Residential waste segregation: The interconnection with SDG 2 zero hunger

Abstract

In the scientific literature, academics and practitioners have advocated the interconnection between Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) and composting. However, despite the importance of separating organic waste at home and this activity’s contribution to producing quality compost, relatively few scholars have explored its interconnection with SDG 2. To fill this gap, this article explores the potential of waste segregation in residential areas to meet SDG 2. This quantitative, non-experimental case study is based on an exploratory survey conducted with residents of two middle-class neighborhoods in the capital city of a state in northwestern Mexico, adjacent to the United States of America. The survey aims to measure the practices and knowledge of the participants related to home separation and composting and their understanding of SDG 2. Findings show that the interconnection between residential waste segregation and SDG 2 is harder to prove, even though waste segregation is essential to composting. Results also suggest that SDG 2 is usually pursued on national agendas; thus, it is unlikely that the home segregation of organic waste for small-scale home composting may influence national progress toward SDG 2. Still, this study would provide valuable insights for policymakers to develop comprehensive waste segregation policies that align with SDG 2.