Economic incentive and social influence to overcome household waste separation dilemma: A field intervention study

Identifying American climate change free riders and motivating sustainable behavior

Free riders, who benefit from collective efforts to mitigate climate change but do not actively contribute, play a key role in shaping behavioral climate action. Using a sample of 2096 registered American voters, we explore the discrepancy between two groups of free riders: cynics, who recognize the significance of environmental issues but do not adopt sustainable behaviors, and doubters, who neither recognize the significance nor engage in such actions. Through statistical analyses, we show these two groups are different. Doubters are predominantly male, younger, with lower income and education, exhibit stronger conspiracy beliefs, lower altruism, and limited environmental knowledge, are more likely to have voted for Trump and lean towards conservative ideology. Cynics are younger, religious, higher in socioeconomic status, environmentally informed, liberal-leaning, and less likely to support Trump. Our research provides insights on who could be most effectively persuaded to make climate-sensitive lifestyle changes and provides recommendations to prompt involvement in individual sustainability behaviors. Our findings suggest that for doubters, incentivizing sustainability through positive incentives, such as financial rewards, may be particularly effective. Conversely, for cynics, we argue that engaging them in more community-driven and social influence initiatives could effectively translate their passive beliefs into active participation.

The deviation of farmers' willingness and behavior of domestic waste separation: a study on neighborhood effects and policy interventions

Based on the perspective of combining informal and formal systems, this paper empirically explores the impact of neighborhood effects and policy interventions on the deviation of farmers' willingness and behavior of domestic waste separation (DWS) by using data from the China Land Economy Survey (CLES) and constructing a probit model. It should be explained that the neighborhood effect in this paper refers to the fact that the behavior of farmers is highly susceptible to the behavior of their neighbors in the process of production and living. The results of the study show that neighborhood effects and policy interventions have a significant negative impact on the deviation of farmers' willingness and behavior of DWS, respectively. Comparison of marginal effects shows that neighborhood effects > environmental advocacy > reward and punishment policies. From the interaction effects as a whole, neighborhood effects and policy interventions have complementary effects on the deviation of farmers' willingness and behavior of DWS, with the complementary effects of neighborhood effects and environmental advocacy being more significant. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that neighborhood effects completely replace the inhibitory effect of policy interventions on the deviation of high-income farmers' willingness and behavior of DWS, but have no effect on political elite farmers. The interaction between neighborhood effects and policy interventions has complementary effects on low-income farmers and ordinary farmers, with the complementary effects of neighborhood effects and environmental advocacy being more significant.

Municipal solid waste management instruments that influence the use of the refuse as fuel in developing countries: A critical review

Landfills are the destination of most of the refuse generated whereas composting, material recycling, and Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies are not commonly employed in developing countries. However, the destination for energy purposes could be supplied with this refuse, improving the viability of energy use. Thus, this article raises some questions to identify aspects that could encourage its use as refuse-derived fuel (RDF) in these countries. Among them, does environmental education affect the municipal solid waste (MSW) source separation with emphasis on a destination? Can selective collection and extended producer responsibility (EPR) affect the MSW for energy recovery? Is there competition between the recycling market and the energy market for RDF? A systematic review of the literature was conducted to gather data and provide answers to such questions. This enabled to observe that EPR, selective collect expansion and source separation influence the quantity and quality of waste sent for energy use. Both internal and external factors impact on source separation. Additionally, there is evidence to support that despite several studies showing their technical, economic, environmental and social viability, the methods of energy usage of the refuse still need to improve their deployment in developing countries. In addition to identifying the main research gaps to be filled in future studies, the article also identified the instruments of MSW management that are to be applied in developing countries to divert recyclable and organic waste from landfill.

Economic incentive in enhancing community waste separation and collection: A panel data analysis in China

While incentive mechanisms have been proven to motivate residents to separate their waste, empirical research is still needed to determine whether this separation behaviour could be maintained over time. The main objective of this paper is to investigate waste separation management activities in the city of Dongying, China, as a case study to clarify how local community citizens' waste separation participation and recycling activities change over time cross-sectionally under the influence of an economic incentive mechanism - PS. This study used least square dummy variable analysis to investigate local waste separation behaviour in 98 communities over 22 months. Results showed that community resident waste participation and recycling behaviour tend to grow in the early stages and gradually show saturation without growth in the middle and late stages. This result implies limitations to the incentive mechanism, such that it could only motivate a part of residents to participate in waste separation; for those unaffected by financial incentives, it was suggested that educational or compulsory means be used to make them separate their waste.

Interventions to promote household waste segregation: A systematic review

Waste segregation at source, particularly at the household level, is an integral component of sustainable solid waste management, which is a critical public health issue. Although multiple interventions have been published, often with contradictory findings, few authors have conducted a comprehensive systematic synthesis of the published literature. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review to synthesize all published interventions conducted in any country in the world which targeted household-level waste segregation with or without additional focus on recycling or composting. Following PRISMA guidelines, Web of Science, Medline, Global Health, and Google Scholar were searched using a search strategy created by combining the keywords 'Waste', 'Segregation', and 'Household'. Two-stage blinded screening and consensus-based conflict resolution were done, followed by quality assessment, data extraction, and narrative synthesis. 8555 articles were identified through the database searches and an additional 196 through grey literature and citation searching. After excluding 2229 duplicates and screening title abstracts of 6522 articles, 283 full texts were reviewed, and 78 publications reporting 82 intervention studies were included in the data synthesis. High methodological heterogeneity was seen, excluding the possibility of a meta-analysis. Most (n = 60) of the interventions were conducted in high-income countries. Interventions mainly focused on information provision. However, differences in the content of information communicated and mode of delivery have not been extensively studied. Finally, our review showed that the comparison of informational interventions with provision of incentives and infrastructural modifications needs to be explored in-depth. Future studies should address these gaps and, after conducting sufficient formative research, should aim to design their interventions following the principles of behaviour change.

Solid waste management in the context of the waste hierarchy and circular economy frameworks: An international critical review

Growing populations and consumption drive the challenges of solid waste management (SWM); globalization of transport, food production, and trade, including waste trading, distributes risks worldwide. Using waste hierarchy (WH; reduce, reuse, and recycle) and circular economy (CE) concepts, we updated a conceptual waste framework used by international organizations to evaluate SWM practices. We identified the key steps and the important factors, as well as stakeholders, which are essential features for effective SWM. Within this updated conceptual framework, we qualitatively evaluated global SWM strategies and practices, identifying opportunities, barriers, and best practices. We find that, although a few exceptional countries exhibit zero-waste compliance, most fare poorly, as exhibited by the high waste generation, incineration, and disposal (open dumping, landfilling) volumes. In the Global North, SWM strategies and practices rely heavily on technologies, economic tools, regulatory frameworks, education, and social engagement to raise stakeholder awareness and enhance inclusion and participation; in the Global South, however, many governments take sole legal responsibility for SWM, seeking to eliminate waste as a public "nuisance." Separation and recycling in the Global South are implemented mainly by "informal" economies in which subsistence needs drive recyclable material retrieval. Imported, regionally inappropriate tools, economic constraints, weak policies and governance, waste trading, noninclusive stakeholder participation, data limitations, and limited public awareness continue to pose major waste and environmental management challenges across nations. In the context of the framework, we conclude that best practices from around the world can be used to guide decision-making, globally. Despite variations in drivers and needs across regions, nations in both the Global North and South need to improve WH and CE compliance, and enhance stakeholder partnership, awareness, and participation throughout the SWM process. Partnerships between the Global North and South could better manage traded wastes, reduce adverse impacts, and enhance global environmental sustainability and equity, supporting UN Sustainable Development Goals. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:9-35. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Assessing Household's Municipal Waste Segregation Intentions in Metropolitan Cities of Pakistan: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

There is a growing concern about inappropriate waste disposal and its negative impact on human health and the environment. The objective of this study is to understand household waste segregation intention considering psychological, institutional, and situational factors simultaneously. Insights into the motivations of household waste segregation drivers may assist in a better knowledge of how to pursue the most efficient and effective initiatives. For this purpose, data from a representative sample comprising 849 households is obtained from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Pakistan). The empirical analysis employs a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach, showing that policy instruments have significant direct and indirect impacts on households' segregation intentions. The results highlight that government policy instruments strengthen personal and perceived norms for waste segregation intentions, resulting in an external intervention that would encourage intrinsic motivation. Therefore, policy actions become the main entry point for initiating waste segregation behavior. Public policy must continue to emphasize waste segregation since it may help resource recovery. This is imperative because the environment is a shared resource, and its conservation increases social welfare.

The role of social network embeddedness and collective efficacy in encouraging farmers' participation in water environmental management

Water environmental management (WEM) has a significant influence on the global ecological balance. As an institutional innovation, the River Chief System (RCS) in China has achieved a positive short-term impact on addressing water environmental problems. However, its effects are limited in rural China. As a type of public good, the rural WEM demands the active participation not only of government but also of farmers. Based on the social cognitive and social network theory, this study empirically investigates how rural social networks promote farmers' participation in WEM. Using the survey of 860 farmers in the Yellow and Yangtze River Basin, we employ the double-hurdle model (D-H-M) to craft the primary assessment. The results show that the social network embeddedness facilitates farmers' participation in WEM directly. Collective efficacy plays a full mediation role in the relationship between social network embeddedness and farmers' participation. Moreover, the perceived role of village leaders affects the relationship between social networks and farmers' participation. Our research enriches the application of social network theory in the rural social context and offers an innovative approach to solving farmers' participation problems in WEM.

Personality traits that associate with sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals

INTRODUCTION

There is relatively little research on the association between personality traits and sustainable behaviors. So, this research was designed to differentiate associations between the six personality traits and sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals.

METHODS

A total of 1420 residents in a community of Nanjing participated in this survey. With the help of HEXACO-60 and SBPI-9, participants' personality traits and the performance of sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals were measured. Subsequently, assisted by regression analysis, the quantitive relationship between HEXACO and sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals was explored.

RESULTS

Honesty-humility (H-H), extraversion (X), consciousness (C), and openness to experience (O) are positively associated with sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals, whereas emotionality (E) and agreeableness (A) are negatively associated with it.

CONCLUSIONS

HEXACO have a significant association with sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals. Additionally, H-H, E, X, A, C, and O could explain 44.2% of changes in sustainable behaviors perceived by individuals.

Antecedents of Compliance Intention and Its Impact on Waste Separation Behavior: Based on Rational Choice Theory and Deterrence Theory

With the rapid growth of the urban population, the development of production and consumption, and improved living standards, waste generation has increased over time. The first positive step to solve the problem of household waste is waste separation behavior. Studying the determinants that prompt individuals to comply with waste separation policy (WSP) is worthwhile. The author aims to offer an integrated view of individuals' compliance with waste separation policy based on rational choice and deterrence theories. Survey data collected from 306 households in South Korea are used to test the research model using partial least squares analysis. The study shows that WSP compliance intention is motivated by the perceived benefit and perceived effectiveness of WSP. Furthermore, the results show that perceived deterrent severity and perceived deterrent certainty positively influence WSP compliance intention. The implications for theory and policymakers are discussed to facilitate waste separation behavior.

Literature mapping of waste sorting and recycling behavior research: a visual analysis using CiteSpace

As the severity of global waste pollution continues to escalate, governments are increasingly prioritizing the promotion of waste sorting. This study engaged in the literature mapping of waste sorting and recycling behavior research currently available on the Web of Science using CiteSpace. First, studies on waste sorting behavior have grown rapidly since 2017. The top three continents publishing on this topic were Asia, Europe, and North America. Second, the top journals, Resources Conservation and Recycling and Environment and Behavior, were important to this field. Third, analyses of waste sorting behavior were mainly conducted by environmental psychologists. Ajzen had the highest co-citation count, as the theory of planned behavior has widely been used in this field. Fourth, the top three co-occurring keywords were "attitude," "recycling behavior," and "planned behavior." There was also a recent focus on "food waste." The research trend was found to be refined and accurately quantified.

Exploring the motivations and obstacles of the public's garbage classification participation: evidence from Sina Weibo

China has been implementing garbage classification to improve resource recycling for many years. Since garbage classification is essentially a social activity, it needs the active participation of the public. However, the phenomenon of "high practice, low effect" is widespread in most cities. Therefore, this paper uses the data from Sina Weibo to analyze the reasons for the poor garbage classification effect. First, the key factors affecting residents' willingness to participate in garbage classification are identified based on the text-mining method. Further, this paper analyzes the reasons that promote or hinder the residents' intention of garbage classification. Finally, the resident's attitude towards garbage classification is explored by the score of the text's emotional orientation, and further the reasons for the positive and negative emotional orientation are analyzed, respectively. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The proportion of residents holding negative sentiment towards garbage classification is as high as 55%. (2) Residents' positive emotions are mainly caused by the public's sense of environmental protection inspired by publicity and education, and the incentive measures taken by the government. (3) The main reasons for negative emotions are imperfect infrastructure and unreasonable garbage sorting arrangements.

An empirical investigation of household's waste separation intention: A dual-factor theory perspective

Waste separation at a household level could facilitate sustainable waste management. However, despite several efforts by the government, the adoption of household waste separation practices is still at a nascent stage. Therefore, we aim to study the factors affecting household waste separation intention (WSI). Drawing on Dual Factor Theory (DFT), two distinct sets of factors (enablers and barriers) were used to explain the WSI at the household level. This study also extended the Self Determination Theory (SDT) and Status Quo Bias (SQB) theory to broadly identify the factors and develop a conceptual model. The main study analyzed data from 494 respondents using a structural equation modeling approach. The result reveals that environmental concern, anticipated guilt, awareness of consequences, and health consciousness have a significant positive effect on WSI. In contrast, perceived inconvenience, information, and infrastructure barriers significantly negatively affect WSI. Additionally, gender and income partially moderated the studied relationships. The results offer key insights and implications for marketers and public policymakers.

Study on the Evolution of the Game of Willingness to Cooperate between Residents and Separation Enterprises in Waste Separation Considering the Convenience of Separation Facilities

The distributivity and complexity of separation facilities in waste separation cooperation are incorporated into the factors influencing the payoff of waste separation cooperation. The game payment matrix of waste separation cooperation is constructed based on the distributivity and complexity of separation facilities. The equilibrium solution of waste separation cooperation is obtained through the evolutionary game. The influence of different changes in distributivity and complexity of separation facilities on the willingness to cooperate in waste separation is explored through numerical analysis of cases. The study shows that when the distributivity of separation facilities is certain, the lower the complexity of separation facilities, the higher the willingness of residents and enterprises to cooperate; when the complexity of separation facilities is certain, the willingness of residents and enterprises to cooperate rises and then falls with the increase of distributivity of separation facilities; finally, when the distributivity and complexity of separation facilities change at the same time, the willingness of residents and enterprises to cooperate shows different changes with the different changes of two separation facilities convenience factors.

Influence of Appeal Type and Message Framing on Residents' Intent to Engage in Pro-Environmental Behavior

In this intervention study, we examined the effects and psychological processes of different types of messaging intended to promote waste-separation behavior on the intent of residents to separate household waste and to engage in other pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). Based on three studies (one survey with 76 residents and two experiments with 446 residents) in China, our results revealed that environmental appeals increased residents' intent to separate waste and engage in other PEBs, whereas monetary incentives had no effect. Although the main effects of the framing of messages on the intent to separate waste and other PEBs were not significant, we found an interactive effect of appeal type and message framing. When matched with loss framing, an environmental appeal indirectly generated a stronger positive impact by stimulating an individual's environmental risk perception. When monetary incentives matched with loss framing, individual pro-environmental identity weakened, thereby inhibiting the positive impact on intent to separate waste. With this study, we provide important theoretical support for the selection and optimization of waste-separation intervention strategies and guidance for persuading residents to engage in more PEBs.

Evolutionary Game Analysis of Government and Residents' Participation in Waste Separation Based on Cumulative Prospect Theory

Government and residents' participation in waste separation is a complex non-cooperative game process, and the evolutionary game can explain the behavior of participating subjects well. Considering that the traditional evolutionary game cannot satisfactorily explain the irrational psychology and risk preference factors of the participating issues, this study combines the prospect theory and evolutionary game, uses the prospect value function to supplement and improve the parameters of the evolutionary game payment matrix, and analyzes the evolutionary stabilization strategy. To verify the theoretical results, simulation experiments and impact analysis were conducted, and meaningful results were obtained: There are two stable evolutionary strategies in the system, namely higher participation benefits for residents and lower participation costs and opportunity costs, and reasonable direct benefit distribution coefficients all help to increase the participation rate of waste separation. This study can provide some scientific suggestions for the government to design and build a waste-separation system.

Environmental motivation or economic motivation? Explaining individuals’ intention to carry reusable bags for shopping in China

To achieve satisfying effects of plastic ban policies, it is important to promote people’s intention to use green bags. Many studies have examined the antecedents of reducing plastic bag usage, but research regarding the influential factors of reusable bag usage is limited. Based on a survey of 532 respondents in China, a multiple linear regression model is constructed in this study to examine the determinants of individuals’ intention to carry reusable bags for shopping. Results show that plastic ban awareness, social responsibility, environmental motivation, and economic motivation significantly and positively affect consumers’ intention to use reusable bags for shopping. Of the two motivation factors, environmental motivation has a greater impact. More importantly, economic motivation positively moderates the relationship between environmental motivation and the intention to use reusable bags. This finding suggests a motivation “crowding-in” effect in predicting consumers’ intention to carry reusable bags for shopping. Results of this study also indicate that female, older, and richer people are more inclined to carry reusable bags for shopping. Implications for plastic crisis management are discussed.

Beyond Traditional Energy Sector Coupling: Conserving and Efficient Use of Local Resources

Decentralisation and sector coupling are becoming increasingly crucial for the decarbonisation of the energy system. Resources such as waste and water have high energy recovery potential and are required as inputs for various conversion technologies; however, waste and water have not yet been considered in sector coupling approaches but only in separate examinations. In this work, an open-source sector coupling optimisation model considering all of these resources and their utilisation is developed and applied in a test-bed in an Israeli city. Our investigations include an impact assessment of energy recovery and resource utilisation in the transition to a hydrogen economy, with regard to the inclusion of greywater and consideration of emissions. Additionally, sensitivity analyses are performed in order to assess the complexity level of energy recovery. The results demonstrate that waste and water energy recovery can provide high contributions to energy generation. Furthermore, greywater use can be vital to cover the water demands in scarcity periods, thus saving potable water and enabling the use of technology. Regarding the transition to hydrogen technologies, resource energy recovery and management have an even higher effect than in the original setup. However, without appropriate resource management, a reduction in emissions cannot be achieved. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses indicate the existence of complex relationships between energy recovery technologies and other energy system operations.

Dynamics of Household Waste Segregation Behaviour in Urban Community in Ujjain, India: A Framework Analysis

Waste segregation practices must be socially acceptable, affordable, context-specific, and participatory, which is essential for promoting waste segregation. Therefore, this study explored the urban community members’ motivation, opportunity, and household waste segregation ability. We performed a qualitative study in Ujjain city, India. Ten focus group discussions and eight in-depth interviews were conducted with female and male household members in residential and slum areas. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and translated. We used the thematic framework technique using the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability-Behaviour theory for analysis. Three themes were constructed: motivation, where household members are motivated to sort waste yet fear the consequences of improper sorting; ability, where household waste segregation is rapidly gaining acceptance as a social norm; and opportunities, involving convenient facilities and a social support system for household members towards waste segregation. This study contributes to developing a knowledge base on waste segregation behaviour and a repertoire to facilitate evidence-based management and policymaking. There is a need for educational intervention and women’s self-help groups’ involvement to develop community orientation and waste segregation literacy. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of all three behavioural change components, i.e., motivation, opportunity, and ability, in managing sustainable waste segregation practices.

Feasibility study of the unit pricing system for household wastes sorting in the context of China

Although sanitary household waste disposal was achieved in China, an efficient source separation system has not been built yet. The Unit Pricing System has been proved effective for household waste sorting by developed countries and regions, while rare developing countries have successfully introduced the system in their local context. The study, taking an interactive perspective of dominant factors of residents' waste sorting and governments' intervention, combines theoretical analysis with system simulation to dissect the evolution process of residents' waste sorting and local governments' Unit Pricing System policy making, and to provide a Unit Pricing System policy making tool to support policy implementations. The results suggest introducing a Unit Pricing System can significantly push ahead the household waste sorting behaviour for cities with relatively low initial status of environmental awareness, and immediately trigger sorting behaviours for cities with higher initial status of environmental awareness. The study can also benefit other developing countries when imposing waste sorting management instruments.

Investigating the influencing factors of incentive-based household waste recycling using structural equation modelling

Household waste recycling management is one of the primary challenges of urban development. Incentive-based recycling systems have been used worldwide to increase the willingness of residents to take part in waste recycling. However, the factors that influence the amount of recyclables collected under the current incentive-based recycling systems have not been investigated thoroughly. In this study, the relationships between influencing factors and recycling behaviour were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling under a proposed analysis framework. A real-world case study in Shanghai of China was employed to demonstrate the framework's effectiveness. Six major observations were uncovered based on the studied communities: (1) The amount of recyclables collected increased by 190.9% during the pilot period of the new incentive-based recycling policy. (2) The recycling promotion effect of the new policy reached a peak after approximately three months during the pilot period. (3) Recycling motivation and publicity efforts improved recycling behaviour significantly, but the sense of community belonging and exogenous factors like rainy days and holidays did not necessarily have direct impacts on recycling behaviour. (4) Recycling motivation significantly mediated the relationship between the sense of community belonging and waste recycling behaviour. (5) Although publicity efforts in the studied communities did not necessarily enhance recycling motivation, publicity efforts promoted recycling behaviour significantly in the incentive-based recycling system in Shanghai. (6) Although the studied recycling company has made substantial efforts to formulate attractive recycling prices, its current pricing mechanism still has much room for improvement. This analysis framework and our observations offer insights for government authorities to move towards an enhanced incentive-based recycling system.

Separate collection and bio-waste valorization in the Italian poultry sector by material flow analysis

Poultry meat production and consumption face several challenges under economic, social and environmental perspectives, and increasing concerns are associated with food loss and waste minimization. One of the main issues is related to the absence of a homogeneous and standardized separate collection of bio-waste at country level, which makes chicken bones, skin and food waste valorization a challenging goal. The present research, implementing the material flow analysis to the Italian poultry sector, aims at measuring poultry-related co-products and by-products, exploring food waste, chicken bones and skin and the current trends in the Italian bio-waste separate collection. Then, it discusses alternative separate collection strategies and sustainable consumption habits. Data have been collected according to a research triangulation approach, whereas system boundaries consider slaughterhouse, distribution and final consumption stage. It emerges that more than 1.50 Mt of live animals have been processed to obtain 0.46 Mt of fresh meat and 0.76 Mt of co-products and by-products, of which more than 0.32 Mt are represented by chicken bones and skin. In addition, more than 0.15 Mt of food waste have been recorded. The research adds an extra step towards the identification of awareness campaigns and separate collection strategies at national level.

Why do Spanish households separate their e-waste for proper disposal? An econometric analysis

Improving e-waste separate collection rates is of the utmost importance to achieve the environmental targets set in the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the factors influencing the intentions of Spanish households to separate their e-waste for proper disposal. To this end, we carry out an econometric analysis revealing that the preoccupation with environmental issues is an endogenous regressor, so a bivariate model is required to avoid inconsistent results. The analysis shows that environmental concern and the origin of the individuals are relevant factors that influence the e-waste separation decision. Additionally, we observe an interaction between age and city size, so the effect of one of these factors on the probability of separating e-waste depends on the other factor. Another important result is that several socio-economic variables and knowledge of environmental issues only indirectly affect attitudes, by way of environmental concern. In summary, this study offers a useful methodology to policymakers who have to deal with e-waste management, allowing them to identify the priority groups on which should be focused, as well as to design specific measures tailored to their characteristics.

Cultural Consumption and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Waste Separation Management in China

In 2017, the Chinese government created a policy on mandatory waste separation. Many communities and cities have created waste management institutions and appointed workers to supervise these actions. But there is little information about the situation in terms of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of waste separation and any differences among regions and cities. Thus, the goal of this paper is to show the current status quo and any differences and to analyze their determinants, especially regarding cultural consumption. Based on online survey data collected in 2021, we found that knowledge in rural regions was lower than in urban regions, but there was no difference in attitudes or practices; the practices in pilot cities were better than in non-pilot cities, but the knowledge and attitudes showed no differences. Different cultural consumption patterns had different impacts on waste separation knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Based on the results, a policy related to culture should be enacted to improve efficiency and increase the action impacts to solve environmental and social issues.

Incentivizing household recycling crowds out public support for other waste management policies: A long-term quasi-experimental study

Waste management is a prototypical issue that requires multiple policy measures to function together. Yet, the compatibility between waste management policies is vastly understudied. In this paper, we used a longitudinal quasi-experimental methodology to identify the effect of an incentivized household recycling program in Anji, China on public support for other waste management policies. The program was evaluated six and fifteen months after it was implemented, respectively. We found that, despite its positive influence on residents' self-reported recycling behavior, the program reduced support for policy measures concerning waste prevention and harmless disposal. Consistent with the theoretical propositions, such crowding-out was driven by the decrease in personal commitment to pro-environmental goals, perceived issue importance of environmental sustainability, and perceived importance of individual contribution to environmental goods. Further evidence suggests that the crowding-out effect attenuated but did not disappear in the long run. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the holistic relationships between waste management policies, indicating that incentive-based recycling policies can interact negatively with other waste policies by reducing public support for them.

Unearthing mask waste separation behavior in COVID-19 pandemic period: An empirical evidence from Ghana using an integrated theory of planned behavior and norm activation model

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a surge in mask usage around the world. This situation could spur environmental consequences which when not well managed, may compound waste and waste management, and further drive the spread of viral infections. Therefore, this study explores the antecedents of mask waste separation behavior in Ghana using an integrated model composed of the theory of planned behavior and the norm activation model. With the use of the questionnaire survey approach, data was drawn from 570 respondents, and further analyzed using the structural equation modeling technique. Results revealed that the relationship between awareness of consequences and other constructs, except attitude, and the relationship between ascription of responsibility and other constructs, except attitude, are significant. Moreover, significant relationships between subjective norm and attitude, subjective norm and personal norm, and subjective norm and perceived behavior control were validated. However, no significant relationship exists between awareness of consequences and attitude, and between awareness of responsibility and attitude. On the basis of the study findings, insightful implications for policy and suggestions for future research are presented.

The Impact of Reward–Penalty Policy on Different Recycling Modes of Recyclable Resources in Residential Waste

Facing enormous pressure from the rapid growth of waste on the environment and society, many developed countries have combined urban waste recycling systems with waste classification to reduce pollution and recycle resources. However, this technique is not well established in developing countries. From the 2000s, China has carried out many waste classification recycling projects in many pilot cities although they have yet to reach widespread success. This paper focuses on China’s Newest Waste Classification Recycling Project (NWCRP), which was first implemented in Shanghai from 2019 and has a three-echelon supply chain containing waste classification guiders (WCGs), recyclers and demanders. Firstly, two recycling modes in NWCRP are studied: the recyclers of the first mode are dominated by the recycling company (mode RC), and the recyclers of the second mode are dominated by the environmental sanitation engineering group (mode ESEG). Secondly, a reward–penalty policy is proposed, which can be implemented for WCGs or different recyclers in the two modes (RC or ESEG), and the impacts of different scenarios are also compared. The results showed that (1) with increasing reward–penalty intensity, the sorting rate and the profit show upward trends in two modes, while the subsidy efficiency of government decreases; (2) when the reward–penalty policy is implemented for WCGs, the recyclers’ recycling price decreases in the two modes; (3) all scenarios that implement the reward–penalty policy in mode RC have certain advantages in the sorting rate and profit and (4) with increasing reward–penalty intensity and target sorting rate in the reward–penalty policy, the social welfare first increases and then decreases in all scenarios. Finally, some suggestions on the recycling mode and the reward–penalty policy for establishing a 3RW recycling system are provided.

Drivers of Residents’ Home Composting Intention: Integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Norm Activation Model, and the Moderating Role of Composting Knowledge

Home composting is judged as an effective municipal waste management option in which household contribution is essential, but it has a low adoption. The objectives of the study were to determine the factors that influence home composting intention and identify the moderating role of composting knowledge in the model, using the combined model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and norm activation model (NAM). A structured questionnaire was applied to a sample of 367 residents of Isfahan city, Iran, randomly selected. Data were analyzed using cluster analysis, discriminant analysis, PLS-SEM, and PLS-MGA. Cluster analysis grouped the three clusters based on the constructs of the integrated model, and this result was confirmed by discriminant analysis. Findings show that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control can predict the intention to compost. Study results confirmed the positive effect of awareness of the consequences of composting on ascribed responsibility to compost at home, of responsibility to the personal norm, and of the personal norm on intention to compost at home. Furthermore, it was observed that composting knowledge moderates the relationship between subjective norm and behavioral intention, and the one between perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention. The integrated model had more predictive power than the TPB model. The fit statistic of the integrated model was good and 71% of the variance for intention behavior toward home composting. The insights on factors affecting residents’ intention to compost obtained from this study can be used in measures and programs that reinforce and stimulate home composting.

Study on Compulsory Classification Management and Behavior Synergy of Municipal Solid Waste

There is a general phenomenon of incoordination between garbage classification management and participation behavior, which seriously affects the sustainable management efficiency of domestic garbage. In order to solve this problem, this paper introduced the subject-object-process model into the waste classification management system, and constructed a mandatory classification management model of municipal solid waste and a comprehensive evaluation index system. Taking Beijing, China, as an example, the coupling coordination degree of garbage classification behaviors of residents in different was compared, and the coordination status of household waste management and behaviors was obtained. The results show that the synergy between government management and residents’ household waste classification behavior is between 0.40 and 0.68, and the synergy between enterprises’ participation in governance and residents’ behavior is between 0.45 and 0.75. The coordination degree between domestic waste management and residents’ participation behavior is generally in primary coordination or slight imbalance. The synergy degree between the secondary indicators of domestic waste management and residents’ behavior is higher than that of the tertiary indicators. Superposition effect of integrated management measures is better; among the psychological factors affecting residents’ classification behavior, the awareness rate and recognition degree of waste classification are very high, the awareness of environmental responsibility and social pressure are lagging behind. The study of synergy under the framework of subject-object-process not only quantifies the overall synergy between management and residents’ behavior, but also provides a method to further implement garbage classification management in a targeted manner. Based on the synergy analysis, according to the weak links of various regions, classified management is carried out around publicity and education, supervision and management, assessment, rewards and punishments.

Designing a smart incentive-based recycling system for household recyclable waste

Household waste recycling is a significant challenge for society. Cities worldwide have been exploring how to reduce waste through recycling. Incentive mechanism is one of the promising measures to improve the participation of residents in waste recycling activities. However, several defects have been observed in the incentive-based waste recycling systems: (1) inefficient allocation of resources in recycling services, (2) deficient systems lacking future planning, and (3) limitations in circulating responsive feedback amongst stakeholders. For overcoming these defects, a smart incentive-based recycling system is designed using the Internet of Things and data analysis technologies. Four key components in the designed system-namely, amount pattern discovery, price adjustment suggestion, waste-collection amount forecasting, and information sharing amongst stakeholders-assist in constructing a smarter system to enhance waste recycling. A basic incentive-based recycling system in Shanghai, with data on 19 specific recyclable items from 21 August 2018 to 20 March 2019, was improved to demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed system. For the case of a pilot community, the recyclable waste-collection amount increased 229.3%, but the weekly pattern of collection amount got imbalanced, especially at weekends. The weekly pattern analyses suggested adjusting the pricing for cardboard, strawboard, plastic bottles, and old clothing amongst the six identified items (i.e. taking ~80.0% by weight) to balance the collection amount and allocate resources better for waste-collection operations. The two-month trend analysis and fortnight forecasting help to make plans rationally for recycling businesses. Under the new information-sharing platform, stakeholders could collaborate smoothly in household waste recycling and reduction.

Social-contextual influences on public participation in incentive programs of household waste separation

Despite the widespread use of financial incentives to encourage public participation in household waste separation, recent studies have revealed the mixed success of this strategy. The present study seeks to advance our understanding of the social-contextual conditions in which financial incentives are more or less effective. Based on theories of social influence, it has investigated how program advocates, neighbor networks, and community norms affect public participation in incentivized waste-separation programs. Generalized linear mixed model analyses of more than 150,000 daily participation records for residents in 347 housing estates in Hangzhou, China have been conducted to examine the theoretical propositions. The results show that substituting ingroup members (block leaders) for outgroup agents (company staff) as program advocates increased the total number of participants. However, block leaders contributed little or even negatively to mobilizing people who had never participated previously. Levels of participation were higher among residents with stronger social networks, but lower in communities with more salient volunteerism norms. These findings illuminate the substantial interaction between financial incentives and social influences, suggesting ways to use social forces to improve incentive programs of household waste separation.

Attitude of Chinese public towards municipal solid waste sorting policy: A text mining study

With the acceleration of urban development, the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased dramatically. In order to recycle MSW more efficiently, a compulsory policy of sorting MSW has been enacted in China. According to the existing literature, attitude is an important factor affecting public's MSW sorting behavior. To explore the Chinese residents' emotional tendency towards the MSW sorting policy, this study analyzed the data of Sina Weibo users and their comments on related popular posts. Meanwhile, text mining technology was employed to analyze the collected data. Results showed that although a large proportion of the Chinese public has a positive attitude towards the MSW sorting policy, the proportion of people with negative emotions reached nearly half. In addition, it was found that the Chinese people in different regions pay different attentions to the MSW sorting policy. Results further revealed that the main reasons for the public's negative emotions were fines, MSW sorting rules, fees, timing of throwing waste, and irregular recycling procedures. By providing the public sentiment analysis of MSW sorting, this study can serve as a policy guide for practitioners and policy-makers to link current research areas into social development.

The impacts of social interaction-based factors on household waste-related behaviors

With the economy growing rapidly, as well as the increasing diversification of human material and cultural needs, waste management poses a pressing challenge for local authorities in China. The primary aim of the present study is to examine the determinants of household waste-related behaviors, especially focusing on the roles of two important social interaction-based factors, social norms and networks, and their combinations. Specifically, this paper adopted the method of principal component analysis to capture social interactions and leveraged ordered logit models to explore their influences on the behaviors involving waste sorting, bringing their own shopping bags and reusing plastic bags in other aspects. Using the data from the Chinese General Social Survey in 2013 (CGSS2013), the results reveal that both social norms and social networks exert a significant positive influence on pure altruistic waste sorting while only social norms are positively associated with bringing their own shopping bags to store and reusing bags in other aspects with the nature of impure altruism. Meanwhile, there is no convincing evidence for the interaction effect between social norms and social networks on waste sorting, yet the interaction item does work together negatively influencing bringing their own bags and reusing bags behaviors. Moreover, the results show that social norms have a much larger effect on waste-related behaviors in males than females while social networks lead to significant promotion in waste sorting only for females. For people with higher education levels, the impacts of social norms and social networks on waste sorting and bringing their own bags behaviors are insignificant, while the higher income groups are weakly affected by social networks as well, partly because of time constraints and opportunity cost. Lastly, this paper provides new insight into waste management from the perspective of social interaction.

Recovery of Municipal Solid Waste Recyclables under Different Incentive Schemes in Tamale, Ghana

The recovery of recyclables from the waste stream is a vital factor to consider in any recycling scheme since it enhances the quality of recyclables and ensures efficient recycling schemes. This study was conducted in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana to investigate incentive options that can promote municipal solid waste resource recovery to support policy decisions on the formalization of recycling scheme in the Metropolis. Solid waste source separation scheme was set up in four different waste management service zones in the Metropolis. The quantity of separated materials, set-out rate, as well as separation efficiency of the targeted materials in the scheme were also assessed. The result of the study indicated a high recovery factor for dry recyclables (53.97%) as against food waste (10.03%). There was a significant effect of incentives on waste material quantities. Significant differences also occurred in the set-out rates and separation efficiency. Moreover, the study showed that employing prize as a reward scheme in addition to the provision of a waste storage facility had a high propensity for waste material recovery. The study demonstrated that the quantity of waste materials that may be retrieved in a recycling scheme in different solid waste management service zones depends on the type of incentive employed in the scheme and the service zone considered.

Circular Economy in Mexico’s Electronic and Cell Phone Industry: Recent Evidence of Consumer Behavior

Circular Economy (CE) models are increasingly referenced in international fora and on many countries’ climate action agendas. This emphasis is associated with the international environmental and climate crisis. The case of the electronics industry remains particularly relevant, given its background in the use of CE models and its potential to enhance their use. This work focuses on consumer behavior regarding electronics products in Mexico. This is a largely under-researched topic not only in Mexico but also in Latin America. This study demonstrates that, by trying to extend the lifespan of their electronic products, consumers have awareness of product circularity. However, there is a lack of incentives to capitalize on this consumer interest, compounded by the limited participation of manufacturers and distributors. It is concluded that with a well-designed public policy, the electronics industry (including the mobile phone sector) in Mexico can move toward a CE model more rapidly. A stronger initiative for CE by design should be part of these policies, not only in Mexico but also internationally. The role of better eco-labelling in promoting consumers’ environmental awareness is essential. The lessons of this case study might be of interest to other countries as well.

Municipal waste generation, R&D intensity, and economic growth nexus - A case of EU regions

The relationship between economic growth and waste generation is a major global concern. Previous studies provided no conclusive evidence as to the causality between these two concepts, which can be attributed to at least two problems. First, R&D intensity is increasingly recognized as being an important determinant of environmental quality. Second, the regional level is considered to be important for the implementation of waste management policies, as regions and municipalities, among others, are responsible for separate collection systems and for establishing and managing treatment facilities. Previous studies failed to reflect the heterogeneity of the regions, which may lead to biased results. To address these problems, the panel vector error correction model was employed to examine the Granger causality in EU regions. The results provide empirical support for the existence of short- and long-run bidirectional causality between waste generation and economic growth in EU regions. A bidirectional link among waste generation, heating energy, and R&D intensity was also observed. The policy implication is that traditional economic development policies are not enough to reduce waste generation in EU regions. Economic tools, such as charges and incentives, and eco-innovation policies should be introduced to promote the region's shift towards a circular economy model.

Analysis of Municipal Waste Development and Management in Self-Governing Regions of Slovakia

In the European Union, basic strategy results from the need to provide intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive growth, along with respect to social and economic impacts of waste treatment. The paper focuses on municipal waste and its separation. Generally, within global waste management initiatives, the main goal is to minimize the negative effects of waste on the environment, as well as to increase and optimize the sources’ efficiency in the waste economy. Research on municipal waste development and its separation was done in individual regions of Slovakia to find if socially weaker regions have worse waste treatment. The results were compared according to the waste development per inhabitant and per household, as well as through rate indexes, which are connected to relationships between waste, social, and economic indexes. The results confirmed research results from other countries that show that the volume of municipal waste is increasing due to increased living standards of inhabitants. However, on the other hand, waste separation rates also increased—mainly based on the legislative support.

Development and psychometric evaluation of waste separation beliefs and behaviors scale among female students of medical sciences university based on the extended parallel process model

Background

The increasing production of un-recycled waste is a great threat to public health. Therefore, assessment and measurement of people’s beliefs and perceptions with regard to these threats can contribute to the development of suitable educational messages promoting waste separation behaviors. This study aimed to carry out the scale development and psychometric evaluation of behaviors and beliefs associated with waste separation among female students.

Method

This methodological research was performed in 2019. The primary questionnaire was developed based on the assessment of waste separation beliefs and behaviors based on the extended parallel process model. Afterwards, to confirm the content and face validity of the research tool, the opinions of 14 faculty members and certain students were asked for, respectively. In order to assess the construct validity of the questionnaire, exploratory factor analysis was performed based on the data collected from 386 female students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The internal and external reliability of the tool was determined through estimating Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest based on intraclass correlation (ICC) index, respectively.

Results

The mean age and academic semester of the students were 22 ± 1.9 years and 5.58 ± 2.6, respectively. The primary version of the questionnaire was designed with 65 items; one item was omitted during the content validity process. Construct validity with factor analysis technique yielded nine dimensions including 64 items with a factor loading above 0.3. The overall reliability of the research tool was confirmed at Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. Furthermore, the ICC of the entire questionnaire was 0.89.

Conclusion

According to the results of the study, the final 64-item questionnaire could be used by various researchers to assess waste separation beliefs and behaviors considering suitable psychometric features.

The Impact of Pro-environmental Preference on Consumers’ Perceived Well-being: The Mediating Role of Self-Determination Need Satisfaction

This study uses a conceptual research model to explore the mediating role of need satisfaction for competence, relatedness, and autonomy in the relationship between pro-environmental preference (PEP) and consumers’ perceived well-being (PWB). The data were collected on WJX (a Chinese online recruitment platform) from a sample of 514 respondents and analyzed using Smart PLS 3. The results indicated that two need satisfactions (competence and autonomy) fully mediate the relationship between PEP and consumers’ PWB. However, surprisingly, relatedness need satisfaction has no mediation effect in the relationship between PEP and consumers’ PWB. The results demonstrate the pivotal role of self-determination theory in explaining the primary psychological needs that must be met for consumers to perceive heightened states of well-being. Moreover, the results can signify to policymakers how to translate the impact of PEP into consumers’ PWB.

The problem of not waste sorting behaviour, comparison of waste sorters and non-sorters in European Union: Cross-cultural analysis

In the European Union (EU), 3.3% of respondents declared that they did not sort waste at all. The level of non-sorter behaviour depends on the level of a country's economic development. Referring to Hofstede's cultural dimensions, only power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence had significant effects on non-sorting behaviour. The non-sorter respondents were less linked to performe waste reducing and reusing behaviours. The tools which convince respondents to begin separating waste or separate wastes more differed between sorters and non-sorters as well. The sorters preferred to trust the level of waste management while non-sorter respondents responded to convenience level. Analysing the determinants of sorting behaviour in separate EU countries, we found that only efforts to reduce waste positively influenced sorting behaviour in major EU countries. Attitudes to resource efficiency positively influenced in one third of EU countries. Meanwhile the knowledge about general and personal waste generation influenced sorting behaviour negatively or insignificantly (except Spain and Hungary). Thus, to promote sorting behaviour, it is not enough to inform people that we have a lot of waste. Therefore, this study has significant implications for waste policy and can help to trigger and promote more sorting behaviour in EU countries.

What influences tourists' intention to participate in the Zero Litter Initiative in mountainous tourism areas: A case study of Huangshan National Park, China

The Zero Litter Initiative (ZLI) of bringing self-generated litter down the mountain is a new attempt to reduce tourism litter generation on climbing trails in China. The extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to analyze the influencing factors of tourists' environmentally responsible behavioral intention to participate in the ZLI, including three additional explaining variables of personal norms (moral obligation to do ZLI), past behavior, and incentive measures, as well as three control variables of gender, age, and educational level. A total of 372 valid questionnaires were collected from tourists in Huangshan National Park. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that: (1) the extended TPB model had stronger predictive power than the original TPB model; (2) tourists' intention to participate in the ZLI was significantly and positively influenced by their attitude toward the behavior (positive or negative opinions), subjective norms (perceived social pressures from referents), perceived behavioral control (perceived ease or difficulty), past behavior, and the strongest predictor of personal norms; (3) incentive measures mainly referred to economic incentives (e.g., lower ticket prices) and non-economic incentives (e.g., a gift and honorary title), which had no significant influences on tourists' intention, and there may be a "crowding-out effect" on intrinsic motivations for collective action in public space; (4) gender had significant influences on tourists' intention, which showed females had stronger participation intention than males. Age had significant and positive influences on tourists' intention, which indicated older tourists were more willing to participate in the ZLI than younger tourists. However, the educational level had significant and negative influences on tourists' intention. Lastly, the study presented practical suggestions for enhancing tourism litter management and achieving sustainable development in mountainous tourism areas.

Factors influencing tourists' litter management behavior in mountainous tourism areas in China

Bringing self-generated litter down the mountain is an emerging pro-environmental behavior to solve the problem of trail's litter management in China. This study is the first attempt to explore a theoretical explanation model that explicates tourists' complex intention-forming process for engaging in it. The study extended the Theory of Planned Behavior model, including three additional explaining variables (environmental theory knowledge, environmental practice knowledge, and incentive measures), as well as a moderator of travel companions between subjective norm and the behavioral intention. The data were collected in questionnaire survey samples of 372 tourists in Huangshan National Park (HNP) and analyzed by the method of the structural equation model. The results showed that (1) attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and incentive measures significantly affected the behavioral intention; (2) environmental theory knowledge and environmental practice knowledge had indirect effects on the behavioral intention via the mediator of attitude toward the behavior; and (3) the strength of the relationship for the family group between subjective norm and the behavioral intention was significantly greater than the non-family group. Finally, we presented several effective suggestions to improve tourists' intention of bringing self-generated litter down the mountain.