Abstract
This study presents factors influencing household waste generation per capita in two local towns. Points such as household waste composition, trash-bag weight, frequency of waste discharge and social behaviors related to waste reduction were investigated using a field survey and questionnaire. Combustible household waste became the main focus for this study due to its significant contribution to total household waste volume. Factors such as ratio of self-disposal, weight of discharged household waste and waste-bag discharge totals per day per capita were found to vary between the two towns. A difference of approximately 1.8 times the estimated amount of combustible household waste generation per capita between the two towns was revealed. Influencing factors on household waste generation per capita in these towns were investigated using the quantification theory type I. It was found that self-disposal, the number of people per household and occupation influenced the generation of household waste. In particular, self-disposal of yard waste significantly influenced this difference in waste generation between the two towns. In order to further reduce waste generation in local towns, food and yard waste composting at the home is effective.
