Improving Garbage Receptacles: Designing an Affective Garbage Receptacle that Influences Human Behavior Towards Littering

Abstract

In the Philippines, the daily waste generation of each household was estimated to be 40,000 tons in 2016, proving that wastes had become a part of the lives of many. Therefore, driven by cultural and personal norms, values and upbringing, psychological cues in garbage receptacles, and the availability and noticeability of these garbage receptacles, people had resolved to litter. This study aims to develop an affective garbage receptacle design which will induce a change in behavior and attract individuals to voluntarily walk and throw their litter in the garbage receptacle. The design also considers the foremost functions of a garbage receptacle such as durability, reliability, and more. These shall cater to the demands of the community in Plaza Hugo, Sta. Ana, Manila and further advocate for a greener environment. The study is inspired by several methods in order to capture the design parameters for the ideal garbage receptacle. As a foundation of the methods used in the study, related literatures, observations, preliminary surveys, post-surveys, interviews, and simulations are based and inspired from Shikake and Kansei Engineering. Ultimately, the results showed that the design generated came to be more noticeable and attractive compared to the standard garbage receptacle design that is present in the community. However, people in Plaza Hugo expressed skepticism through post-surveys about the idea that the design could influence specific human norms and behavior. Therefore, the challenge with litter and environment is mostly due to the habits and norms formed by the cultural upbringing and individual reasoning of the people in Plaza Hugo, as further fortified thru interviews with professionals and the local government.