Knowledge on Household Biodegradable Waste Management in Bangalore City

Waste is not seen as a resource that can be refined or recycled and thereby generate wealth. Instead, it is often treated as the evil leftover that needs to be eliminated. This indiscriminate disposal with little concern leads to many health and environment problems. The objectives of the study were to elicit information on quantity and composition of household waste generated by households in Bengaluru city, to identify the influencing factors on waste generation, to elicit information on the knowledge of waste management at household level from selected homemakers. The sample households for the study were identified through multistage selection. 20 households each from the 40 wards identified were selected randomly for the study. Thus, 800 households were selected for the baseline data collection of the study with the help of questionnaire. Intervention programme was conducted for a period of one month to 80 homemakers through posters, lectures, power point presentation and group discussion regarding role of individuals in waste management. Education has been known to be an empowering tool for people at both the household and society levels. Intervention programme increased the knowledge of the homemakers from moderate to adequate level. Adequate knowledge on the influence of improper waste disposal may encourage people to adopt positive waste management practices