The Recycling Rate of Tower Hamlets

How do socio-economic background and population density affect the recycling rate in Tower Hamlet? Additionally, how does the Tower Hamlets council involve the public in creating local policies to improve its recycling system?

The efficient management of waste, particularly through recycling is a critical challenge facing urban areas globally. In 2023, Tower Hamlets had the worst recycling rate in England, as reported by (BBC, 2024). Tower Hamlets is a highly-dense populated borough of London, known for its vibrant diversity and stark socio-economic contrasts (Tiwari, 2021). Recycling behaviour is adapted and must be researched to conduct a proper policy, increasing higher recycling awareness. (Meneses & Palacio, 2005) The dynamics factors of Tower Hamlets provide a rich tapestry for investigating the relationship between these factors and recycling behaviour. This research aims to unravel the influence of socio-economic backgrounds and population density on the recycling rate of Tower Hamlets, and the mediating role of public engagement on local policies to improve its recycling system.

To achieve a comprehensive understanding, this research employs mixed methods approaches, integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS), qualitative, qualitative, and quantitative methodologies. Through these mixed research methods, the different types of data allow us to analyse a variety of elements and relations (Elwood, 2018). GIS will be utilized to visualize and analyse spatial patterns of recycling rates concerning socio-economic backgrounds, particularly education level. Then, quantitative methods will be practiced by assessing and analysing of quantitative data on population density and recycling rates. Finally, the qualitative method will be implemented by analysing the documents of Tower Hamlets.

By bridging these methodological approaches, we could understand the intricate connections of socio-economic backgrounds, population density, and the role of public involvement in local policies to increase Tower Hamlets residents’ recycling behaviour. Therefore, developing more effective strategies for promoting recycling and addressing not only environmental concerns but also issues of equity and accessibility in environmental practices.

Geographic Information System (GIS) is a tool to analyse spatial data by displaying the data through a specialised computer database program  (Steinberg & Steinberg, 2015). In this GIS method section, ArcGIS is being used as the software to spatially analyse the relationship between socio-economic indicators and recycling rate across London’s boroughs in 2021. Specifically, we will focus on London’s Index Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores and education levels as key socio-economic factors. Through mapping and spatial analysis, we aim to identify patterns and correlations between these indicators and recycling behaviours across London boroughs. This approach is crucial for uncovering geographical disparities and allows us to visually represent how socio-economic background impacts the recycling rate, providing a foundation for understanding the reason behind Tower Hamlets’ low recycling rate.

To conclude this section, through this geospatial analysis, we could identify the visual contrast that Tower Hamlets is a deprived borough with low recipients of education and a low recycling rate. Moreover, by laying out the data spatially, we could see that there is a visual correspondence between the variables across London boroughs. Although, there may be some boroughs with no direct correlation between high deprivation, especially low education level with a low recycling rate across London boroughs. However, this emphasizes the need for deeper insights through qualitative and quantitative methods to unravel the nuanced factors influencing recycling behaviour within Tower Hamlets.

Following being a deprived borough with low recipients of education and a low recycling rate, Tower Hamlets stands as one of the most densely populated areas in England, as reported by (BBC News, 2024), this contributes as one of the unique factors of Tower Hamlets, making the recycling programs more difficult to handle. This quantitative research segment aims to investigate the relationship between population density and household recycling rate in London boroughs, to acknowledge the dynamic issue of recycling in Tower Hamlets. This approach complements the broader research framework, which includes GIS mapping and qualitative analysis, by employing statistical methods to support or disapprove hypothesized relationships (Gaber, 2020). Therefore, providing empirical evidence of whether the population density of London boroughs influences its recycling rate in 2022, could help improve the policies to increase the future recycling rate of Tower Hamlets.

Data for this study was extracted from the London Datastore. This includes the population density in the boroughs of London in 2022 (measured in population per square kilometre) and the percentages of household recycling rate of London boroughs for the period of 2021/2022. The descriptive statistics of these continuous data will be presented using boxplots to illustrate the distribution of data. Then, to answer the specific hypothesis, inferential statistics of bivariate data through correlation according to the normality parametric is conducted (Acevedo, 2013)

H ₀ : There is no correlation between the population density in London boroughs in 2022 (measured in population per square kilometre) and the percentages of household recycling rate of London boroughs for the period of 2021/2022.

H ₁ : There is a correlation between the population density in London boroughs in 2022 (measured in population per square kilometre) and the percentages of household recycling rate of London boroughs for the period of 2021/2022.

Prior to correlation analysis, normality tests were conducted using the Shapiro-Wilk test, as it is small data (Abbott, 2016). Results indicated normal distribution for both London boroughs’ population density in 2022 (W = 0,94676918) and London boroughs’ percentages of household recycling rate in 2021/2022 (W = 0,96448271). As the data is normally distributed, a parametric test of correlation, employing the Pearson correlation coefficient test is conducted.

The Pearson correlation analysis yielded a coefficient of -0.641. This indicates a strong negative correlation between population density and household recycling rate percentages in the boroughs of London in 2022. The p-value of 0.000005 signifies the statistical significance, leading to the rejection of H ₀  in favour of H ₁ . Thus, it can be concluded that as the population density of the London boroughs increases, its household recycling rate decreases.

This quantitative analysis demonstrates a compelling relationship between population density and percentages of household recycling rates in London boroughs. The findings highlight the importance of addressing population density in waste management policy-making processes to improve recycling rates within Tower Hamlets. By acknowledging the significance of population density as a determinant factor, policymakers can devise more targeted strategies to enhance household recycling practices and foster sustainability in Tower Hamlets.

The qualitative method employs discourse analysis to assess local recycling policies in Tower Hamlets, exploring how the borough’s dense population and high deprivation are managed. This approach complements the broader research framework, by unveiling the underlying meanings in texts and assessing how dominant discourses influence social reality (Cope & Hay, 2021). By examining the documents, this analysis focuses on uncovering how Tower Hamlets’ specific challenges are addressed through understanding how the community is involved and how recycling is discussed within the policy context.

The analysis reviews documents from Tower Hamlets Council including the ‘Reuse, Recycling, and Waste Supplementary Planning Document’ (Tower Hamlets Council, 2021b) and its related documents that are intended for Tower Hamlets’ residents, business owners, and other stakeholders, which outlines strategies for enhancing Tower Hamlets’ waste management system, considering public feedback. By focusing on publications from the same period, the analysis provides a comprehensive view of the interconnected discourse across these documents.

A foucauldian discourse analysis was incorporated, suggesting alternative interpretations of texts based on the interplay of knowledge and power (Hastings,2013 ). Analysis was guided by focused questions on context, language, assumptions, and proposed solutions, with documents coded for themes like “engagement” and “policy”.

• The need for public feedback to improve Tower Hamlets’ waste management strategy is showcased through accessible language used in the (Tower Hamlets Council, 2021a) and (Tower Hamlets, 2018)

• In contrast, (Tower Hamlets Council, 2021b) aimed at practitioners, uses technical language to introduce related policies.

• The documents proudly highlight stages, processes, and results from public feedback to improve Tower Hamlets’ recycling strategy. However, (Tower Hamlets Council, 2021a) could be improved by incorporating actual quotes from the public to substantiate the text. Also, specifying the intended audience of the documents more clearly could improve clarity.

• The policies outline various rational interventions to improve recycling rates by using terms such as “improving” and “adequate” and nominalisation of the policies and actions for emphasis.

• The plans for increasing recycling rates are clearly stated, but the pathways to achieving it are sometimes vague or overly optimistic.

• The documents acknowledge the challenges posed by the high population density of Tower Hamlets.

• The proposed solutions are adjusted accordingly to address Tower Hamlets’ disparities also includes the stark contrast of socio-economic backgrounds characterised (Tiwari, 2021), aiming to optimise the waste management strategy by incorporating community feedbacks.

The discourse analysis of the selected texts highlights the significant role of public engagement in shaping the waste management policies of Tower Hamlets Council. The analysis reveals that great policies have been made. By aligning policies with the realities of urban living and the complexities of population density, there is a potential to achieve higher recycling rates and promote more sustainable practices in the borough. It is now essential that these policies are effectively enacted and there is a consistent commitment from the government and community of Tower Hamlets to improve its recycling rate.

This research uses a combination of geospatial, qualitative, and quantitative methodologies to delve into the factors influencing recycling rates in Tower Hamlets. The geospatial analysis characterises the borough with significant socio-economic and educational deprivation. Although, it indicates no direct correlation between educational attainment and recycling rates across London Boroughs. However, it highlighted the necessity for more comprehensive studies to uncover the subtle dynamics at play specifically in Tower Hamlets. Quantitative findings revealed a strong negative correlation between population density and recycling rates, underscoring the critical need for policies that address the challenges posed by high density in improving waste management practices.

Further, the discourse analysis demonstrated a robust emphasis on public engagement within the local council’s waste management policies. It showed that while policies are well-formulated, their success hinges on effective implementation and sustained community involvement. To enhance recycling rates effectively, it is crucial that these strategies are not only tailored to meet the complex needs arising from Tower Hamlets’ unique urban profile but also actively involve the community in their execution.

Ultimately, the combined insights from these diverse methodologies suggest that improving recycling behaviours in Tower Hamlets requires a multifaceted approach. Policies must be contextually relevant, strategically targeted, and supported by public engagement to bridge the gap between policy and practice. By fostering an inclusive and informed community participation, Tower Hamlets can move towards a more sustainable and equitable waste management system, ensuring that waste management initiatives are accessible to all residents and aware of the borough’s challenges.

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