Background
Indonesia, like other nations going through rapid urbanization and population growth, faces daunting challenges in dealing with waste. The struggle is further compounded by a lack of adequate infrastructure and resources to manage them. Unchecked landfills and open dumps have become the norm, leading to the formation of massive and dangerous waste mounds.
The lack of an effective waste management system exacerbates the vulnerability of communities to not only health problems, but also the vast impacts of climate change. Additionally, waste clogging drainage systems has intensified flooding events, especially in urban areas, which poses safety and health hazards for civilians.
To put into perspective, in 2023 alone there were
19.3 million tons of waste production,
of which
40% were from households
And in the same year
at least 30 landfills across Indonesia caught fire
This issue goes beyond seeing piles of waste and smokey sky from afar. It is very much close to us.
A lot of Indonesians might have to go through their days smelling pungent odor, developing skin irritation, or consuming contaminated food/drink due to poor waste management.
This situation makes it clear that addressing the waste crisis must begin at home, with each person taking responsibility to keep millions of tons of waste from harming the environment. Promoting the habit of sorting waste can lead to higher recycling rates and lessen the load on already overflowing landfills. The real challenge is getting people to consistently integrate sorting into their daily routines and making this practice widespread.
But there is hope
among the believers.
Indonesia is ranked as
the most generous country,
and alongside that,
has over 98% of people seeing religion as very important.
Perhaps there is a deep sense of faith to be found among the communities.
Perhaps their spiritual beliefs impact their beliefs in caring for one another
–and for the planet.
With waste management and climate resilience as parts of our focus issues, Participate partnered up with UNPD Indonesia, UNDP Accelerator Lab, and Tim Koordinasi Nasional Pengurangan Sampah Laut (TKNPSL) to undergo a participatory research in Yogyakarta, studying faith as an under-explored influence on waste sorting behaviors and investigating the potential impact of religious messaging across different beliefs and communities.
This study follows a step-by-step process where we engage co-researchers consisting of community members in a cycle of action-reflection. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining qualitative methods (Behavioral Survey) for contextual insights and quantitative methods (Experimental Design) for statistical analysis. This approach resulted in statistical insights and a deeper understanding that takes into account the lived realities of community members.
Learn more about Participate’s approach to social change initiatives here.
Through this study, we aimed to answer one key question:
Does religious messaging have an influence on waste-sorting behavior?
Findings
5 Key Levers to Effective Religious Messaging
Role
Model
Religious messaging delivered by role models, particularly religious leaders, is proven to be more effective in increasing the average weight of recyclables collected in places of worship.
Regular
Messaging
The further from the day of religious messaging, the lesser the average weight of collected recyclables. This emphasizes the importance of regular messaging until the desired behavior becomes habitual.
Tailored
Messaging
Each religion has its own context and teachings, especially about the environment. Tailoring the messaging to fit specific religious contexts is important for better effectiveness.
Leverage Prior Knowledge
Leveraging the existing knowledge of worshippers and avoiding redundant information improves the efficiency and effectiveness of religious messaging.
Supporting Infrastructure
The presence of supporting infrastructure is essential for behavior change, as it builds trust in the new system. People need to believe that the system is here to stay.
Full Report
To read more about how we did the study, more insightful findings, as well as further questions to explore in future studies, you can download the report for free.
About GRADASI
GRADASI is campaign aimed at reducing plastic pollution by inviting people at places of worship to do donation, but in the form of recyclables waste. Waste donation has the potential to increase public awareness about the importance of giving and sharing, while caring for the environment by habitually doing waste-sorting to reduce plastic waste.
Currently, the movement has spread to 24 provinces, with a total of 137 mosques and 46 churches having implemented waste donation practices. As of December 2023, the recorded total amount of waste donation is 295,596 kilograms.
Participate aims to mainstream participation into social change practices and initiatives to shape a more inclusive development sector. If you’re interested in collaborating with us to engage community better or reach out to our consultants for specific expertise needs, you can contact us via our contact form or email us at info@participateid.com.