Critical Factors Affecting Street Littering Behavior of Youth

Abstract

Street littering has known to be a global phenomenon over the years. The intensity of littering varies across societies and age groups. This study on street littering is centered around youth. The objectives cover two aspects: exploring factors affecting street littering behavior in Sri Lanka and suggesting policy implications. The study adopted quantitative methods based on deductive reasoning approach. Data was collected as survey research using the simple random sampling technique. 315 youth were selected out of the total youth population in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2022. Analysis of data was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Analytical tools such as Pearson correlation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent sample t-test, and chi-square test were used. The study found to have a strong association between street littering behavior and two critical factors; visibility of litter and group behavior which corresponded with social psychological theories namely theory of deindividuation and theory of social comparison. A significant association with age and education was also indicated against street littering behavior while a weak relationship was noticed between environmental factors. The study suggests policymakers to focus on urgent and long-term sustainable solutions. Short term recommendations include positive and negative reinforcement strategies. The long-term sustainable solutions are proposed to make self-transformations within youth via attitudinal changes. Among the social science researchers in Sri Lanka, ‘Street littering behavior’ is considered an under-researched area. Hence this study provides both academic and empirical implications. Future research can be extended both locally and globally by comparing different demographic variables and changing the research study contexts within the same theme.