Participatory Methodologies for Self-Management of Waste: Case Study for the Reduction of Plastics in the Sahrawi Refugee Camps

Ester Guijarro, María Clavel and Álvaro Fernández-Baldor
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Ester Guijarro: Departamento Organización de Empresas, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
María Clavel: Facultad de Administración y Dirección de Empresas, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Álvaro Fernández-Baldor: Departamento de Proyectos de Ingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: According to the United Nations, if measures are not taken by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than there are fish. This work addresses this issue by proposing an adaptation of the CLTS, a methodology used in sanitation to promote behavioural changes, to the waste management sector. The methodology is applied in the Sahrawi refugee camps through two phases: a first one in which the specific context is analysed to achieve a real diagnosis of the problem and a second phase in which the CLTS is adapted proposing the use of various participatory techniques in order to reduce the use of plastic bags. The analysis of the information collected in the first phase shows that plastic bags constitute the highest percentage of waste and that the best solution to reduce the consumption of plastic bags is by actively raising awareness among the community through training and talks. This justifies the second phase where a practical guide is provided on how Sahrawi people themselves can become aware of the problem and triggering the desire for change in the community. Thus, the philosophy of the methodology proposed here is that people are capable of self-organising and solving their own problems.

Keywords: Sahrawi refugee camps; sustainable development; plastic reduction; waste management; self-analysis; awareness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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