take the following issues into     begin a process of collaborative                   a generalized culture of consumption in
consideration:                                     co-design of new projects for                      Australian cities. It is ideally linked to work
                                                   local waste management.                            with small-scale producer groups to re-
≥≥ Actively acknowledge diversity within
                                                                                                      establish the relationship between production
   different cultural groups, though without       This requires not only that the community is
                                                                                                      and consumption.
   assuming that ethnic background is              consulted in the early stages of a project and
   always causal in relation to social practices   are part of the design of the project, but that
   concerning waste-management;                    communication channels remain open beyond
≥≥ Harness existing networks and institutions,     campaign implementation to gather feedback
   including religious and community centres;      in process, and to offer opportunities for

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Introduction

This project seeks to support Council to                       4. Innovate in conjunction with universities       meanings. These elements of a practice are
engage with culturally diverse communities in                     and other partners develop new products.        dynamic rather than fixed, and can change
its delivery of waste services and initiatives. In             The contribution of this report is to              in response to certain disruptive events or
this section of the Closing the Loop on Waste                  collaborate with Council in the development        at critical moments such as moving into
report, we discuss key practices of waste                      of a community-engagement study focused            or moving out of a home. Understanding
management in Canterbury-Bankstown, that                       around current community sentiments                household waste-management from a social
emerged from the focus group discussions                       towards waste and Council waste-                   practice perspective allows us to see how
we led as part of this project. We have                        management services. This part of the project      the interaction of elements influence the way
analysed these discussions through the lens                    aimed to support Council to engage with            a practice is performed, how it may endure
of our literature review on cultural diversity                 culturally diverse communities and identify a      or change, and how it could be strategically
and waste (see Chapter 3 below), identifying                   range of platforms and engagement methods.         modified in the future.
where the perspectives and experiences of
residents reflect key points in the literature.                                                                   As reported in Appendix 2, the less than
                                                               AIMS                                               favourable ergonomics of some types of
Furthermore, we have enhanced our analysis                                                                        dwelling, as well as short-term residency,
with insights from previous research on                        The following milestones were agreed for the       impinge on waste-management patterns,
cultural diversity, engagement and education                   Institute for Culture and Society research team:   and are probably more important in relation
conducted by the Institute for Culture and                                                                        to problematic practices such as dumping
Society (ICS), to strengthen the findings                      1.    Provide advice to inform the community-      than cultural background. Our position is
emerging from the present modest engaged                             engagement methodology;                      that ‘things’ (bins, jars, cardboard boxes,
research project. This was important given                     2. Research the literature on the relationship     wheelbarrows, plastic bags, reverse vending
that Council were not able to reach and                           between culture and waste;                      machines, fast food packaging, campaign
recruit a higher proportion of culturally,                     3. Facilitate workshops and events; and            materials, newsletters, fridge magnets etc.)
linguistically and religiously diverse residents                                                                  and places (laundries, kitchens, workplaces,
                                                               4. Provide a written report, including
for this research via their usual channels.                                                                       cars, garages, gardens, cul-de-sacs, kerbs,
                                                                  a review of engagement data, an
The findings reported below, provide critical                                                                     verges, etc.), are influential participants
                                                                  executive summary, key findings and
insights into community attitudes toward                                                                          in human projects, forming an important
                                                                  recommendations.
waste and provide further evidence in support                                                                     part of the ‘habitus’ of people and playing
of our key recommendations for improving                                                                          a significant role in how they relate to their
the effectiveness of community engagement                      OUR APPROACH                                       social and environmental contexts over
methods around waste and waste services in                     Our approach is oriented around a number           time.2 This approach could help in identifying
Canterbury-Bankstown.                                          of principles associated with the Circles          practical ways that Council could better
                                                               of Sustainability method: 1. that bringing         support residents to manage their
This Closing the Loop on Waste report                                                                             waste in alignment with Council practices
                                                               together the knowledge of both local and
contributes to a broader in-depth project                                                                         and requirements.
                                                               external experts, as well as local constituents,
being undertaken by Canterbury-Bankstown
                                                               is critical to understanding (hence the
City and a range of partners that aims to                                                                         The purpose of the research design was to
                                                               emphasis on co-design); 2. that social
deliver improvements in customer service                                                                          provide tools to examine the critical issues
                                                               practices and ideas are dynamic and they
and organisational efficiency for waste                                                                           and shared values of responsibility-sharing
                                                               therefore need to be understood in place
management. This project has four major                                                                           between Council and residents around
                                                               and time; and 3. that the complexity of social
milestones:                                                                                                       waste management and waste services.
                                                               life, and therefore any issue, including waste
                                                                                                                  We designed the methodology in three
1.   Build strong relationships with                           management, will have economic, ecological,
                                                                                                                  complementary stages:
     customers, partners, universities and                     political and cultural dimensions.
     community groups;                                                                                            1.   A literature review;
                                                               The questions we asked were developed
2. Develop data products using newly                           using a social practices approach (see             2. Two focus groups:
   deployed technology devices to collect                      Chapter 3 below). We used this approach            3. A Critical Issues Workshop and a Social
   information on dumped waste, and                            as daily household waste-management                   Learning Workshop; and
   contamination;                                              can be understood as a routinised form of          4. An online survey of Canterbury-
3. Collect and provide data to measure,                        behaviour shaped by material and social               Bankstown residents.
   benchmark and enable future service                         elements including place, resources and
   improvements; and                                           infrastructures, rules and information,
                                                               personal know-how and social and cultural

2 Habitus is a term derived from sociology that describes a social space of interaction and engagement informed
  by how a person lives and understands the norms and values of that social space.

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FOCUS GROUP 1                                      Nearly half of participants were between 40         Most of the participants in the Critical Issues
                                                   and 54 years old; 36 per cent were over 70          Workshop and Focus Groups appeared to
In total, 18 residents participated in Focus       years-old. Eighteen per cent of participants        be relatively well-informed and committed
Group 1 (FG1), with one participant not            come from an age group of 25 to 39 years-           to ecological sustainability, possibly making
completing the demographic survey. The             old. Over half of the participants (55 per cent)    them an unrepresentative sample of the
results discussed in Chapter 1 are based on        had lived in Canterbury-Bankstown for five          population of Canterbury-Bankstown. Again,
the analysis of 17 participants (8 male and 9      to ten years, followed by 36 per cent who           to repeat the same point made above, this was
female). The age of participants was between       had lived there for over ten years. Only one        a factor that participants themselves noticed
25 and 80 years old, and they were recruited       participant (9 per cent) reported living there      and remarked upon.
via Council channels. Around 40 per cent           between one and five years. Four participants
participants were within the age between           came from Padstow and the others were from          While participants sometimes reinforced
55 and 69 years old, while the other three         seven different suburbs within the LGA, such        assumptions about culturally diverse
groups each made up around 20 per cent.            as Condell Park, Milperra and Picnic Point.         communities not in the room (particularly
Most participants (75 per cent) have lived         Over half of participants (55 per cent) live in     that practices such as incorrect recycling
in Canterbury-Bankstown for more than ten          houses, three times more than the groups            or dumping were related to ignorance,
years, followed by 19 per cent who have lived      living in large (18 per cent) or medium-size        laziness, a lack of awareness or care), they
there between one and five years, and 6 per        (18 per cent) blocks of units. One participant      did have particular insights into how waste-
cent between five and ten years. Nearly half       reported living in a small-sized block of units.    management practices had changed over
participants live in Bankstown and Yagoona.        The majority of participants (82 per cent) hold     time in their area. They had strong familiarity
Others come from seven different suburbs           undergraduate or postgraduate university            with and views about Council, confidence
such as Campsie, Panania, Punchbowl and            degrees compared to 18 per cent finished            in their understanding of correct waste
Earlwood. Over two-thirds of participants          their secondary schools. Most participants          management practices and a number of ideas
live in single houses, compared to 24 per cent     (82 per cent) were English speakers. Other          about how things might be improved.
living in medium-size blocks. Nearly half of the   participants are speakers of Vietnamese
participants (47 per cent) hold a postgraduate     and Cantonese.
degree, and 29 per cent have completed                                                                 SOCIAL LEARNING
secondary school. Most participants (76 per                                                            WORKSHOP
cent) are English speakers. Other participants     CRITICAL ISSUES WORKSHOP                            This workshop was held at Council on 20 May
are speakers of Arabic, Vietnamese,
                                                   Thirteen residents (six male and seven              and involved 12 participants from Council,
Cantonese, Italian and Swiss.
                                                   female) attended the workshop on 7 May              including the Manager of Sustainable Futures,
                                                   2019. Despite one participant who did not           six staff from Education Resource Recovery,
FOCUS GROUP 2                                      report their age, the majority of participants      the Manager of Customer Experience, two
                                                   (84 per cent) were over 55 years old. Nearly        staff from Customer Service and two staff
The second Focus Group (FG2) was                   half of participants (46 per cent) had lived        from Waste and Cleaning.
composed of 11 Council workers who reside          in Canterbury-Bankstown for over 20 years,
in the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA (four              followed by 39 per cent who had lived there         The aim of this workshop was to deepen
male and seven female). All who completed          for ten to 20 years. Two participants reported      the research team’s understanding of
the survey exhibited similar demographic           living in the LGA between five and ten years.       how Council perceives the communities it
characteristics as FG1, with the exception of a    Two groups of three participants are from           engages with in relation to waste services,
slightly more diverse residential spread (half     Panania and Sefton, and the others are from         and to create a space within the project for
in medium or high-density blocks), slightly        five different suburbs within the LGA, such         Council participants to explore the operative
higher levels of education and higher levels       as Bankstown, Bass Hill, Campsie and Wiley          concepts, cultural assumptions and ‘group
of English as the main language spoken at          Park. Seven (54 per cent) of participants           think’ (or unquestioned organisational ‘truths’)
home. Three residents in this group were           reported living in houses while 6 (46 per cent)     currently informing perception and practice.
born overseas in countries other than Europe,      in units. Over half of participants (57 per cent)   Through the workshop, we hoped to identify
but none had been in Australia for less than       hold undergraduate qualifications compared          opportunities for implementing some of
12 years. Two spoke Vietnamese at home.            to 24 per cent have trade training and 19           our recommendations emerging from other
In total, the focus group demography is not        per cent finished their secondary schools.          aspects of the project.
representative of the diverse Canterbury-          Most participants (85 per cent) were English
Bankstown community, a factor that                 speakers. Two other participants, married
participants themselves noticed and remarked       partners, were Cantonese speakers.
upon, with one describing the focus group as
‘preaching to the converted’ (John).

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ONLINE SURVEY                                                 are families with a couple and children (47
                                                              per cent). Nearly 80 per cent living in houses
The online survey The Future of Waste and                     (including single houses, semi-detached
You was implemented between 9 April                           houses, duplex or granny flats, and two-thirds
and 10 May through the ‘Have Your Say’                        of participants have lived in Canterbury-
Canterbury-Bankstown website platform.                        Bankstown area over ten years. Their
A total of 605 respondents (437 female and                    educational level ranges from primary school
167 male) completed the survey.3 Around 35                    to postgraduate degree with 66 per cent
per cent of participants were in the 40-to-                   holding university or college degree. There are
54 years bracket, followed by 30 per cent in                  270 participants (53 per cent) residing in the
the 25-to-39 years bracket. Almost half of                    suburbs previously in the City of Canterbury
the respondents were families with children                   and 237 (47 per cent) in the prior City
(48 per cent). Nearly 80 per cent indicated                   of Bankstown.
they lived in houses (including single houses,
semi-detached, duplex or granny flat, and
nearly two thirds of participants have lived in
Canterbury-Bankstown area for more than 10
years (see Appendix 4).                                       The focus group and workshop methods were
                                                              developed by Western Sydney University
The survey results should be interpreted with                 researchers with Council advice. The content
care, particularly for responses from residents               of the questionnaire was developed by WSU
in medium (n=71, 12 per cent) and large blocks                within directions, parameters and guidelines
of units, villas or townhouses (n=18, 3 per cent).            set by Council. The methods were all initially
                                                                                                                    Image 1. Resident of Multi-Unit Dwelling
                                                              designed as an approach to provide the
Usually the units, villas or townhouses are                                                                         in Lakemba displays a sign stating, ‘This
                                                              opportunity for collective self-reflective
under Strata Title Management, so the                                                                               is RESIDENTIAL AREA. If anyone found
                                                              inquiry of the lived realities of waste practices
residents do not take direct responsibility to                                                                      dumping rubbish or illegal materials will be
                                                              (both by council workers and a diverse sample
manage waste and recycling, nor would they                                                                          handed over to Council, security and hidden
                                                              of community members) and to highlight
contact Council directly regarding the waste                                                                        cameras. WARNING!!’.
                                                              critical issues and shared social learning
management issues. From this perspective,                                                                           Image: Shuman Partoredjo.
                                                              around the shared responsibility of
many of the survey questions were not                         waste management.
relevant to this group of participants.
                                                              While, as expected, group interactions
Cultural background is an implied category                    in focus groups and workshops enabled
based on the first language at home as                        discussion and identification of a range
reported by participants. This may not fully                  of issues that would have likely not come
represent how participants identify their                     out in individual interviews or participant
ethnicity, as some migrants (e.g. second                      observation, the social demographic of the
generation) may use English as their first                    participants recruited however (as was the
language at home but identify themselves to a                 case with the online survey too) did not
specific ethnic group. It is recommended that                 present the ideal opportunity for engaging
future surveys of this kind should include a                  with the full diversity of the residents of
question of ethnicity identification.                         Canterbury-Bankstown, leaving out
                                                              important community-based knowledge
Over 35 per cent participants were between                    around waste management.
40 and 54 years old, followed by 28 per cent
in 25-to-39 year-old range, and almost half

3 One participant was excluded from analysis because he/she skipped all survey questions except the demographics.

10                                                                                                                                         Western Sydney University
CLOSING THE LOOP ON WASTE

Image 2. Dumping or gifting a chicken coop, Earlwood, 2019 Image: Abby Mellick Lopes

Image 3. Rubbish, 2019 Image: Paul James

westernsydney.edu.au/ics                                                                                      11
CLOSING THE LOOP ON WASTE

1. Practices of Waste

In this section of the Report, we discuss          waste is waste that is no good to me, but        with the waste practices of newly arrived,
key practices of waste management in               may be useful to another’.                       culturally diverse communities in their area.
Canterbury-Bankstown that emerged                                                                   This very much correlates with the literature
from the focus group discussions. We have          Changes in Practice over Time?                   on cultural questions in a social context,
analysed these discussions through the lens                                                         explored in Chapter 3 below.
of our literature review on cultural diversity     Participants remembered a lot less waste
and waste (see Chapter 3 below), identifying       flowing through their homes and lives when
where the perspectives and experiences of          they were growing up. Valentine, who had         RECYCLING
residents reflect key points in the literature.    lived in Australia for 36 years noted that
                                                                                                    Participants were, in the main, highly
Furthermore, we have enhanced our analysis         ‘back in India we didn’t have a huge amount
                                                                                                    motivated to ‘do the right thing’ and recycle,
with insights from previous research on            of waste compared to now. Every element
                                                                                                    and enjoyed being recognised as doing so.
cultural diversity, engagement and education       of, let’s say a cauliflower … was used. We
                                                                                                    Nina said ‘we have received a smiley face for
conducted by the Institute for Culture and         didn’t worry too much about fumes (during
                                                                                                    our bins. It’s good to receive them, it’s a happy
Society (ICS). This was important given            incineration) because we didn’t have that
                                                                                                    thing to get, you know. We’ll keep doing things
that Council-ICS research team were not            much plastic at that time. Modern amenities
                                                                                                    this way’. It was noted that this feedback
able, in the time-frame available, to reach        bring more waste’. This was consistent with
                                                                                                    might not connect with the newly arrived, as
and recruit a representative proportion            the experiences of Duong, who had been
                                                                                                    there may be an issue with the basic legibility
of culturally, linguistically and religiously      in Australia for 12 years. ‘Back in Vietnam
                                                                                                    of our three-bin system. Jim remarked that
diverse residents for this research via the        everything got used. Not much waste. Now
                                                                                                    ‘The colours of the bins work, but people do
Council’s usual channels. The findings             it’s different’. ‘Coming from (Vietnam) you
                                                                                                    not know what goes in them.’ And Anna: ‘I like
reported below, provide critical insights          try to use everything, no waste. You try to
                                                                                                    the three colours (of bins) because I grew up
into community attitudes toward waste and          maximise whatever you have. In Australia
                                                                                                    with it. I think there’s a lot of people in my area
provide further evidence in support of our         you have to learn the culture of dealing with
                                                                                                    who haven’t grown up with it and don’t know
key recommendations for improving the              waste, recycling, composting.’ This was
                                                                                                    … Why don’t we have big stickers on the top
effectiveness of community engagement              in sharp contrast to Natalie, the youngest
                                                                                                    which have photos of what goes in what bin?’.
methods around waste and waste services in         participant at 21 years, who was born
Canterbury-Bankstown.                              in Australia and had been inducted into          Participants described unique and sometimes
                                                   recycling culture at school.                     quite complex domestic waste-management
                                                                                                    infrastructures, which had been tailored for
THE FRAMING QUESTIONS                              Participants all shared a perception that
                                                                                                    their own lives and living spaces. Availability
                                                   single-use plastics were a key driver
                                                                                                    of space was important for effective recycling,
The Meaning of Waste?                              of normative change. They referred to
                                                                                                    with laundry, kitchen and a space ‘out the
                                                   ‘the disposable society’ (Kathy) or ‘the
We began the focus groups by asking what                                                            back’ described as the key sites for sorting
                                                   throwaway society’ (John) and older
does waste mean to you? Responses varied                                                            bins. As Dan put it, ‘suddenly you need all this
                                                   participants in particular had noticed
from those who took issue with the very                                                             space; and we don’t have a very well-designed
                                                   changes in how people valued and
concept, for example Bel who described it                                                           kitchen … we’d like to remodel it’. Many
                                                   maintained things, as well as in the overall
as ‘two degrees from insanity’ or Gabriel                                                           participants living in houses acknowledged
                                                   practical know-how of communities.
as ‘a flaw of design’, to Nan who described                                                         how fortunate they were to have a garage
                                                   Duncan said ‘DIY doesn’t exist anymore’ and
waste simply as ‘stuff that I’ve finished with’,                                                    or garden space. Such spaces were a crucial
                                                   Vinh said (in the past) ‘when things broke
or Tu as ‘something you don’t want in the                                                           part of their personal waste management
                                                   people just fixed them.’
house’ or Anna ‘what ends up in landfill’. In                                                       infrastructure, functioning as a ‘holding bay’
the main, participants understood waste not        Many older participants also recalled            or ‘storage area’ until the next collection
a material category, but rather as attribution     practices of backyard incineration and that      day. Nan said ‘I have an awful lot of green
of value: the remainder, the unwanted, that        growing up, a visit to the tip was a highlight   waste which sits in a wheelbarrow and I wait
which can’t be recycled. As Vera described         and a fun experience. Kathy said, ‘we used       for two weeks before a collection.’ A place
it ‘waste is not just things that have no use      to scavenge at the tip and were allowed to       ‘out the back’ was important also for tools,
to you anymore, but also things that people        take stuff.’                                     maintenance or repair projects.
don’t want anymore, because they don’t
value them anymore’. It is worth noting that       There was a strong perception amongst            Participants indicated that waste
most participants moved very quickly in            participants that transience had increased in    management in the home was a ‘collaborative
their response to reattributing value and          Canterbury-Bankstown, and that there were        process’ with certain family members
life to the unwanted, as though they saw           many more new residents, who moved more          functioning as ‘educators’ of the others.
waste as itself a transient concept. ‘I recycle    frequently. It was this transience, coupled      Charlotte said ‘I have three adult children who
everything’, remarked Bel. And Jim said            with language barriers that seemed to            are like toddlers. It’s constant work and hard
‘there is good waste and bad waste; … good         underpin many of the problems people saw         training them about what can and cannot

12                                                                                                                            Western Sydney University
CLOSING THE LOOP ON WASTE

go in the bins’. She said she has to check the        go for a walk with plastic bags and pick           Gio said ‘We want facts, we want statistics …
recycling bin, as ‘the Uber Eats paper bags           up bottles and cans from the street. That          whether its volume (in cubic metres), what
sometimes have food inside.’ Despite having a         money is used for petrol and other expenses.’      was actually recycled, or what is stockpiled.
good level of knowledge and commitment to             Community members who collect cans were            And, you know, just the truth. That’s all
recycling, there was still significant confusion      variously described as ‘good Samaritans’           we need, the stark truth.’ There was also a
about recycling symbols on products and               who walk around and ‘clean up’ everyday,           desire to see how recycling rates improve,
what they all mean. What is a legacy of the           to ‘bin chickens’ who ‘scavenge’’ for, or ‘help    charting quantifiable progress over time.
past and what is relevant now?                        themselves to’ cans. The distinction here          Kathy remarked that the water bill has a graph
                                                      appeared to be in relation to transgressing        which shows usage, and wondered about
Across both groups there was a concern                the boundary between public and private            something like that for recycling rates. ‘If
about recycling in multi-unit dwellings, where        property, with the yellow bin itself seen as a     recycling does cost a lot to the … rate-payer,
limited space and capacity were understood            contested space. It was noted that the free        I’d also like to see how Council puts back
to exacerbate bin confusion. Distance from            ‘Return and Earn’ wheelie bins (‘blue bins’)       into the community from the money that
communal recycling bins was also a pressure           were in high demand, with a six-month waiting      they’ve made.’ There were so many questions
point for effective recycling, with one resident      list (as of Jan 2019).                             about the recycling lifecycle that a Council
Michelle saying that driving her recycling to                                                            member who was present held an impromptu
work was easier than attempting to carry it           People had had problems with the reverse-          information session at the end of the
200 metres to the communal bins.                      vending machines ‘jamming’ and with                focus group.
                                                      people leaving plastic bags around the
Soft plastics were still seen as an important         machines. Kathy had noticed that the system
resource to assist household waste                    exacerbates littering. ‘There needs to be a        DUMPING
management, with many participants using              yellow bin next to the red bin at the return
plastic bags for bin-lining, sorting, storing,                                                           Dumping was the most significant problem
                                                      and earn site, for things the machine doesn’t
collecting and carrying. Some remarked on                                                                that participants experienced in their
                                                      accept.’ Most (though not all) participants
their scarcity and sought out shops that still                                                           neighbourhoods. ‘Paint, oil, furniture,
                                                      were aware of the commercial REDcycle
provide single-use plastics. Jason said ‘we                                                              electricals, washing machines, you name
                                                      bins in the supermarkets. Some participants
use plastic bags from Asian shops to carry                                                               it — it’s out on the footpath (dumped) in the
                                                      were able to explain to others the distinction
recycling materials to the bin’. Nina remarked                                                           middle of the night’ … ‘why don’t the garbos
                                                      between hard and soft plastics, using the
‘I used to double bag red rubbish, now only                                                              report it. They drive past it every time they
                                                      ‘scrunch test’.
single bag because plastic bags are scarce’.                                                             come around.’ (Vera). People found dumping
                                                      There was a deep dissatisfaction with              an insult to their efforts to do the right thing,
Across both groups there was a relatively             Council’s provision of information about           and described feelings of powerlessness. ‘I do
high awareness of the community of recycling          where materials go after the recycling bin         everything I can … yeah (but) sometimes you
businesses and services, and knowledge                is collected. People were worried they were        feel defeated’, said Kathy: ‘We have a canal
about and access to this community                    ‘wasting time’ with their careful recycling,       behind our unit block, and there is a resident
incentivised participants’ recycling. People          expressed suspicion about where materials          that will open her balcony door and throw out
were in the main happy to ‘take this task off         went and a desire for proof that materials         over the back fence into the canal. So, there’s
Council’ (Dan). As Gabriel described, ‘we             actually do get recycled: ‘I don’t think there’s   a lot of education [needed], I think.’
have a little jar for all the batteries — we go       enough disclosure by Council as to what
to Aldi or Ikea … In the garage, we collect old                                                          Again, short-term residency was seen as a
                                                      happens to household waste’ remarked Kathy.
electrical items … and take them to Council                                                              factor relevant to dumping. Valentine had
                                                      ‘And I don’t think there’s enough education.’
recycling collection’. Nonetheless, there were                                                           noticed a deterioration with new multi-unit
                                                      Everyone had heard of the ‘China ban’
calls for Council to provide more up-to-date                                                             developments and new people coming in.
                                                      and were aware of the need to rethink our
and accessible information on recycling                                                                  ‘Many of these new developments become
                                                      recycling system. However, people seemed to
businesses and community recycling centres,                                                              dumping grounds. ’Most people were in
                                                      want to know what it meant for recycling in
with participants suggesting a booklet or                                                                agreement with negative impact of higher
                                                      more practical terms. ‘We don’t really have a
fridge magnets as options that could easily                                                              density on waste. Participants were unsure
                                                      mature recycling industry’, remarked Gabriel,
enhance knowledge and use of these services.                                                             about the motivations for dumping: whether
                                                      and Duncan said ‘There’s a code of secrecy
                                                                                                         it was linked to low awareness of Council
                                                      about where it all goes’. Dan described the
There was good participation in the relatively                                                           services or simply to ‘not caring’. Natalie said
                                                      community’s relationship with Council as a
new ‘Return and Earn’ Container Deposit                                                                  ‘(new residents) don’t know about clean ups
                                                      ‘contract’, implying a need for reciprocity:
Scheme, which was seen as a great incentive                                                              and they just assume Council will collect it. We
                                                      ‘It’s like a contract, so we (the community)
for kids to collect litter and see value in things.                                                      have these two collection clean ups a year and
                                                      as a group we’ve contracted to do our part.
Jason described this system as also being                                                                people don’t know about it.’
                                                      And yet the contract’s been broken. We don’t
good for his retired parents: ‘I taught them          know what’s happens after that. We know
to return and earn. They even sometimes               we’re doing our duty.’

westernsydney.edu.au/ics                                                                                                                                 13
CLOSING THE LOOP ON WASTE

It is certain that time pressures may have a         don’t pick them up’. Litter was concentrated        Facebook accounts to ‘advertise’ stuff they no
role to play, with people stuck needing to           near parks, fast food shops and bus stops.          longer want, and several participants tried to
move and simply not knowing what to do               Jason said he thought there were a lack of          re-circulate things by ‘putting outside on the
with their unwanted items. Perhaps dumping           public bins. However, Anthony said people           kerb with a ‘free’ or ‘working’ sign. Even cans,
could be usefully understood at least in part        also need to take responsibility: ‘if there is no   people can take them for return and earn’
as a breakdown in communication. There was           bin in a park take the rubbish with you. It’s       (Jason). This was done in a spirit of generosity,
general agreement across both focus groups           easy to blame Council.’                             which was a long way from the assumed
that there should be more education targeting                                                            mind-set of illegal dumping, and was certainly
renters and new residents.                           Bel from Focus Group 1 had noticed that             not perceived as illegal dumping within the
                                                     a local park that had been full of litter and       focus groups. People had developed their own
Another factor which was discussed later             broken glass had been converted to a dog            rules for how long things should be left on
in the focus group, is that one person’s             park, and that this had changed how people          the kerb before they were brought back into a
‘dumping’ is another’s giveaway, so there is         relate to and care for that environment. ‘It’s      person’s property, from less than a day to ‘two
also a possibility that some people may have         great that dogs have this … there should be         days max’ (Valentine). Apart from a possible
good intentions, desiring to share the utility in    more of those.’                                     difference in intention, these practices differ
their unwanted items with others who might                                                               from illegal dumping as people were taking
make use of them.                                    The mechanism underpinning ‘Return and              responsibility for taking these items back and
                                                     Earn’ that encourages people to collect litter      disposing of them correctly if they are not
                                                     was appreciated. Bel said ‘(I)f we could (have      taken by other people. This was ‘good waste’
LITTERING                                            Return and Earn system) for McDonalds               to use Jim’s term.
                                                     rubbish, because what you notice is people
Quite distinct from dumped items, which tend
                                                     go round and they have trolleys and they pick       Amin remarked that ‘(In Blakehurst) Everyone
to be large and heavy, participants discussed
                                                     up all the bottles and cans that other people       has two Council Clean-ups a year. And
a ubiquitous variety of waste we might term
                                                     don’t have. If everyone could just go around        what you get is the guys who come through
‘fast litter’, derived from fast-food restaurants
                                                     and pick up those McDonald’s containers and         actually collect all the metal; people come
and designed to be consumed on the fly, in
                                                     then (I don’t know how much) you’d get back,        through, and you know, collect it all and sell it
cars. A study conducted by the Werribee
                                                     … but people would go and pick it up, and put       on Gumtree and stuff. Whereas when it’s just
River Association in Melbourne called
                                                     it in the bin.’                                     one house, on one street, every however many
‘Circles of Litter’ found litter concentrated in
distinct circles around fast-food restaurants,                                                           months, no-one sees it.’
most probably dropped by people in motor
vehicles. A branded litter study commissioned
                                                     COMPOSTING                                          Natalie suggested there was possibly a stigma
                                                     Many participants actively recycled their           in the community about reusing second-hand
by the National Packaging Covenant Industry
                                                     organics, with several households having            goods. Valentine had taken advantage of
Association found that McDonald’s packaging
                                                     compost bins and worm farms. Composting             second-hand furniture when she moved to
made the most significant contribution to the
                                                     however went together with gardens. While           Australia, but it was seen very much as an
national litter stream, and was on the rise.
                                                     there was a desire to compost, people living        interim measure until her family got on their
The relationship between litter and fast food        in multi-unit dwellings felt that the design        feet and ‘didn’t need’ it as they were in a
was strongly identified by the focus groups.         of their environment meant composting               better financial position. She said she was very
‘There is always MacDonald’s packaging all           organics was impossible. John said, ‘I live in      involved in paying it forward and donating
over the verge … mostly young people, 18             a unit block, a bit tricky in a unit block at the   to charity (including Salvo’s, Smith family or
to 20, they’ve all got P-plates on their cars.       best of times, as you may know, the new ones.       nearby church communities) however she saw
They just dump stuff, they don’t care’, said         Ah, so I take (organics) to work where we           second-hand very much within the frame of
Dan. In Michelle’s words: ‘I live on a main road     have a community garden. So I put it there’         helping the less fortunate.
and there’s lots of littering on the front yard.     and Kathy (also in a unit): ‘we don’t compost
Slurpee cups, soft drink cans. Take away             because we don’t have the facilities.’ Nan
containers. McDonalds. Lots of take away             raised compost collection, asking couldn’t the
                                                                                                         REPAIR
rubbish.’ Anna said the litter inhibited her         green bin be a compost bin?                         Repair skills were widespread amongst
walking with her child to the library, for fear of                                                       participants, with people actively involved
broken glass. Duong lives near a school and                                                              in extending the life of their things through
had noticed kids sometimes have a snack and          WASTE AVOIDANCE                                     maintenance and repair. Duong said, ‘I try
leave packaging on the street.                       AND REUSE                                           to repair everything, I find a way to fix stuff.’
                                                                                                         People discussed routine clothing repairs
There was general agreement in Focus Group           Many participants described being careful not
                                                                                                         and furniture maintenance to more extensive
2 that ‘lots of local papers becomes litter.         to ‘buy waste’. Duncan suggested, ‘The easiest
                                                                                                         furniture restoration and repurposing, though
Weekly papers are forever at the front, people       way to not have rubbish in the house is not
                                                                                                         fixing electrical and electronic products was
                                                     to buy it.’ Some participants used personal

14                                                                                                                                Western Sydney University
CLOSING THE LOOP ON WASTE

considered a challenge. One participant’s            2. Information and communication                 culture within which ‘waste creation’ is a norm.
husband actively shared his repair skills with       tend to be treated by councils                   Participants noted that Council’s feedback
the broader community. People described              as the same thing.                               programs like the bin smiley faces were nice
tool sheds, and a range of activities that                                                            to receive, but that these might not connect
suggested repair practices were also attached        Councils tend to rely substantially on           with the newly arrived, as there may be a
to available space as they included sanding,         a diffusionist model of communication            much more basic issue with the legibility of
spraying, restoring and storing.                     promoting the transfer of information from       our three-bin system. Our recycling system is
                                                     those who have knowledge to those who            complex and is by necessity becoming more
                                                     don’t. Canterbury-Bankstown is no exception.     complex, which demands ongoing attention to
                                                     However, the evidence suggests that good         educational needs. Even committed recyclers
                                                     communication only happens under certain         were unsure about what could and couldn’t be
INITIAL INSIGHTS                                     structured conditions where person-to-person     recycled, what the various symbols imprinted
                                                     relationships are developed with individuals     on products mean and what was still relevant
The findings reported above, provide critical        and communities.                                 or what was a legacy of the past.
insights into community attitudes toward
waste and provide further evidence in support
of our key recommendations for improving             3. In responding to behavioural                  5. Beyond the immediate questions
the effectiveness of community engagement            change, Councils tend to work                    of waste management there
methods around waste and waste services in           with a behaviourist model.                       should be a stronger focus on
Canterbury-Bankstown. Here we have collated          There is a tendency in the waste-management      issues of over-consumption.
those insights into a series of discussion points.   literature and the strategies adopted            Several recent studies highlight that the
                                                     by councils and municipalities to rely           focus on waste management and how to
1. Accessibility to a diverse range of               substantially on an attitude-behaviour-context   get rid of waste efficiently and with minimal
co-research participants is critical for             model of behaviour change. Canterbury-           damage to our health and the environment
ongoing engagement in Canterbury-                    Bankstown is no exception. Such a method         is important, but the ultimate goal needs to
Bankstown over waste issues.                         may successfully foster an identity of           be a focus on avoiding waste creation, which
                                                     environmental citizenship for a limited number   was a point many participants identified and
The demography of the survey, focus                  of residents in the LGA, particularly based      felt committed to. The basis key in relation
groups and critical issues workshop reveal           on waste recycling in certain community          to resource management and sustainability
that Council were not able to reach and              groups. However, this kind of governmentality,   for future generations is to counter over-
recruit culturally and linguistically diverse        upon which the attitude-behaviour-context        consumption. Everything in our culture
residents for this research via their usual          model is predicated, tends to ignore the need    pushes in that direction from the prevalence
channels, including traffic to the website. This     for, and could be potentially be inhibiting      of advertising and the production methods of
difficulty is not unusual and was exacerbated        consideration of, broader societal change        mass consumption of goods to the emphasis
by a demanding time-frame. As reported               concerning urgent environmental issues           on home remodelling and renovating. For
in Chapter 3 below (Lakhan, 2015, 2016;              involving consumption and waste.                 example, when Dan put it, ‘suddenly you need
Perry and Williams 2007), and in previous
                                                                                                      all this space; and we don’t have a very well-
research commissioned by the NSW Office
                                                     4. Learning about waste is clearly               designed kitchen … we’d like to remodel it’,
of Environment and Heritage (CIRCA, 2014)
participation in Council projects amongst            culturally specific, however,                    he may have been expressing the dominant
                                                     this not necessarily in itself an                cultural view that forgets that remodelling
culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse
                                                     explanatory basis for attributing                itself makes waste.
communities is low, and requires culturally
sensitive design and particular attention to         problems of ‘bad behaviour’.
accessibility needs. In light of the intent of                                                        6. The current work of picking up
                                                     The few participants in our focus groups         organic waste in green bins where
this project to improve the effectiveness
                                                     who had come to Australia from countries
of community engagement methods, this                                                                 the community do not see the
                                                     other than Europe reported that in their
suggests that regardless of engagement
                                                     country of origin, waste had little meaning.
                                                                                                      outcomes (rather than practically
purpose, Council needs to explore alternative                                                         encouraging local precinct-based
                                                     Jason, for example, said that ‘In Australia
ways to engage culturally, linguistically and                                                         composting as part of a community-
                                                     you have to learn the culture of dealing with
religiously diverse communities in the LGA.                                                           based activity), is possibly leading
                                                     waste, recycling, composting.’ This suggests
This includes young people; the majority of
                                                     that a basic understanding of ‘waste’, a         to a lack of engagement.
our research participants were over 40 years
                                                     highly familiar concept for a section of
old which is again not representative of the                                                          Organics in landfill is a significant problem,
                                                     committed long-term residents adapting to
City (see Appendix 2).                                                                                however among the focus group participants
                                                     the ‘disposable society’, may not be so for
                                                                                                      composting of organics was largely confined
                                                     the newly arrived, suddenly greeted with a
                                                                                                      to private gardens, or to memories of

westernsydney.edu.au/ics                                                                                                                            15
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