Combining my interests about food waste and consumption with enviornmental impacts, I designed a study on waste management habits in households in Boquete, Panama. In 2019, Panama became the first country in Central America to ban single use plastic bags which was the first phase of a complete ban on single use plastics. The other phases would initiated in the following years. I was curious to see people's response towards the ban. Due to Panama's foreign tax laws, Boquete has become a popular destination for foreign nationals living abroad which creates a unique divide in the city between Panamanians and foreigners. I interview 40 different households, 20 foreign and 20 Panamanian. The majority of the interviews with the Panamanian households were conducted in Spanish. The interviews investigated how households managed trash, recycling, and other types of trash, as well as their opinion on the plastic bag ban.
This research highlighted relationships between global development and household waste management. I found that foreign households were more likey to know of and even currently employ recycling and composting habits within their households, and had preferences towards more environmental friendly waste management solutions. Many Panamanian households didn't practice recycling or composting, and were unfamiliar with more environmentally friendly waste management solutions, with a much higher tendancy to burn trash. This suggested that with global development and access to additional resources, households may practice more diverse and environmentally friendly household waste management solutions. Finally, of those who knew about the plastic waste ban, most thought it wouldn't be effective without any enforcement.