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The main objective of this study is to find out what factors impact household recycling behavior with the aim to guide the development of a social marketing strategy to promote this behavior. The study was based on a structural equation model using the three factors that make up the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In addition, four more variables were analyzed: environmental awareness, moral standards, situational factors, and recycling service and infrastructure. The results of 254 valid questionnaires reveal that the subjective norm – or social pressure – was the only variable of the TPB to affect recycle intention significantly. Considering the role social pressure has on recycling behavior, it is necessary to implement a social marketing strategy that maximizes the visibility of this activity and include the participation of the community as much as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling programs are widely used to address global environmental challenges, with the active participation of end users being crucial for the successful return of products at the end of use. However, individuals have different motivations for recycling and face various obstacles in doing so. We lack an understanding of these motivations and the inconveniences of engaging in this behavior, especially within the healthcare industry. By drawing insights from the take-back program ReturpenTM, which was introduced in Denmark and the UK, this study addresses how different types of motivation influence end-user participation in take-back programs and the extent to which motivation offsets the inconveniences. The results showed that individuals' underlying motivations vary, with altruism emerging as the primary motivator, followed by social norms, while direct personal benefits play a relatively minor role. While 92% of respondents indicated their intention to engage in the take-back program, the actual return rate in the Danish program was approximately 22%, which points to a clear intention-behavior gap.

Increasing individual recycling rates is critical to achieving expected recycling targets. According to the social marketing approach promoting individual recycling behavior requires exploring, measuring, and managing the barriers that may deter individuals from recycling in a specific region. Although previous studies list some barriers, these barriers are likely to vary across studies, and clear conceptualizations are mostly missing. This study aims to explore and conceptualize the barriers to set a basis for future operationalization and systematic measurement. For this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with municipality authorities, representatives of leading environmental NGOs, and consumers in Türkiye. A total of 54 different first-level barriers were identified, and then first-level barriers were grouped thematically, revealing 20 second-level barriers, which are considered as personal, structural, social, or mediating barriers. Conceptual definitions for 20 second-level barriers are provided. The study also includes basic statistics regarding prominent barriers for different target groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceutical waste management represents a global issue. There is a significant gap in consumers' education regarding the proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste. A significant amount of pharmaceutical waste is generated in health care facilities, including expired medicines, unused doses, and contaminated materials. Inadequate disposal of pharmaceutical waste can have effects on human health and on the environment. Managing pharmaceutical waste requires coordinated efforts from policymakers, health care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, waste management companies, and consumers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of activities that may impact the efficiency of Romanian pharmacists in collecting and disposing of pharmaceutical waste, as well as the intentions of pharmacists/technicians to recycle this type of waste. Furthermore, this paper aims to identify institutional and behavioral barriers that affect effective waste management. This research was conducted using quantitative and qualitative research methods. An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the elements of satisfaction and their attribution levels in the pharmaceutical industry. The statistical significance of the differences across different occupations regarding satisfaction with pharmacists' activities to reduce waste at each stage was tested using an analysis of variance. Cross-tabulation and a Pearson's chi-square test were used to analyze the relationship between occupational segments and intention regarding recycling and reusing pharma waste. This research was augmented using qualitative analysis based on the Delphi technique, focused on the barriers to waste management in the pharmaceutical sector. This study presents a general perspective on the current situation of pharmaceutical waste in Romania. The results indicate that the selection of appropriate pharmaceutical waste practices is primarily determined by the attitude of individuals and organizations, followed by regulatory, economic, and technical criteria. In developing sustainable pharmaceutical waste policies, this research provides practical implications for governments, organizations, and citizens. A comprehensive approach to overcoming barriers in pharmaceutical waste management was developed by combining institutional strategies that focus on organizational policies and infrastructure with behavioral strategies that target individuals and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollution and resource scarcity are critical obstacles to the sustainable development of society. Recycling Management has been an important concern for governments during the last three decades, both nationally for the formulation of policy and locally for the implementation of recycling operations. This paper is an attempt to describe the factors affecting the recycling intention of consumers and an individual's self-commitment to engage in recycling behavior. The results revealed that perceived behavioral control has little influence on one's intention to engage in recycling practices while subjective norms and attitudes have a favorable effect on one's intention to recycle. It will provide valuable suggestions to policymakers for Sustainable Development and marketers to develop their marketing campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on improving recycling behavior in Turkey with a social marketing program. It is centered on behavior change and social marketing strategies that can address recycling behavior. The social marketing program developed herein outlines segmentation, targeting, product, price, place, and promotional strategies recommended based on theoretical elements across disciplines. This research is the first to develop a social marketing program for recycling behavior in a developing country at the household level. Furthermore, it is the first study in which behavioral change was ensured through marketing strategies. This article provides a framework that can be employed in developing social marketing programs. In this study, qualitative data collection tools and quantitative measurement data were used based on the action research design. Although there are studies in the literature that argue that women and those with undergraduate/graduate education show more recycling behavior than others, the results of the participant‐level research in Turkey showed that there was no significant difference in recycling behavior based on the demographic characteristics of the participants. On the other hand, it has been found that the awareness levels of the people have changed in correspondence with the implementation‐oriented efforts of the municipalities on recycling. However, there is a lack of recycling behavior due to the lack of necessary infrastructure and information in all regions in Turkey. One of the most important results obtained in this social marketing program study was that regional and cultural differences had a role in shaping the recycling behavior. This requires different strategies in implementing the program in different provinces, based on the culture and availability of recycling infrastructure. This article provides an example of a social marketing program to improve recycling behavior. It hopes to inspire significantly more work in this area to make behavior change for the better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of China's urban packaging waste recycling system and the current situation, it is necessary to further explore the evolutionary scenarios of stakeholders' behavior in recycling packaging waste and the structural characteristics of the recycling system. This paper establishes a tripartite evolutionary game model involving the government, waste recyclers and urban residents, and simulates the behaviors of different subjects with numerical calculations. The results show that weak government regulation and strong participation of recyclers and residents are the evolutionary stable state of the packaging waste recycling process. The initial behavioral choices of different recycling participants can influence the evolutionary path. At the early stage, strengthening behavioral management and guidance for recyclers and residents can help enhance their participation. When government management obtains results, the management and supervision can be gradually reduced, and the leading role of recyclers in the recycling process can be played. The penalty level and subsidy rate set by the government will influence the evolution path and speed, and the motivation of stakeholders will affect the effect of recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the escalating issues of resource waste and environmental pollution, the effective recycling of cardboard boxes within the logistics sector has emerged as a crucial factor in advancing sustainable development. This study employs the extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB) to devise a questionnaire and gather data from 700 respondents in China, aiming to analyze the influential factors that impact consumers' engagement in recycling mechanisms provided by express delivery companies. Utilizing a principal component analysis, five co-factors that influence consumers' willingness to recycle are identified. The findings of a multinomial logistic regression reveal a positive correlation between these five co-factors and recycling behavior, with attitude exhibiting the greatest significant influence (5.076 times in model 1 and 2.375 times in model 2) on recycling behavior. These results will serve as a scientific foundation for express delivery companies and governmental entities to adapt and optimize existing environmental protection policies, thus fostering sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the recycling behavior of Croatian citizens and identifies the determinants of individual recycling intention. It also addresses whether the existing deposit refund system for glass bottles in Croatia can be replaced by an expanded system that includes the return and reuse of almost all types of glass containers. A total of 427 Croatian citizens participated in the survey. Quantitative data analysis was performed using Structural Equation Modeling. In addition to the survey, a focus group was conducted with the relevant experts. The results confirmed the assumption about the pro-environmental orientation in Croatia. Citizens have a positive attitude towards the expanded deposit refund system in waste glass disposal and intend to implement it. The most significant predictor of their intention is their attitude towards the expanded deposit refund system, followed by familiarity with recycling. A person’s recycling intention is mainly determined by familiarity with recycling and perceived behavioral control. In the qualitative study, Croatian experts were generally positive about an expanded deposit refund system for glass containers but warned that implementation would not be without certain obstacles. The added value of the study is the creation of new knowledge for the design of local and national policies that can promote individuals’ environmentally friendly behavior and improve the glass waste disposal system in Croatia.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling is the most efficient waste management method in terms of environment and economy for wastes that cannot be prevented and reused are processed. When it is considered that a significant amount of municipal waste comes from households, it can be understood how important individual waste separation efforts in households are for the efficient operation of recycling systems and for reaching the targeted recycling rates. The social marketing approach accentuates that increasing the recycling behavior of individuals requires knowing and managing the barriers to the behavior as well as the motivating factors. In this context, many studies have been conducted on the barriers to recycling behavior since the 1980s, and many barriers have been identified. This research aims to summarize the extant knowledge on the barriers to behavior by presenting a systematic literature review of the studies on the barriers to individual recycling behavior in the literature. In this context, 72 empirical studies published between 1985-2022 in accordance with the pre-determined criteria were analyzed in-depth and reported within the framework of the PRISMA protocol. The findings showed that research was essentially divided into three groups: research that focuses on 1) discovering what the barriers were, 2) discovering which barriers were more important, and 3) analyzing the relationships of barriers to intentions and behaviors. It is observed that the barriers that are most emphasized and the effects of which on behavior are examined in the literature are mainly the barriers related to the perception of recycling as difficult and unfavorable. Some weaknesses of current studies have shed light on issues that need to be addressed in future research. In future research, it would be beneficial to study 1) development of a valid and reliable barrier scale that will allow continuous measurement of different types of barriers, 2) the inter-relationships between barriers in order to identify the main barriers that trigger new barriers, 3) links between other barriers apart from difficultyinconvenience barrier with both recycling behavior and its known antecedents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, meta-analysis was carried out to explore the influence of socio-economics, research design, theoretical construction, and measurement factors on the five paths among the elements of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The findings suggested that (i) subjective norm shows relatively poor explanatory efficacy due to narrow measurement range; (ii) perceived behavioral control shows the lowest explanatory efficacy because of missing the measurement of perceived control; (iii) there are too few items to measure the recycling intention, making the measurement inaccurate in reflecting participants' psychological performance; (iv) the application accuracy of TPB increases with the sample size, which should be no less than 600; (v) introducing additional variables degrades the application accuracy of TPB in most cases due to their high correlation with standard elements; and (vi) research time, local economic level, participant's characteristics, and waste type also affect the application accuracy. Finally, improvement suggestions were also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to encourage farmers to recycle pesticide packaging waste (PPW) is key to improving rural habitat. Previous literature has focused more on the role of policy interventions from a formal system perspective. Based on the perspective of combining informal and formal systems, this study empirically explores the impact of neighborhood effects and policy interventions on farmers' PPW recycling behavior by using data from the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) and constructing an ordered probit model. The results show that neighborhood effects and policy interventions have a significant positive impact on farmers' PPW recycling behavior, respectively, and the conclusion still holds after robustness test. In addition, neighborhood effects and policy interventions have substitution effects on farmers' PPW recycling behavior. Finally, the heterogeneity analysis show that neighborhood effects generate significant incentive advantages for high-income farmers, elite farmers, and less-developed regions, whereas policy interventions are the opposite of it. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of rural neighborhoods and implement policies that varied by people and regions, thereby improving farmers' PPW recycling behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Sharjah is the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) third largest city and third highest waste producer (9.9% of ~26 million in 2012). A total of about ~$1bn has been invested into programs pursuing zero-landfill waste by 100% recycling. Besides infrastructure, assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) are needed for effective waste management. The purpose of this study is to examine recycling KAP in Sharjah. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional study, using pilot-tested questionnaires, was conducted among public venues during March and April 2016. A total of 400 residents (18–55 years) were selected via convenience sampling. SPSS-22 was used for analysis. Findings – Mean age [28 years (±9.4)] with 56.5% females. Knowledge level [51.8% (±18.1)]; students reported the highest (53.7%, p = 0.007, 95% CI [51.4–56.1]). 22.9% knew recycling benefits, 31.2% knew how to correctly prepare items. Attitude level 92.6% (±16.5); 51.1% and 46.8% would recycle more with a financial reward or penalty, respectively. 70.4% reported practicing recycling; 16.0% always recycle. Logistic regression model indicated knowledge (OR = 1.013, 95% CI [1.001–1.025]) and attitude (OR = 1.014, 95% CI [1.001–1.028]) as the only significant predictors of recycling practice. Originality/value – This is the first study measuring recycling KAP in the UAE. Results could be starting points for improved local waste management and subsequently reduced public health concerns.

Purpose The objective of the study was to evaluate the application effects of different doses of onion residue mixed with bovine manure compost as an organic fertilizer on a hybrid Tetsukabuto squash crop cultivated in a field.Method The experimental design required randomly dividing blocks with three replicates. The experiments were designed with different dose combinations in experimental units (4 m wide x 8 m long deep). There were three treatments: organic fertilization (two compost doses 6 and 8 kg m-2); mineral fertilization (45 kg N ha-1 urea), unfertilized control. The number of leaves, main guide length per plant and dry matter were determined.Results The results obtained during the first 15-day sampling showed significant differences (p

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to look into the causes and consequences of e-waste recycling intentions. A conceptual model is developed and tested using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). We investigated the impact of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control on household residents' intention to recycle e-waste. Bringing habits and convenience together in a prominent model that predicts people's recycling behaviour. Households play a significant role in the growth of the e-waste problem because they are at the forefront of the consumption, generation, and management processes. Design/methodology/approach: This study aims to examine the e - waste recycling behaviour among households (n = 228) in a metropolitan city in southern India using a structured survey method using a questionnaire. As a statistical technique for data analysis, hierarchical regression was used. Findings: Based on the results of a hierarchical regression analysis, I attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control are positively connected to recycling intention, and (ii) recycling intention, habits, and convenience are favourably related to recycling behaviour in households. Good explanatory power and confirmation of its robustness are shown by the integrated model's ability to account for more than 53% of the variance in households' e-waste recycling behaviour. Attitudes and subjective norms are shown to be major determinants of households' inclination to recycle electronic garbage. There is an inverse relationship between perceived behavioural control and the intent to recycle electronic waste. Surprisingly, other characteristics like routine and convenience reveal a considerable influence on people's propensity to recycle e-waste at home. Research implications/limitations: The current study is limited by the common method bias and the social desirability bias because it relies on self-report measures. On the other hand, proper statistical methods were used in this work to minimize such distortions. Practical implications: Reducing the amount of electronic waste is predicted to lessen environmental degradation, and when local governments raise awareness about electronic waste among inhabitants, 'green behaviour' is encouraged. Originality/value: The findings of this research shed new light on the recycling habits of locals. To the best of our knowledge, the conceptual model created and tested on the Indian subcontinent adds to the growing literature on recycling intention and behaviour.

We evaluate the effectiveness of attaching microchips to bags for curbside collection in reducing unsorted urban solid waste and increasing the fraction of recycled waste. The microchip enables the local police to identify the users that have left the bags on the curb and check whether they have sorted the waste properly. Our study is carried out in the Italian province of Macerata (Marche, Italy), where the microchipped bags were introduced only in some municipalities in 2013. Exploiting monthly information on waste collection and natural experiment methods, we find that, 2 years after the program started, the microchipped bag system had increased the fraction of recycled waste by 3–4.5 percentage points and decreased the monthly unsorted waste by 1–2 kilograms per capita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently plastic waste has become one of the crucial environmental issues in India due to the growth of urbanized tremendously. Plastic pollution in the environment is a global concern for terrestrial and marine ecosystems, affecting living creatures. Plastic particles found in animal stomachs and human lungs promote the development of cancerous tissues, which can lead to significant diseases in both live creatures and humans. People around India are compelled to rethink the usage of plastic and its proper disposal due to its non-biodegradability and harmful gas emissions from plastic waste. Despite this crucial problem, plastic debris can be a turning point for an environmental, economic, and social resource after improving waste handling and management skills. Guwahati, the gateway of the North-East region of India has the potential to recover valuable resources from plastic waste while also improving the city's plastic waste management system. The purpose of this study is to investigate the eagerness for discernible change in the human population related to the current procedure of waste handling and management techniques for improving a sustainable environment in Guwahati City. This study developed a regression equation using a logistic regression model to analyze the three factors Plastic waste disposal behavior (PWDB), economic behavior (EB), and motivation (financial motivators) towards efficient waste handling obtained after doing a factor analysis of 849 valid responses through different variables. The study also investigated the validity of model fitness and the relationship between these factors through structural equation model. The overall analysis explored that these three factors were positively correlated and significant (p<0.000) hence, they will be able to affect each other and would be able to optimize the waste handling efforts with the least cost. This research article suggests that PWDB, EB, and Motivation (financial motivators) toward recycling plastic waste are the key drivers of reducing waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to overcome the shortcomings of existing mandatory management and promote the recycling of construction waste, this research developed a novel model of contractor's construction waste recycling behavior that introduced value orientation, felt responsibility, perceived value and recycling intention from the perspective of soften management. Combined with the scale measurement development and questionnaire survey, the data on contractor's recycling behavior were collected. Based on the questionnaire data of 214 valid responses, partial least squares structural equation modeling was adopted to test the proposed hypotheses and model. It is found that "value orientation → perceived value → recycling intention → recycling behavior" is identified as a driving path which can effectively prompt contractors to perform the recycling behavior. Therefore, it is suggested that some soften management strategies should be formulated to enhance the initiative of contractors to recycle construction waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Festivals attract diverse visitors to tourism sites and contribute significant solid wastes every year. One way to help customers engage in recycling at tourist attractions is to adopt an effective communication tactic using product transformation salience (PTS). To better understand the influence of PTS, the current study investigated the roles of visitors' characteristics, such as gender and age, by using PTS messages to promote recycling behavior by presenting moderation models. This study further examined the underlying psychological mechanisms to explain the effect of PTS on recycling intention by proposing a serial mediation model. The results indicated that the effects of PTS on visitors' feedback toward green messages varied when considering visitors' age and gender. In particular, women and older attendees perceive the higher green value of recycling and develop higher intentions toward engaging in recycling practices at events. The serial mediation effects of PTS → perceived green value → attitudes → intentions were also confirmed. The findings of this study contribute to the green advertising literature and provide practical suggestions to industry practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the factors that may influence recycling behavior of consumers in developing countries, specifically in the context of Pakistan. A conceptual framework was proposed using TPB to explain the impact of consumer knowledge and perceived consumer effectiveness on consumer recycling The respondents were selected by using non-probability sampling technique and the questionnaire was shared online with the respondents by using different digital platforms. The data was collected form 324 respondents living in Karachi, Pakistan and analyzed through Structure Equation Modeling on SMART PLS. The findings suggest that attitude, perceived consumer effectiveness and subjective norms show positive significant impact on consumers recycling intention. However, there is an insignificant impact of Consumer Knowledge and Perceived Behavior Control on recycling intention. The findings of the study are relevant for marketers, government/policymakers, businesses, manufacturers, environmentalists and academicians. This study would help practitioners and marketers in developing their strategy to promote recycling behavior in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household waste and the exploitation of the environment are among the alarming and unsustainable consumption patterns that are harmful to the ecosystem. Hence, this study aims to determine the factors influencing recycling behavior by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to an analysis of how recycling practices are fostered among citizens and how sustainable development goals (SDG) are upheld. The extended TPB model includes moral norms, convenience, and the cost of recycling. A total of 170 responses were received via the purposive sampling technique. The research model was analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling technique (PLS-SEM). Results show that subjective norms, moral norms, convenience, and the cost to recycle positively influenced recycling behavior. Environmental awareness was found to heavily influence attitudes, but attitudes were not found to translate into behavior. This research provides significant insight and a better understanding of recycling behavior and adds new momentum to the growing literature. The implications of these findings are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The objective of the study was to evaluate the application effects of different doses of onion residue mixed with bovine manure compost as an organic fertilizer on a hybrid Tetsukabuto squash crop cultivated in a field.Method The experimental design required randomly dividing blocks with three replicates. The experiments were designed with different dose combinations in experimental units (4 m wide x 8 m long deep). There were three treatments: organic fertilization (two compost doses 6 and 8 kg m-2); mineral fertilization (45 kg N ha-1 urea), unfertilized control. The number of leaves, main guide length per plant and dry matter were determined.Results The results obtained during the first 15-day sampling showed significant differences (p <0.05) in both number of leaves and main guide length per plant between the treatments with compost doses and the control without fertilization. The treatment with the compost dose of 6 kgm-2 produced the highest effect. . Furthermore, there were no significant differences (p <0.05) among the three treatments in both the number of leaves and main guide length per plant during the second post-sowing 60-day sampling, as well as in the dry matter during the first sampling. During the second sampling, the percentage of dry matter in the control differed significantly from the two fertilized treatments.Conclusion Compost of onion residue mixed with bovine manure can be applied as an organic fertilizer with similar positive effects to mineral fertilization in the first squash crop implantation stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon purchasing behavior is the core part of low-carbon consumption behavior. Its impact on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior, and garbage sorting behavior needs to be further clarified. Based on self-perception theory and cognitive dissonance theory, this paper constructs a theoretical model of the spillover effect of low-carbon purchasing behavior on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior and garbage sorting behavior through self-efficacy and environmental self-identity. This paper uses the Bootstrap method to analyze 494 valid questionnaires empirically. The results show that: low-carbon purchasing behavior has a significantly positive effect on low-carbon use behavior, recycling behavior, and garbage sorting behavior. Self-efficacy and environmental self-identity play partially parallel mediating roles in the spillover effect. The mediating effect of environmental self-efficacy is stronger than environmental self-identity between low-carbon purchasing behavior and low-carbon use behavior. The mediating effect of self-efficacy is weaker than environmental self-identity between low-carbon purchasing behavior and recycling behavior or garbage sorting behavior. The spillover effects are different in demographic variables. The spillover effect of men is more substantial than women. The spillover effect of residents in 18–44 years old is more significant than residents in other age groups. The spillover effect of married residents is the largest. Residents with a bachelor’s degree have the most significant spillover effects on recycling behavior and garbage sorting behavior than residents with other educational levels. Professional and technical personnel have the most considerable spillover effect than other occupation types. The spillover effect is the largest when the family have three members. The spillover effect of residents with a monthly household income of 6,000–8,000 yuan is the largest between low-carbon purchasing behavior and low-carbon use behavior.

Efficient electronic waste (e-waste) management is one of the vital strategies to save materials, including critical minerals and precious metals with limited global reserves. The e-waste collection issue has gained increasing attention in recent years, especially in developing countries, due to low collection rates. This study aims to search for progressive solutions in the e-waste collection sphere with close-to-zero transport and infrastructure costs and the minimization of consumers' efforts towards an enhanced e-waste management efficiency and collection rate. Along these lines, the present paper develops a smart reverse system of e-waste from end-of-life electronics holders to local recycling infrastructures based on intelligent information technology (IT) tools involving local delivery services to collect e-waste and connecting with interactive online maps of users' requests. This system considers the vehicles of local delivery services as potential mobile collection points that collect and deliver e-waste to a local recycling enterprise with a minimum deviation from the planned routes. Besides e-waste transport and infrastructure costs minimization, the proposed smart e-waste reverse system supports the reduction of CO2 through the optimal deployment of e-waste collection vehicles. The present study also advances a solid rationale for involving local e-waste operators as key stakeholders of the smart e-waste reverse system. Deploying the business model canvas (BMC) toolkit, a business model of the developed system has been built for the case of Sumy city, Ukraine, and discussed in light of recent studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As society moves closer to sustainability, recycling becomes one of the core concepts of sustainable behavior. Recycling behavior research is receiving extensive attention from various disciplines because of the increasing prioritization of resource recovery and management by policymakers and industry. This article provides a clear view of the progression of publications and research diversification within the domain. The 788 articles which focused on consumers' or households' recycling behavior were analyzed using software. Resources, Conservation and Recycling was the top contributing journal, and Stewart Barr was the top contributing author. With the help of citation analysis and bibliographic coupling, the intellectual structure of recycling behavior research was obtained, showing that the research had diversified into seven identifiable clusters. The research in the area was initially focused on environmental behaviors and their determinants, household recycling behavior and behavioral theories like the Theory of Planned Behavior. Other focus areas that aid in research progression were spillover effects, past behavior, habits and behavior change. These clusters further provided the base for research on recycling behavior toward specific product categories. The content analysis of the lead papers in each cluster further helps in disclosing the foundations of and future directions of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to waste recycling called "waste bank" has recently appeared in Southeast Asian countries. Typically, waste banks allow members to exchange recyclable materials for revenue, with different returns based on the type and weight of the materials. However, participant numbers remain low, and improvements to the system are necessary to encourage participants to separate their waste. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the period of participation in a waste bank in Malang City, Indonesia. A sample of 216 participants was obtained for the correlation between variables and a multiple-regression analysis. It was found that many respondents were frustrated by the volume of items requiring separation. We suggest that the number of recovery items without substantial economic benefit should be minimized to encourage participants to separate and bring their resources and to participate regularly. This would also be helpful in prolonging participation periods. Many participants regarded the waste-separation concept as an unfamiliar one. Our results may be useful for other Southeast Asian countries at the same economic level as Indonesia who wish to encourage the establishment of waste banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several theories and case studies have shown that information has little or no direct influence on waste sorting behavior. However, it is often suggested that information plays a vital role by indirectly influencing behavior. This contribution sheds light on how instructive information influences users of a recycling scheme in terms of perception, knowledge and waste sorting behavior. The study was performed as a case study on a student population in a medium-sized city in Sweden. An intervention in the form of modified information that was provided to the users was studied. This information was instructive in nature and adapted to the participants' needs using the Recycling Behavior Transition procedure, where the users are involved in the development and modification of recycling schemes. New information was designed after investigating how the participants perceived the original information on correct waste sorting, as well as ascertaining their preferred channel for providing the information. Pick analyses and surveys were conducted before and after providing the user-adapted information. The results indicated a trend towards correct participation in the recycling scheme. These results are also discussed in the theoretical context of the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability-Behavior model. The study shows that user-adapted, instructive information can have a significant influence on people's knowledge of correct waste separation and their overall perception of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food wastage has been reached to an alarming level and many social and governmental bodies are scared from the respective numbers. A significant bulk from such food wastage occurs due to non‐recycling of wastage and thus pollution is been generating every day from the same dilemma. This study has tried to see the role of environmental consciousness, green marketing, and purchasing discipline on food wastage generation in mediating the role of recycling behavior. Data have been collected from Thailand where many tourists stay engage in this harmful activity. Responses of 303 respondents have been analyzed on SPSS and AMOS through different statistical tests. Results have indicated that green marketing and purchasing discipline significantly reduces the food waste generation while environmental consciousness did not show significant impact. Recycling behavior significantly mediates between green marketing and food wastage and between purchasing decision and food wastage but not for environmental consciousness. This study has a lot of worthy implications for academia, practice, and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consumer behaviors are critical to managing and reducing e-waste. • Faculty, students, and staff at a Midwestern University surveyed regarding e-waste. • Cost, knowledge, and access to recycling affect consumers choice to recycle. • Increased consumer knowledge should be paired with free or low-cost e-waste recycling options. The United States lacks a set of unified electronic waste recycling laws, contributing in part to the observed low rate of e-waste recycling behaviors among consumers. Individual factors of consumers contributing to the low recycling rates are not well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate consumer behaviors, including barriers, surrounding e-waste recycling at a large Midwestern university in the United States. A survey was administered to faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff to determine their personal recycling habits, knowledge, and beliefs. The results indicate that free access to disposal, lack of consumer knowledge about products and disposal sites, and access to a recycling facility within a reasonable distance are all important factors in consumer decisions. Policy-makers and waste management professionals should focus on promotion of e-waste recycling behaviors through increased access to free or low-cost recycling as well as through the creation of recycling incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards sustainable consumption and production requires public engagement and support. In this context, understanding the determinants of individual pro-environmental behavior can assist in sustainability policy design, and contribute to explaining cross-country and regional differences in its implementation and effectiveness. This paper examines the influence of local waste management culture on individual recycling behavior. To isolate the impact of location-specific norms, habits and traditions comprising waste management culture from the confounding effect of contemporaneous local economic and social conditions, we use data from over 40 000 domestic immigrants in Greece. Estimating models relating individual recycling activity in the region of current residence to recycling practices in the region of origin, we find robust evidence that region of origin waste management practices have quantitatively and statistically significant influence on individual recycling behavior: a 10 percentage point increase in the prevalence of recycling in the region of origin, increases the probability a subject recycles by 0.9 percentage points. The results suggest that locally prevailing waste management norms and practices influence individual recycling behavior independently of local economic, social and environmental circumstances. Designing effective sustainability policy may need to account for regional variation in norms and preferences, and encourage investment in the development of sustainable waste management culture.

Young consumers are major targets for necessary interventions to change consumption habits to address environmental sustainability challenges. The current study provides a comparison of a Western and an Asian culture, examining several key psychological and social influences to determine which can be most closely linked to the recycling behaviors of U.S. and Chinese young consumers. The results suggest both Chinese and U.S. students may be responsive to grassroots efforts to motivate recycling behaviors through peer groups. Opportunities for consumer socialization of green behaviors through family ties may also exist. This study provides valuable insight into key drivers of young consumers' recycling behavior for two important market segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia, as one of the most significant contributors to plastic pollution in the world, pledged to reduce 70 percent of the plastic waste by 2025. However, plastic waste continues to increase and keeps generating through plastic coffee cups from the booming business of coffee franchises in Indonesia. Previous research on factors influencing plastic recycling behaviors and the investigation of the role of mobile apps in the recycling system discusses a prospective mobile app to increase recycling behavior. However, this type of mobile app does not exist in Indonesia yet. Therefore, by employing mixed methods, a mobile plastic waste recycling application is being developed. The results of this study present the following findings: (1) the design process of developing a mobile app for plastic recycling from ideation, sketching, and paper prototyping utilizing features of perceived behavioral intention factors such as personal attitude, perceived behavioral control, and perceived moral obligation; (2) a usability paper prototype resulting in potential for participants to engage and use the app as well as indicate prospective awareness where using the app would likely increase plastic recycling culture. This study has several limitations due to the sample size, the scope of the study, and the content of the app. This study concludes that future work is underway to test the final prototype of the app and the collaboration of the app through a co-design project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The recycling of the plastic waste can help in reducing it and its environmental threat. • The theory of planned behavior was adapted and extended to measure the determinants of recycling behavior. • Subjective Norms, Awareness Consequences and Convenience are major predictors of return/recycling intention. • Attitude, Perceived Behavioral Control and Moral Norms was found to have insignificant impact on return/recycling intention. Abstract Plastic consumption has been increasing globally, creating large amount of litter and posing threat to the environment. The recycling of the plastic waste can help in reducing it and its environmental threat. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence the consumer's return/recycling intention regarding plastic waste. Moreover, recycling behavior of consumer was explored in detail. The theory of planned behavior was adapted and extended to measure the determinants of recycling behavior. Survey research design was employed whereas data includes valid 243 households, collected through survey questionnaire, by employing purposive sampling. PLS-SEM was applied on the collected data for hypotheses testing. The finding of this study indicates that subjective norms, awareness consequences and convenience are major predictors of return/recycling intention. Whereas, hypothesis for the attitude, perceived behavioral control and moral norms were rejected and they all have insignificant impact on return/recycling intention. Moreover, return intention have positive significant impact on resell, reuse, dispose and donate. Reuse was the most predicted by the return intention. This study enriches the literature of reverse logistics helping to understand the consumers' perspective. Provides the insights that will help government and organizations to understand consumers' return/recycling intention and formulate such strategies that will increase the involvement of consumers in recycling activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several theories and case studies have shown that information has little or no direct influence on waste sorting behavior. However, it is often suggested that information plays a vital role by indirectly influencing behavior. This contribution sheds light on how instructive information influences users of a recycling scheme in terms of perception, knowledge and waste sorting behavior. The study was performed as a case study on a student population in a medium-sized city in Sweden. An intervention in the form of modified information that was provided to the users was studied. This information was instructive in nature and adapted to the participants’ needs using the Recycling Behavior Transition procedure, where the users are involved in the development and modification of recycling schemes. New information was designed after investigating how the participants perceived the original information on correct waste sorting, as well as ascertaining their preferred channel for providing the information. Pick analyses and surveys were conducted before and after providing the user-adapted information. The results indicated a trend towards correct participation in the recycling scheme. These results are also discussed in the theoretical context of the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability-Behavior model. The study shows that user-adapted, instructive information can have a significant influence on people’s knowledge of correct waste separation and their overall perception of information.

Given the increasing efforts at improving waste management in developing countries, this study aimed to analyze factors that influence participation in household waste sorting. It thereby is the first review that extends the published literature on this topic. A meta-analysis was conducted that analyzed twelve influencing factors. A moderate correlation was found for the most strongly influential factors—attitude, moral norm, subjective norm and perceived behavior control—which indicates that people’s perception of waste sorting is most influencing in prompting participation in household waste sorting in developing countries. The results of this meta-analysis indicate that knowledge, situational factors, such as physical conditions, and governmental incentives can influence participation in household waste sorting in developing countries but the relationship between those factors and other factors with high correlations should be studied further. Notably, socio-demographic factors have the weakest influence on the participation in waste sorting in developing countries despite a large body of research on such factors. It can be constructive to take the relationship across the identified factors and the participation in waste sorting into consideration when aiming to implement measures to increase the participation in waste management schemes through waste sorting. The outcome of this study may contribute to recommendations and policy suggestions regarding the promotion of sustainable waste management through household waste sorting in developing countries.

Abstract The introduction of effective solid waste management strategies in developing countries should be considered for improving sustainability at global level. Many barriers should be overcome, concerning the introduction of environmental policies, effective investments, social inclusion and public awareness, which are significant issues in low-middle income countries. The Circular Economy could represent the answer for improving current solid waste management activities worldwide, since denote the principle of waste valorization and recycling for boosting developing economies. This paper is focused on this theme, analyzing main opportunities for improving the current state of solid waste management in developing big cities. The solid waste management of two countries are reviewed: Romania is the emerging country where Circular Economy is becoming a future objective due to economic aids and strength regulations which the European Union (EU) established for the nations forming parts the alliance; as a comparison, Bolivia is reported for evaluating main differences founded for developing recycling systems in a no-EU country. These two case studies could be of interest for highlighting main pros and cons of the participation into a wide organization like the EU for introducing in short terms Circular Economy principles. Moreover, a theoretical Circular Economy model for developing big cities in low-middle income countries is described within the study for effectively comparing which chances can spread for these countries as regard municipal solid waste exploitation. Despite the economic level, Romania and Bolivia are both facing with many solid waste management issues although in different magnitude. For the Romanian case study, it is visible how it cannot achieve the European goals for 2020 due the need of change in public recycling behavior. Bolivia, instead, represents the case where international aids and new investments are required, considering the informal sector into the formal management system as a real opportunity for improving local recycling rate. In conclusion, the comparison suggests how external supports led to implement the principles of the Circular Economy within a developing region. The model of Circular Economy proposed is recommended for developing big cities in order to advance a new form of safe employment, encouraging the activities that are still in action (i.e. informal sector) and boosting the principles of sustainable development. Highlights • A circular economy model for developing countries was presented. • Solid waste management of Romania and Bolivia can be compared. • Municipal and "special" solid waste should be managed in an integrated manner. • Integrated regulations about solid waste are essential for developing countries. • The informal sector plays a key role on sustainable solid waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aimed to assess the role of some socio-psychological attributes in explaining recycling behavior of Turkish university community from a gender perspective within the context of the theory of planned behavior with an additional variable (past experience). The recycling behavior of whole sample, females and males, has been examined in 3 sessions -depending on the arguments that explain gendered pattern of private and public environmental behavior and sticking to the fact why females’ stronger environmental values, beliefs, and attitudes do not translate consistently into greater engagement in public behavior. As a result of model runs, different variables shaping intention for behavior have been found, namely perceived behavior control for females and past behavior for males. Due to the low percent of the variance in explaining recycling behavior of females, they have been identified as the ones who do not carry out intentions (non-recyclers). Since intentions alone are capable of identifying recyclers accurately but not non-recyclers, there may be other factors to be considered to understand the reason for females not carrying out the intentions. The results of descriptive statistics supported the identification by attitudes toward recycling. Female attitudes were innate (recycling is good, necessary, useful and sensitive), whereas those of males were learnt (recycling is healthy, valuable and correct). Thus, it has been concluded that males’ intention for recycling is shaped by their past behavior and the conclusion is supported by males having learnt attitude toward recycling whereas females’ lack of intention for recycling is shaped by their perceived behavior control and is supported by their innate attitude for recycling. All in all, the results of the present study provide further support for the utility of the TPB as a model of behavioral prediction and concur with other studies examining the utility of the TPB in the context of recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Findings from previous studies demonstrating the effects of perceived social exclusion on social behaviors have been inconsistent. We used self-construal as a moderator to test the effects of perceived social exclusion on recycling behavior. A survey of 606 participants was conducted in Beijing, China. Results show that, for the independent self-construal group, perceived social exclusion had significantly negative effects on their recycling attitudes and subjective norms; in contrast, for the interdependent self-construal group, significantly positive effects were identified. In addition, because of differences in their attitudes toward recycling, their subjective norms, and their perceived behavior control, there was a significant difference in recycling behavior between people with a predominantly independent self-construal and people with a predominantly interdependent self-construal. These findings fill gaps in the literature concerning the effects of perceived social exclusion on recycling behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid waste mismanagement is a social burden that requires the introduction of reliable public policies, including recycling principles and technological facilities. However, the development of recycling plans is a real issue for municipal governments, since it involves psychological and cultural factors, both in developed and developing countries. Questionnaire survey is an important tool for evaluating which solid waste management policy is suited for each specific study area, involving citizens and stakeholders. The aim of this paper is to evaluate what approach should be applied for social surveys in higher education institutes, comparing developing and developed countries. Italy is the developed country analyzed, where two universities in different cities are compared, while La Paz (Bolivia) is the emerging reality considered. The research conducted in La Paz led us to understand that, although recycling rates are low (about 8%), many students (56.96%) separate up to half of the waste produced at home. At the same time, about 53% of those interviewed do not know the recycling practices implemented by the informal sector which is the one that constantly act for improving the recycling rates of the city. Low technological acceptance is instead underlined in the high income country, since there is a common negative opinion concerning the introduction of landfills and incinerators near residential areas (49% disagree). A comparison of the methodologies adopted for the two case studies is introduced whereas investigations results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to understand the relationships between the determinants (latent variables) comprising the Theory of Planned Behavior and, based on these findings, to guide decision-making related to household recycling in South Africa. Data from a representative sample of respondents in large urban areas (n = 2004) was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of the SEM analysis showed a good fit of the survey data to the Theory of Planned Behavior theoretical model. The Theory of Planned Behavior explains 26.4% of the variance in recycling behavior and 46.4% of the variance in intention to recycle. Only 3.3% of South Africans in large urban areas show dedicated recycling behavior, considering the recycling of five materials: paper, plastic, glass, metal, and compostable organic waste. The recycling frequency item in the recycling behavior construct is the most likely to be over-reported. South Africans lack sufficient knowledge, positive attitudes, social pressure, and perceived control that would encourage recycling behavior. Awareness drives containing moral values (injunctive norms) and information about available recycling schemes, combined with the provision of a curbside collection service for recyclables, have the greatest chance to positively influence recycling behavior amongst South Africa’s city dwellers.