Predictors of waste sorting and recycling behavioural intention among youths: Evidence from Shenzhen, China and Turku, Finland

Exploring factors of e-waste recycling intention: The case of generation Y

The seriousness of the e-waste crisis stems from the fact that consumers do not participate much in ensuring the proper disposal of electronic materials. In this context, millennials are the largest segment of consumers of electronic products who are not yet motivated to get sustainably rid of them. However, to inspire consumers to recycle e-waste, it is necessary to investigate consumers' behavioral intentions towards e-waste thoroughly. This study integrates the theory of planned behavior, social influence theory, and personality traits to examine how consumers gauge their choice to recycle e-waste. Data were collected from randomly surveying 300 Lithuanians through a structured questionnaire. Using the PLS-SEM approach, results show that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence consumers' e-waste recycling intention. Regarding personality traits, only openness to experience significantly affects consumers' e-waste recycling intention. In contrast, other traits such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism have a non-significant influence on consumers' e-waste recycling intention. In addition, normative and informational social influence affects consumers' e-waste recycling intention. The current study advances our understanding of e-waste recycling behavior by examining how TPB, personality factors, and social influence theory influence intentions. It provides valuable insights for policymakers and marketers on understanding and encouraging the e-waste behavior of Lithuanian Y-generation consumers.

Understanding residents' behaviour intention of recycling plastic waste in a densely populated megacity of emerging economy

Plastic waste is choking our planet, but the recycling rate is still universally low. Understanding factors affecting recycling behaviours can help address this pressing issue. Taking Dhaka as an example, this study explores the determinants of the intentions to recycle plastic waste. We employed the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and extended it with two additional variables: Moral Norms, and Perceived sufficiency of knowledge and policy support. Survey data of 577 were collected and analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings suggest attitude, perceived behavioural control, moral norms and subjective norms significantly impact recycling intention, among which moral norms (β = 0.148, p < 0.05) acts even more strongly than subjective norms (β = 0.12, p < 0.05). Moreover, low level perception of knowledge and policy support makes people perceive less control over recycling behaviour (β = 0.188, p < 0.05), but actually reinforce their recycling intention (β = -0.091, p < 0.1). This study enriches the theoretical discussion of TPB, and contributes to the efforts of encouraging plastic recycling in populated megacity of emerging economy.

The Supervision Mechanism of Residents' Waste Separation Behavior: Analysis Using a Tripartite Evolutionary Game Model

To promote residents' waste separation behavior, waste separation supervision has been a crucial need. This paper aims to explore the supervision mechanism of residents' waste separation behavior using a tripartite evolutionary game model. The evolutionary stability conditions of resident, property service enterprise, and the government were analyzed. The influences of the main parameters on the strategy of three stakeholders were explored through numerical simulation. The results show that the regulatory mechanism of waste separation will reach the optimal stable strategy when the following conditions are satisfied: (1) the penalty for nonclassification is higher than the difference between classification cost and the total benefit of classification; (2) the subsidy to property services enterprise is greater than the total cost of positive participation management. Residents' behaviors are mainly influenced by rewards and punishments. The behavioral strategies of property service companies are more sensitive to subsidies than penalties. In the early stage of mandatory waste separation, it is important to reduce the cost of residents' separation, develop the publics' environmental awareness, and increase the willingness of properties to participate in management. This paper presents a new perspective and theoretical guidelines for the local government and communities to supervise residents' waste separation behaviors in China and other developing countries and offers useful insights into waste separation management for other countries.

The Role of Social Capital in Predicting Tourists' Waste Sorting Intentions in Rural Destinations: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior

Improper waste disposal of tourists has detrimental impacts on the environment, economy, and people in rural destinations. Separating at the source is an effective means to mitigate these adverse impacts on rural destinations. Hence, identifying factors influencing tourists' waste sorting intentions in rural destinations is critical to the sustainability of rural tourism and rural land. However, few studies focus on tourists' waste sorting intentions. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and social capital, this research examined the determinants of tourists' waste sorting intentions in rural destinations. A total of 395 valid questionnaires were collected from a rural destination in Huzhou, China. The results indicated that: (1) all TPB variables, i.e., attitude toward the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, positively and directly affect tourists' waste sorting intentions; (2) interpersonal trust directly and positively influences tourists' waste sorting intentions; (3) subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, interpersonal trust, and emotional bonding indirectly influence tourists' waste sorting intentions through the mediation of attitude toward the behavior; (4) emotional bonding does not directly affect tourists' waste sorting intentions, but the link is established through the mediation of attitude toward the behavior. This research expands the body of knowledge by integrating individuals' psychological elements with their social contexts. The findings offer some theoretical and managerial implications for understanding how tourists' social contexts facilitate tourists' waste sorting intentions.

Factors Influencing Household Waste Separation Behavior: Cases of Russia and Finland

This paper investigates the factors influencing the behavior of individuals in source-separation of municipal solid waste in an immature system for collection of recyclable waste (Saint Petersburg, Russia) and a more mature waste system (selected urban areas, Finland). Online questionnaires were applied to collect data from citizens of Saint Petersburg and the Finnish urban population. The data were examined within an extended theory of planned behavior using structural equation modeling for the identification of factors affecting waste source-separation behavior. The findings indicate that the factors differed significantly in the two waste systems. In Russia, the inconvenience of waste collection limited waste source-separation behavior, while intentions of individuals and information availability had an almost equal positive effect. In Finland, waste source-separation behavior was mostly affected by people’s intentions. Based on the findings, recommendations for the development of recycling practices were made for practitioners in Russia and possibly other early-stage systems for the collection of recyclable waste. Limitations of the study pinpointed the possibilities for future research.

Green Initiatives and Environmental Concern Foster Environmental Sustainability: A Study Based on the Use of Reusable Drink Cups

Unsustainable production and consumption have threatened human life and nature. Therefore, practitioners around the globe have paid attention to sustainability issues and adopted pro-environmental strategies to protect the environment. Using single-use cups contributes to environmental pollution. This study aims to understand university students’ intention to use reusable drink cups in university campuses. This study has extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model by including moral norms, green university initiatives, environmental concerns, and moral norms. The purposive sampling technique has been employed to collect students’ data from the twelve universities in Pakistan. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) has been employed to test the hypothesized model. The study’s results revealed that green university initiatives and norms significantly shape students’ intention to use reusable cups. However, environmental concern has an insignificant impact on the perceived behavioral control. This study’s results help higher education institutions to formulate strategies that create awareness among students and promote environmentally sustainable practices.

Studying Waste Separation Behaviors and Environmental Impacts toward Sustainable Solid Waste Management: A Case Study of Bang Chalong Housing, Samut Prakan, Thailand

This study aims to develop more inclusive and sustainable waste management practices to be implemented in Bang Chalong Housing, a model community with unsatisfactory waste separation and recycling rate. The extended theory of planned behavior was employed to investigate the effect of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, knowledge, and situational factors on household waste separation intention and behavior, using structural equation modeling as a tool. Based on the questionnaire responses of 321 residents, the house owner’s status exhibited a considerable impact on waste-sorting behavior. Knowledge (β = 0.653; p < 0.001) and subjective norm (β = 0.160; p < 0.05) were two significant predictors of the respondents’ intention, which showed a strong influence on household waste separation behavior (β = 0.804; p < 0.001). Various waste management scenarios were also evaluated through material flow analysis and life cycle assessment. Installing a waste-sorting plant in addition to the current approach (recycling and landfilling) could annually reduce 26.4 tons of solid waste from being landfilled and mitigate GHG emissions by up to 47.4 tons CO2 equivalent. Finally, the implications of these results on designing interventions and amending waste management schemes were discussed.