A garbage thesis : A quantitative study exploring the relationship between government composition and waste management.

Abstract: The escalating negative consequences of increasing waste generation have in recent years and turned into a serious environmental threat. Waste is a major source of pollution that contributes to global warming and knowing the drivers behind waste generation is essential to finding solutions to the problems it creates. This quantitative study specifically aims to investigate whether there is a connection between countries’ government ideology and their waste patterns, and hypothesizes that countries with a history of more left-leaning governments will generate less waste and recycle more than countries with a history of more right-leaning governments. The multivariate regression analyses conducted show no significant results on the connection between government composition and total waste generation but do however indicate that left-leaning governments recycle more than right-leaning governments. It is likely that the ideal of economic growth makes it difficult for governments, regardless of ideological composition, to take necessary actions to prevent waste generation. Waste is a complex and multi-layered issue and more research is needed on what can be done to mitigate its harmful effects on the environment.