Model of Chinese Household Kitchen Waste Separation Behavior: A Case Study in Beijing City

Abstract

High participation rates by the public in authority projects are key in increasing resident recycling levels. Understanding waste separation behavior is crucial to achieving sustainable waste management within such household-based schemes. To identify the driving forces behind the seldom-discussed kitchen garbage separation behavior, five psychological factors, namely, attitude, perceived behavior control, subjective norms, moral norms, and responsibility denial, are established. Our data originate from a social study of Beijing citizens conducted in July 2013 (n = 362). Through structural equation modeling, we find that moral norms are consistently the most important predictor of household kitchen waste (KW) separation behavior. Subjective norms have a larger effect on such behavior than responsibility denial. Data analysis shows that perceived behavior control contributes significantly and independently to the explanation of such behavior. By contrast, attitude towards KW separation is found to be significantly negatively correlated with separation behavior. In conclusion, the model with direct and indirect effects of psychological factors explains 50.3% of the variance in household KW source separation behavior. Implications of the results for the promotion of household KW separation programs are discussed.

Understanding Household Waste Separation Behaviour: Testing the Roles of Moral, Past Experience, and Perceived Policy Effectiveness within the Theory of Planned Behaviour

“…The direct path from perceived behavioural control to intention/behaviour is assumed to display the influence between actual ease and difficulty with intention/behaviour. In this study, a significant path from perceived Attitude that stresses moral obligation towards the environment draws attention to personal beliefs on rights and responsibilities [35]. Hence, an individual who has a high perception of moral obligations often manages their thoughts and follow the discipline, which may enhance a stronger attitude towards being environmental-friendly.…”

“…Barr and Gilg discussed that past behaviour is a self-reinforcing process which provides an important reference for subsequent behaviour [35], hence an individual who conforms to a particular behaviour will be more inclined to perform it again. Furthermore, according to TPB, perceived behavioural control is one of the direct constructs in predicting intention and behaviour.…”

“…Barr and Gilg discussed that past behaviour is a self-reinforcing process which provides an important reference for subsequent behaviour [35], hence an individual who conforms to a particular behaviour will be more inclined to perform it again. With respect to the effects of demographics characteristics, various studies have been conducted to justify the relationship between demographic variables and pro-environmental behaviour [1].…”

“…Attitude that stresses moral obligation towards the environment draws attention to personal beliefs on rights and responsibilities [35]. Hence, an individual who has a high perception of moral obligations often manages their thoughts and follow the discipline, which may enhance a stronger attitude towards being environmental-friendly.…”

Food Waste Drivers in Europe, from Identification to Possible Interventions

“…Beyond these basic factors, several studies and surveys have found that consumers' culinary skills and, more generally, information and awareness on the wider implications of food (e.g., nutritional properties and related dietary effects, conditions of safe use, cultural aspects, social and environmental implications) have a positive correlation with a reduced generation of FW in the households, since they contribute to create a positive attitude towards good practices at different levels: planning of food shopping and meals at home, food storage, meal preparation and portioning, reuse of leftovers and optimisation of food available at home, donation of the food that cannot be consumed for any reason, and sorting of kitchen waste [13][14][15]17,22,25,104,134,147,153,154,158,[175][176][177].…”