Incentives, Assistance, And Social Sanction In Changing The Community Behavior Of Waste-Management In Indonesia

. This paper examines the role of incentives, assistance, and social sanctions in shaping community behavior towards waste management in Indonesia. Combining rational choice theory with an ethnomethodological perspective, the study challenges the conventional assumption that economic condition or environmental knowledge and awareness are the primary drivers of individual/social action in waste management. Using the qualitative participatory research in the "Mentari Elok" housing complex located in the suburban area of Yogyakarta Indonesia, this study found that the behavior of the majority of residents did not relate to the economic condition or the level of education. The pattern in waste management remains conventional: throwing the garbage without sorting it first, dumping the trash in any place, or burning it in an open space. The research, which is based on qualitative data gathered through observation and assistance during community service activities, demonstrates that the lack of incentives for eco-friendly activities acts as a deterrent to sustainable waste management techniques. Furthermore, the lack of constant and quantitative assistance from social empowerment facilitators makes it more difficult to adopt good waste management behaviors. Furthermore, the lack of social sanctions affects the community's motivation to follow waste management rules. The findings add to the existing body of knowledge by emphasizing the necessity for focused interventions that address these characteristics. These insights can be used by policymakers and waste management practitioners to create policies that provide actual advantages, establish regular support programs, and employ social punishments to encourage good behavioral change. However, it is vital to recognize the study's limitations, such as its concentration on a certain cultural and socioeconomic environment. Future studies should broaden the scope to include different contexts of places and times, as well as longitudinal studies to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of the interventions


Introduction
Waste management has become a major challenge for governments around the world, including Indonesia.The Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), which is responsible for waste management, has information from data input conducted by 196 districts/cities throughout Indonesia.Below is a table of the most recent waste management data in 2022.
Table 1.National data on waste management in Indonesia (2022) It is important to consider the unmanaged waste.It is waste that is not properly managed or disposed of, potentially posing environmental and health problems.According to the data, 6,790,519.21tons (34.16%) of trash is left uncontrolled in Indonesia each year.This could include unlawfully dumped, littered, or inadequately collected rubbish.According to the data, waste management in Indonesia faces issues in properly managing and reducing trash.There is a large volume of mismanaged garbage, which could have negative effects on the environment and public health.It is critical to focus on waste reduction methods, develop waste processing infrastructure, encourage recycling and composting, and enforce better waste management practices throughout the country to improve the waste management situation.
The way communities manage trash reflects a complex interaction of elements, such as tradition, economic viability, and environmental concerns.Understanding the dynamics and determinants of community waste management behavior is critical for policymakers and stakeholders seeking long-term and effective waste management solutions.This article sparked the curiosity as to why most people still treat their waste traditionally: do not sort the waste, dump it anywhere, or burn it in an open space, regardless of their economic condition and environmental awareness.
First, Traditional waste management procedures are strongly ingrained in the everyday routines of many Indonesian communities.These traditions, which represent long-standing cultural norms and customs, frequently involve the disposal of rubbish in common spaces [1], waterways, ditches, and rivers [2] [3], and even direct disposal to the sea [4] or the domestic open-space waste burning [5] [6].
Second, economic variables have a substantial impact on waste management behavior.Some communities may not have access to proper waste collection services or may find them prohibitively expensive.The economic variable here has two meanings, as a cause and as an impact.As a cause, poverty makes people unable to meet the needs of waste management facilities, and as an impact, it is a result of not knowing that waste has potential economic value.The first argument exposes that to reduce their financial burden, many turn to informal garbage disposal practices, such as depositing waste in abandoned fields or gardens [7].And the second statement relates to the fact that most people have not realized that by implementing the 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle), waste management will provide certain economic value [8].
Third, there is a statement that people's negligent waste management behavior is intimately linked to a lack of environmental knowledge [9].Another argued that individuals are less inclined to prioritize responsible waste management practices when they are not fully informed about the environmental effects of improper garbage disposal.Nevertheless, there is a study that revealed that knowledge, attitudes, and waste disposal facilities positively influence behavior in waste management, however, age and educational level do not [10].

Literature Review
According to Max Weber's theory of action, rational action with values, rational instrumental action, emotive action, and traditional action are the four categories of social action.Therefore, tradition is one of the considerations of a person or society in carrying out repeated actions.Each of these social behaviors is achievable at any time, depending on the situation and individual human experience.All human behaviors, or social actions, are informed by the particular experiences, desires, and settings with which each person interacts.There is no guarantee that a single social activity will be repeated by all people or by a single human in a similar context, that every action taken by an individual has a subjective meaning for himself and is directed to the actions of others.Weber also claimed that individual social actions are more likely to result in societal change than top-down social changes [11].
Weber's theory of action has been used to analyze why people habitually throw garbage into the Kapuas River in Borneo.In this context, the results show that the behavior of people who make the Kapuas River a place to dispose of garbage and its impact on society are caused by a lack of public awareness of protecting the environment, narrow land, is due to increasing population, strict disposal rules, and the tradition of the ancestors of throwing garbage into the river [2].
A quantitative analysis conducted by Kadaria and Jati on people's behavior in disposing of garbage into the Kapuas River shows that knowledge, education, income, and attitudes of respondents, as well as the availability of waste disposal facilities, have a low or moderate relationship to this behavior [3].It can be assumed that it was the tradition of their ancestors who were used to throwing garbage into the river which made them get used to throwing garbage into the Kapuas river.In different cases, Pratama, Nurgahayu, and Mutthalib have proven the influence of tradition on the behavior of disposing of garbage [12].
Rational choice theory is also popular to describe the economic factors of a person's/social conduct.The rational choice theory, developed by Max Weber, Johannes von Neumann, and Leonard Savage, states that rational choice means (a) selecting the course of action that best satisfies one's (or their) desires; (b) adopting a belief that is best justified by available evidence; and (c) investing the optimal amount of resources in obtaining information.Despite several empirical and conceptual issues that have encouraged other explanatory approaches, the theory continues to stand out for its simplicity and many predicted successes [13].
Rational choice factors are sometimes debated with altruistic actions.In the context of waste management, if someone manages waste well, it needs to be clarified whether he is doing it because it is a rational choice or because he is acting altruistically.The contrast between rational choice and altruism is a central theme in the social sciences.In this community study in Xi'an China, researchers explored the explanatory efficacy of two different possibilities on household waste sorting behavior [14].
This paper tries to explain the persistent social behavior in waste management through the lens of ethnomethodology.
Ethnomethodology is a qualitative research methodology that has recently gained momentum in social and health sciences.It focuses on the study of methods that individuals use in "doing" social life to produce mutually recognizable interactions within a situated context, producing orderliness.It draws on video-recorded data as a preferred method with detailed attention to talk-in-interaction and gestures as interaction.The analytical resources of ethnomethodology have been used to produce procedural accounts of human conduct in public and social realms like museums, classrooms, and sports, contributing to patient safety [15].
There is research using the ethnomethodological approach to studying strategy by drawing on a fieldwork study of a waste management strategy in a UK Local Authority [16].The paper's inference highlights the insights that ethnomethodology can provide in the realm of strategic management, including current applications and prospective future fields of investigation.The conclusion urges a shift away from rational analytic models, proclamations, and prescriptive approaches to strategy in favor of researching the more mundane activity that enables strategic action, especially the creation of diverse types of accounts.Strategic organization is conceived of as a continuous attainment of members' ethno-methods of production.
The discrepancy between individuals upgrading their knowledge and skills through training for better waste management and continuing to treat their waste, as usual, can be understood from an ethnomethodological standpoint by examining the social practices and contextual factors that shape their behavior.
Ethnomethodology focuses on how individuals construct and make sense of social reality through their everyday interactions and practices.It emphasizes the social order that arises from these practices and the shared understandings that guide individuals' actions.When individuals receive training and education on better waste management practices, they acquire new knowledge and skills that challenge their existing routines and habits.However, even with increased knowledge, individuals may face practical barriers or constraints that hinder their ability to implement the desired changes.Additionally, social interactions and shared understandings within the community play a significant role in shaping behavior.

Methodology
The "Mentari Elok" residential complex was chosen as the research target based on several reasons.I have been relatively long having social approximations with the residents and people there.Since 2016 until now I have made regular visits and social contacts with the community in the residential complex.As the developing area in the suburbs of Yogyakarta, the residents would like to build a partnership in the community empowerment program with Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, especially on waste management.Therefore I led a team to run the agenda which was held on April 5 th , 2023.
This study used a qualitative field research design, which involves primary data collection through observation and free-form interviews.The emphasis of qualitative research is on examining and comprehending complicated phenomena in their natural environments, rather than statistical generalization.In this case, the researchers wanted to learn about waste management community behavior in Indonesia and the elements that influence it.
In qualitative field research, observation is a significant data-gathering approach.Researchers directly observe and document waste management habits, procedures, and interactions in the community.They can record real-time information and gather complex nuances that would be difficult to obtain otherwise through attentive observation.This enables a thorough understanding of the context and dynamics of waste management practices.
In addition to observation, the researchers collected primary data through free-form interviews.Participants in free-form interviews have more freedom to share their opinions, experiences, and perceptions about trash management.Free-form interviews, as opposed to structured interviews with pre-determined questions, allow for open-ended talks, allowing participants to give their ideas in their own words.The researchers can use this approach to investigate the intricacies of waste management behavior, uncover underlying reasons, and examine the influence of incentives, help, and social punishments in influencing these behaviors.
Overall, the qualitative field study design, which includes observation and free-form interviews, allows the researchers to delve into the waste management behavior of the community holistically and contextually.It contains extensive, thorough data that can provide important insights into the issues impacting waste management methods in Indonesia.

Results/Finding
Over the years I have observed the "Mentari Elok" residents' behavior concerning waste management.I later found out there are three dominant patterns.First, more than half of the residents pay fees (Rp25,000 or USD 1,7 per month) for waste transportation.Garbage is collected outside each other's homes, then periodically a garbage truck and its officers will pick up the waste, transport it to the truck, and take it to a final disposal site.Second, some residents chose not to follow the fee system, and disposed of their waste in abandoned yards belonging to other parties.Third, some other residents burn their trash.
In the implementation of the community service project in February 2023, we, as the team, intended to empower the community through three points.First, dissemination of local government policy on waste management.During the occasion, an official from the District Government announced that in the near future, the government will no longer provide waste disposal services to landfills, except for organic waste.While non-organic waste must be managed locally.
Second, training and facilitating residents to collect their household waste, especially used plastic.At that time, a number of friends from an NGO namely "Komunitas Bijaksampah Indonesia" also presented to demonstrate a machine for processing plastic waste mixed with sand, unlike a mixture of conventional sand and cement.
All of these activities are intended so that in the future the community will institutionalize social activities in the form of sorting and processing waste.However, after the project was completed, the community returned to their original habits in dealing with waste problems.

Analysis/Discussion
Legally, Indonesia already has Law No. 8 of 2008 concerning Waste Management.This national regulation has been used as a reference for regulations at the operational level as well as regulations in regencies and cities throughout Indonesia.However, the habits of most people in dealing with waste problems have relatively not changed, as evidenced by the large proportion of unmanaged waste.
For example, at the beginning of 2023, one of the district governments in Yogyakarta declared a waste emergency alarm at a very high level due to the increasingly limited condition of the garbage holding capacity at the integrated landfill site in Piyungan subdistrict [17].Nevertheless, the warning that the amount of waste disposed of has exceeded the capacity of landfills has not been effective in changing attitudes towards more environmentally friendly behavior.
In the context of environmental considerations, it was found that there is a weak correlation between environmental awareness and attitudes towards the environment.A paper presenting an overview of the awareness and attitudes of the public towards environmental issues using survey methods showed that the relationship between awareness and attitude was weak.Respondents with high awareness of pro-environmental issues did not necessarily have a positive attitude [18].
Furthermore, eco friendly and organic products usually have higher production cost for some reasons.They require a longer process of sourcing organic plants and extracting natural fragrances.They also use soy ink and packaging made of seaweed instead of plastic or recycled packaging.The high cost of manufacturing is due to the industry's small size and not produced on a large scale, making it difficult for companies to take advantage.Paying workers wages fairly and ethically is also important to ensure the welfare of workers and the environment.
Economically, the price of many "green" products is much more expensive compared to the conventional ones.For example, the cost of producing food and beverages using recycled packaging is usually much more expensive than using conventional packaging [19].Likewise, the production cost of conventional paving blocks made from non-environmentally friendly cement is still substantially lower than the production cost of environmentally friendly paving blocks made from plastic waste.Kader et al. (2021) calculated that the price of conventional paving blocks on the market in Indonesia varies from Rp80,000 (USD5.3) to Rp130,000 (USD8.6).Meanwhile, for paving blocks made from plastic waste, the price range varies from Rp150,000 (USD10) to Rp160,000 (USD10.3)per meter so it is more expensive around 30% to 35% compared to ordinary paving blocks [20].Thus, the gap in economic values makes people feel hesitant to adjust their old habits with the information about the ideals they receive.
Reluctance to change social behavior can be explained with an ethnomethodological outlook.Ethnomethodology is concerned with how people actively construct and make sense of social reality through their daily interactions and practices.It highlights the social order that results from these activities, as well as the common understandings that drive people's actions.Individuals' conduct in the context of trash management is influenced by established routines, societal conventions, and the practical completion of waste-related chores.
Individuals who undergo waste management training and education gain new knowledge and abilities that challenge their previous routines and habits.These routines and habits, however, are profoundly ingrained in their social interactions and their broader cultural background.The pull of established behaviors, along with the effect of social norms and expectations, can overwhelm newly learned knowledge, causing people to continue disposing of their waste in the same way they have always done.
Furthermore, ethnomethodology emphasizes the significance of practical achievements as well as the contextual aspect of conduct.Individuals may confront practical impediments or limits that impede their capacity to execute desired changes, even with increasing knowledge.This may be due to a lack of recycling facilities, a lack of infrastructure, or a lack of social sanction in their community.When people believe that their neighbors or peers are still disposing of waste in a certain way, it encourages the normality of those activities.Even after training, social constraints and the need to fit in or avoid being perceived as unusual might outweigh the drive to adopt new behaviors.These practical concerns, as well as the need to handle the urgent demands of their surroundings, can trump plans to improve their waste management procedures.
To address this disparity, an ethnomethodological perspective suggests that interventions should go beyond offering training and knowledge upgrades.They should take into account the social and cultural factors that influence behavior, with a focus on community participation, social influence, and the creation of common norms and practices.Creating chances for group discussions, including community leaders, and promoting societal norms consistent with sustainable waste management techniques can all assist in bridging the knowledge-action divide.
To overcome this problem, this study proposes three policy proposals that have the potential to improve the behavior of residents in managing waste management in their environment, namely incentives for environmentally friendly activities, intensive and extensive assistance by professional facilitators in the field of community empowerment, and the formulation and application of social sanctions in the scope of the given community.
Incentives for eco-friendly activities.Eco-friendly activities, such as using renewable energy, buying energy-efficient equipment, or taking public transportation, may have higher initial expenses than their conventional counterparts.Ordinary individuals, particularly those with low financial resources, may find it difficult to acquire or adopt environmentally beneficial behaviors due to this cost barrier.In such instances, government incentives can be quite effective in promoting and enabling environmentally responsible practices.
Assistance by community empowerment facilitators.Community empowerment facilitators play a crucial role in driving positive attitudes and behavioral change regarding waste management.They help communities understand the significance of their actions and encourage them to adopt more responsible waste management practices.They also run skillbuilding and capacity development trainings and workshops to empower individuals to take direct action in managing waste effectively.They also build collaborative problem-solving by organizing community meetings, forums, or workshops, and design and implement behavior change campaigns tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of the community.Finally, they operate monitoring and feedback activities to track progress and provide suggestions for follow-up to individuals and the community a whole.
Social sanction.The absence of effective social sanctions makes the social behavior in waste management not change.Garbage is still disposed of and transported in mixed conditions, some residents throw it in empty yards or gardens, and some others just burn the garbage in open spaces.Dissemination of regulations on waste management that contain prohibitions to do the things above, coupled with campaigns of waste management are less effective in changing attitudes towards more environmentally friendly behavior.
For example, in Jakarta, there is a Regional Regulation (Provincial Level Regulation) No. 3 of 2013 concerning Waste Management which combines administrative and social sanctions.In Ch.XXII, namely Administrative Sanctions, Article 127, for corporations, facility managers, or commercial areas that do not comply with waste management provisions, they could be fined ranging from IDR 1 million to IDR 50 million [21].Interestingly, for households, the administrative sanctions are decided by a community meeting led by the Head of the Resident Community Organization.So, for corporations, it is a formal fine that has been set by the government, and for households, it is in the form of a more social sanction.
Even though Rukun Warga has been given the authority to issue sanctions against violators of the regional regulation, the results of research by Verawati and Tuti (2020) show that the implementation of waste management policies in DKI Jakarta Selatan is not very good.According to them, this was because socialization had not yet reached the Neighborhood Communities level (RT -Rukun Tetangga), and there was no commitment from both the government and residents to achieve waste management following these provisions [22].Even though Jakarta has governed administrative sanctions and given the authority of the RW to impose social sanctions, the result is still less effective, let alone in regions that have not implemented such sanctions.It can be assumed that the behavior of residents cannot be expected to be more proper.

Conclusion
Finally, from an ethnomethodological standpoint, this study offers noteworthy data regarding the causes driving individual or social behaviors that challenge waste management principles, notably the 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) principles.Contrary to popular belief, the research findings suggest that the absence of incentives for eco-friendly activities, the lack of regular and measurable assistance from professional social empowerment facilitators, and the absence of social sanctions all play significant roles in shaping these behaviors.
This research adds to the current body of knowledge by providing light on the sociocultural elements that influence waste management behaviors.It highlights the importance of interventions such as giving incentives, establishing consistent and measurable support programs, and enforcing social punishments to promote sustainable waste management practices.Policymakers, community leaders, and waste management practitioners can build targeted strategies to encourage good behavioral change by acknowledging the importance of these elements.However, it is critical to recognize the research's limitations.The study concentrated on a certain ethnomethodological perspective and may not have captured the full complexities of waste management habits.Furthermore, because the findings are context-specific, they may not be readily transferrable to other cultural or socioeconomic circumstances.Further study should be conducted to investigate these aspects in different circumstances, taking into account a larger variety of variables such as cultural norms, socioeconomic differences, and the efficiency of various incentive structures.Longitudinal studies that track behavioral changes over time can provide useful insights into the long-term effectiveness of treatments and shed information on the sustainability of environmentally friendly waste management techniques.