Exploring Urban Youth’s Lived Experiences of Zero Waste Engagement and Ecological Identity
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Abstract
Environmental sustainability is increasingly central to science and society, with the zero waste movement representing a key response to urban ecological challenges. Understanding how young people experience and interpret their participation in zero waste practices offers valuable insights into sustainability engagement. However, limited research explores how such ecological practices shape personal and social identity. This study, using an interpretative phenomenological approach, reveals the subjective dimensions of youth involvement in sustainability—highlighting how personal values, social interactions, and ecological identity evolve through everyday practices. Data from semi-structured interviews with 15 urban youth engaged in zero waste initiatives were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), identifying key themes of self-discovery, social negotiation, collective belonging, and ecological identity formation. Findings indicate that sustainability is experienced not merely as a set of actions but as a transformative identity process rooted in daily life. The study underscores the importance of experiential and identity-based approaches in fostering sustainable engagement among youth.
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