‘Garbology' as a Determinant of Social Class Stratification, Living Standards and Domestic Waste Foot Print in Selected Urban and Peri-Urban Centers in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya

Abstract

Garbological audits of a given society can reveal both past and present lifestyles, living standards, professions and health status. That what people have owned and thrown away can speak more eloquently, informatively, and truthfully about the lives they lead than they themselves ever may. Garbology depends on the primary premise that one can conclude a considerable amount of information about an individual or group through the composition of their trash receptacles. The material leftovers of past human activity can exemplify on the lives of individuals that disposed of the items that include; paper, clothing, magazines, books, diaries, minutes of meetings, anniversary brochures, food remnants, fast-food packaging, disposable diapers, and grocery bags. This work examined the role of Garbology as a possible domestic waste foot print, social class and living standards indicator in a classical African urban centre by examining House-hold waste from various neighborhoods. The present study considered Garbology as a means of evaluating the socio-economic profile of residents in selected urban and peri-urban centers in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. In this study 40 subject respondents were purposefully identified and interviewed using a stratified questionnaire to establish their responses in Garbology as a tool to project socio-economic stratification of a given society based on the nature and quantities of waste they dispose. The respondents were classified socio-economically as: -[(Upper class, 45%; middle class, 32.5%; Lower class, 22.5%)]. Data were mainly collected through in-depth interviews. The Garbological audit from the respondents show the following information about the people who disposed the waste:-[(Travel preferences, 26%; Health status, 32%; Household demographics, 86%; Religious convictions, 60%; Profession/career, 25%; Consumer habits/income levels, 92%)].The findings indicate that Garbological audits are effective in determining and projecting socio-economic indicators of a society past and present.