Demographic factors and their influence on the ethics of household waste management in Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between household waste management ethics in Indonesia and demographic characteristics, with particular attention to students, the urban middle class, coastal communities, and indigenous groups that continue to practice local wisdom. Using a qualitative literature-based approach, the study analyzes previous empirical studies on waste-related behavior alongside contemporary discussions on environmental ethics. The findings reveal a persistent gap between environmental awareness and everyday waste management practices. Although students and well-educated urban residents demonstrate relatively high levels of environmental knowledge, this awareness is not consistently translated into waste-reduction and waste-segregation behaviors. The urban middle class, in particular, remains strongly influenced by consumerism and disposable lifestyles. In contrast, coastal communities and indigenous Samin groups exhibit waste management practices that align more closely with ecocentric values and zero-waste principles, largely due to their direct dependence on healthy ecosystems for their livelihoods. The study concludes that Indonesia’s waste problem constitutes an ethical challenge that transcends socioeconomic boundaries. Therefore, efforts to strengthen environmental ethics should be context-specific and demographically sensitive, emphasizing intergenerational justice, social solidarity, and individual responsibility toward everyday living environments.