Attitudes and Values that Drive Residents Waste and Disposal Behaviour in the Bradford District - Case Study Example

Introduction: Scientific approach by research gives a clear solution to the problem; research comprises identifying and analysing the problem. Every person should feel the responsibility of protecting the environment, adopting a correct habit of disposing the waste is one such responsibility. The cause of concern for the metropolitan District council of the Bradford city is the waste disposal habits of the Citizens of Bradford city that may damage the environment. An in depth study of the habits, attitudes and a value is the necessity to analyse the problem. The present study gives a detailed analysis of the habits and attitudes of the residents of the Bradford city that compelled the Metropolitan District Council to reconstitute the city’s waste management. The intention of the council is to bring the environmental awareness among the residents of the city through the newly constituted waste management system. The emphasis is mostly on the recycling awareness, recycling in developed countries is the collection and reuse of single-use materials. (4 wikipedia) Methodology: The aim of selecting any research method is to give the most useful information in a most practical way. Research comprises two phases, qualitative phase in which the required information is collected by adopting a suitable method, and in the quantitative phase the collected data is analysed with statistical methods. An ideal researcher combines the qualitative and quantitative methods to find a clear solution to the problem by scientific way. Qualitative research: There are many qualitative research methods to get the required information, it is important to keep in mind while adopting any method, is that, it should be practical, accurate and credible. In the present study, the qualitative methods are selected, such that these methods would help to analyse the data quantitatively, that yields accurate results. Observation: observations of the habits and attitudes of the selected group of residents are recorded for over fourteen days at regular intervals. This method gives the accurate information. (1 Carter McNamara) Interviews: this method is selected in the present study to get full impressions and experiences and to learn more about the answers to questionnaire. (1 Carter McNamara) Twenty-five completed questionnaires ended the survey; the questionnaire was based on the recycling awareness of the residents of the Bradford city. Quantitative research: A small but carefully selected population is sufficient to represent a population. This sample thus reflects the entire characteristics of the population. Among the methods of sampling, random sampling is the purest form of sampling. (2, statpac.inc 8, David.H.K aye) In this method a particular criterion is adopted for selection, under these criteria different groups are selected for the same parameter, and by lottery procedure, a member is selected from each group for testing. This is the probability sampling method where the controversy on the selection procedure is less, the balance between the sampling frame and the population will be good by this procedure. (2 statpac.inc, 3,M.A.Flatratrone.et.al, 4, Thomas R. Lunsford 5, Queensland government) A good designed experiment gives an idea of how, one variable responds to the changes in the other variable in the controlled conditions of the experiment. The quality of the data determines the inferences, it is important to interpret the data that eliminates the random errors and the laws of probability, analyses the random error. The likely impact of the errors of chance can be determined by the statistical methods like standard errors, confidence intervals, significant probabilities, hypothesis tests, or posterior probabilities (7 David freedman et.al., 9. New. Eng. Jour.med). In the present study the criteria is selecting random members of the residents of the Bradford city for their awareness on recycling of waste. The data was collected for 25 residents by different researchers at different times. 25 groups were directly interviewed, thus 25 groups are interactive and 25 groups are non-interactive. Results and Discussion: Population size: 50 Interactive papers: 25 Non-interactive papers: 25 In the present experiment, 25 are interactive and 25 are non-interactive papers, by applying the law of probability, the following inference can be drawn. For the clarity of the sampling procedure, the following parameters are calculated. (14 Gregory.A.Kimble) Estimator: the numeric character of the population is estimated by using the estimator, a static computed from the sample data. In the example of the present experiment, the difference in getting information from interactive and non-interactive papers is used to estimate the corresponding difference in the rest of the population. Let us assume that the information has been obtained from seven of the non-interactive papers and twelve of the interactive papers. The sample rates are therefore 7/25 i.e., 20.8% for non-interactive papers and 12/25 i.e., 40.8% for interactive papers. The difference in sample rates then becomes 40.8-20.8 percentage = 20% Standard error: the magnitude of the random error is determined by the standard error, the estimate percentage may be off from 20 to a lower level due to random error, estimate should be accompanied by random error whenever possible. In the present example the standard error is about 12 points; the estimate percentage of 20 is off by 8 points. It cannot be stated how far the estimate would be off, but the 12 points would be likely magnitude of the error. Confidence interval: this parameter gives a precise idea; if the standard error is one, and it would be correct by 75%, Standard interval is abbreviated as SE and range of confidence interval is 75%, the interval then goes from 10-30 points. estimate-1SE to estimate+1SE If higher confidence levels are required then the interval must be widened, say 97%, then the confidence level is about estimate-2SE to estimate+2SE the confidence level goes from 0-40 points, if confidence levels of still higher level are wanted then the interval is widened by 99.5% estimate-3SE to estimate + 3SE The confidence levels go from -10-50 percentage points. The confidence levels depend upon the standard error; if the error is small, the estimate is right, if the standard error is more the estimate may be wrong. P-values and Hypothesis tests: in the present experiment, 25 papers were non-interactive and 25 papers were interactive drawn from a randomly selected population for the awareness on recycling of the waste. An interview was conducted as assumed and information was obtained from 7 non- interactive and 12 interactive papers, then the percentage of information obtained is 20.8% and 40.8% respectively. The sample difference in the obtained information rate was 20 percentage points. The p-value answers the following questions. (13 Joseph.L.Gastwirth and Samuel.w.greenhouse). If the information obtained from the selected population is identical, then why the difference of 20% is observed in two samples. The assertion that information obtained from the whole population is same is called ‘null hypothesis’. The null hypothesis asserts that there in no difference in the information obtained from the random members and the difference in percentage in sampling is due to the luck of the draw process. The p-value is the probability of getting as extreme as or more extreme than, given that the null hypotheses is true, P = Pr (extreme data/ null hypothesis in model) If the null hypothesis is true there is only the chance of getting a difference of 5% in the percentages of 13-20%, the p-value for the discrepancy would be 5%or 0.05. In the examples of this type, small p-values are evidence of disparate impact and larger values are against the disparate impact. Significance level: the obtained data is statistically determined by comparing a p-value to a preestablished value, the significant level. If the difference in the p-value to the value of significance is less, null hypothesis is accepted and if the difference is more the hypothesis is rejected. Normally a value of 0.05 is accepted for this type of studies. Conclusions: Recycling is the reuse of the material that is considered waste otherwise; in the developed countries this refers to the wide spread collection of single-use beverage containers, so that the raw materials of these containers are used again. These raw materials generally comprise of steel, paper, aluminium, plastic and other scrap metals. (4 wikipedia).Data obtained from the interviews of the residents of the city clearly shows that, they are aware of recycling. They partially recycle the waste and they recycle mainly because they know that it protects the environment. They recycle the items that are reusable, and are familiar with the symbol for the rechargeable commodity, but ignorant of the recycling directory. The awareness is partial, and people and are dissatisfied with the council. The reason is the metropolitan council has not provided a regular household recycling collection, this may be due to the economical reasons like the cost of collecting and sorting the materials is equally or more expensive than virgin materials.(4 wikipedia). Suggestions: While reconstituting the waste management system the metropolitan council should make a provision to educate people more on the recycling and environment. The purpose of increasing recycling awareness among the residents is fulfilled only when the council cooperates by providing regular household recycling collection. The council should think more about protecting the environment rather than economic terms as far as the recycling is concerned. The collective action of the council cooperative and people well aware of the benefits of recycling will make the Bradford city a greener city. References: 1. A compilation of different articles by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD on basic research methods. Available on wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. 2. Sampling methods, an article by statpac.inc. available at www.statpac.com. 3. M.A.Flatratrone.et.al., exercise training and nutritional vol. 38 4. Waste management from wikipedia free encyclopaedia 5. David.S.Moore and George.P.McCabe, introduction to the practice of statistics (202) second edition, 1993. 6. David freedman et.al., Statistics ( 2nd edition) (1991) 7. reference guide on statistics , David.H.Kaye and David.A.freedman 8. the health benefits of exercise, a critical reappraisal 328, New. Eng. Jour.med 574-575 9. Isaac 5, Michael W. Handbook in research and evaluation, 2nd ed. San Diego: Edits Pub.; 1990:189. 10. Schlesselman JJ. Case-control studies: Design, conduct, analysis. New York: Oxford University Press; 1982. 11. Dominowski RL. Research methods. New Jersey: PrenticeHall; 1980 12. resampling based multiple testing: examples and methods for p-value adjustment(1993): Joseph.L.Gastwirth and Samuel.w.greenhouse 13. Gregory.A.Kimble How to use statistics, (1978) 14. Micheal oakes , Statistical interference : a commentary for the social and behavioural sciences (1986) 15. statistical quality control : M.Mahajan Read More