Environmental Communication Strategies to Reduce Household Waste in Urban Communities Strategi Komunikasi Lingkungan Untuk Mengurangi Sampah Rumah Tangga Di Masyarakat Urban

Abstract

Household waste has become one of the most critical environmental challenges in urban areas of Indonesia, driven by rapid urbanization, increasing purchasing power, and the dominance of single-use products. This study aims to analyze how environmental communication strategies can effectively reduce household waste in urban communities by integrating Behavior Change Communication (BCC) and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Using a library research method, data were collected from scientific journals, policy documents, and government publications related to waste management and communication strategies. The data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis to identify communication models relevant for changing public behavior. The findings show that household waste continues to increase due to modern consumption patterns and limited waste management capacity, resulting in overburdened landfills. Effective environmental communication requires multi-level strategies: data-driven messaging to raise awareness, peer-to-peer communication to build social norms, social reinforcement to sustain behavior change, and continuous communication through digital and community-based channels. The study also highlights that innovations such as waste sorting, community waste banks, and 3R practices can be widely adopted when they offer relative advantage, compatibility with community values, opportunities for trial, and visible results. The integration of BCC and Diffusion of Innovation supports systemic, consistent, and sustainable behavioral shifts needed to reduce household waste at the source. This study contributes practical recommendations for local governments and environmental stakeholders to design communication strategies that strengthen community participation and decrease the volume of waste entering landfills.