The Mechanism of Household Waste Sorting Behaviour—A Study of Jiaxing, China

Zhang Y., Wang G., Zhang Q., Ji Y., Xu H.

With the rapid development of China's economy and the acceleration of urbanization, the production of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased rapidly, which has had a serious adverse effect on the environment . Source separation of waste is an effective way to achieve high recovery rates in urban areas and reduce environmental risks. This research optimizes the theory of planned behavior with the employment of the normative activation model and the attitude-behavior-condition theory. A measurement model is thus conceptualized to explore the determinants of the separation intention and behavior of Chinese urban residents. In particular, a case study based on questionnaires in Shenzhen (in southern China) and Tianjin (in northern China) was conducted before the similarities and differences of the two megacities were identified in a comparative analysis. The findings of statistical analysis and structural equation model verification show that subjective norms have exerted the most significant impact on Shenzhen residents' separation intention, but perceived behavioral control takes a dominant position in Tianjin. Also, the satisfaction with government policies has the most extensive impact on the separation behavior of Shenzhen residents, while complete separation facilities are the biggest contributor to the popularization of waste separation in Tianjin. Furthermore, the study investigated the moderating effect of contextual factors and verified the significant effect of government policies and incentive methods. Finally, it provided some useful recommendations for governments to enhance the efficiency of MSW source separation promotion. • A measurement model was developed by extending the TPB. • A comparative analysis between two Chinese megacities was conducted. • Major contributors to separation intention and behavior were identified. • The moderating effect of contextual factors was explored.

Shen X., Chen B., Leibrecht M., Du H.

The Chinese government is promoting a waste classification policy to solve the increasingly serious issue of cities being besieged by waste. Only few studies investigate whether residents’ understanding of garbage classification policy has an impact on their garbage classification behaviour and the nature of such impact. The purposes of this study are twofold: first, to explore conceptually the mechanism behind any moderating effects of perceived policy effectiveness (PPE) on waste classification and, second, to examine empirically if and how PPE influences the relationships between attitude (ATT), subjective norm (SN), perceived behaviour control (PBC), awareness of consequence (AC) and waste classification intention (WCI). The conceptual model of the study is developed by combining insights from the theory of planned behaviour, norm activation theory and value–belief–norm theory. A total of 351 questionnaires were administered in person to households in Bengbu, China. The results based on structural equation modelling with partial least squares show that PPE negatively moderates the relationship between AC and WCI. AC is more strongly related with the intention to classify waste when PPE is weaker. Likewise, when PPE is higher, people’s awareness of consequences becomes less important for WCI. The findings have significant implications in policymakers’ developing guidelines and offer a framework for implementing more effective waste classification policy.

Jia Y., Cheng S., Shi R.

In the background of growing rural domestic waste pollution, encouraging the source classification of rural domestic waste is a critical way to address the inadequacies of rural environmental problems. Using the micro-survey data of rural residents in Shaanxi province, China, this paper explores the decision-making behavior (classification willingness and degree of classification) of rural residents’ domestic waste through a double-hurdle model (DHM). The results show that among the 1374 rural residents, 1274 samples are willing to be sorted and put into place. Of these, 45.21% of the rural residents are eager to classify household waste into four categories, namely recycling or saleable, food waste or perishable, toxic and harmful, and others. Besides, household income has a significantly negative impact on the domestic waste classification willingness of rural residents while the number of education years positively impacts the degree of rural domestic waste classification. It is an indication that the sense of environmental responsibility significantly and positively influences the decision-making behaviors of rural residents, not only promoting their willingness to classification but also increasing their degree of classification; the psychological perception of rural residents about the pollution of domestic waste significantly increases their willingness and degree of classification. Policy implications are further discussed.

Yang J., Long R., Chen H., Sun Q.

Waste recycling is a globally significant issue that can alleviate environmental pollution and resource shortages. However, due to the lack of effective incentive measures and recycling models, the recycling rate is low in China. Analyzing the behavior choices of relevant stakeholders and comparing the effective of different recycling models has become a practical problem. A multi-agent express packaging waste recycling system that includes governments, individuals and enterprises was constructed. Further, based on the differential game theory , this study explores the behavioral characteristics of individuals, optimal strategies of government and enterprises under market-driven recycling model, government-driven recycling model, and cooperation-driven recycling models. The analysis derives the following findings. (1) Under the market-driven recycling model and government-driven recycling model, both the government and enterprise take the maximization of their own interests as behavior principle, whereas under the cooperation-driven recycling model, they are both more concerned about improved benefits. (2) Compared with the market-driven recycling model, the government-driven recycling model has achieved Pareto improvement. (3) The cooperation-driven recycling model has the highest revenue. (4) Subsidies are conducive to improving the optimal effort levels of enterprises. This study can provide new ideas for related research and offer a theoretical basis to formulate efficient recycling policy.

Pekarkova Z., Williams I.D., Emery L., Bone R.

This study focused on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that is incorrectly disposed of in residual waste bins. An analysis of public behaviour, motivation and general knowledge on WEEE management was undertaken in Southampton, England. All respondents were members of the People's Panel run by Southampton City Council. The potential monetary value that could be secured via the resale of WEEE that could be repaired was estimated. The value was calculated for three scenarios – low, middle and high for the years 2020, 2025 and 2030. Carbon footprints were calculated for four disposal routes to enable a comparison of the three scenarios. Analysis of the survey shows that respondents’ knowledge about WEEE management is deficient. The survey results highlighted a high level of confusion regarding correct identification and management of WEEE and a perception that collection services are inconvenient. The incorrect disposal of WEEE is costly; the potential resale value of WEEE disposed of in UK residual waste bins could be as much as £196–215 million by 2030. Reducing the quantity of WEEE entering UK landfills, including WEEE incorrectly disposed via the residual waste stream, via reuse and recycling could allow total emission reductions of between 312 and 344 Mt CO2e by 2030. Incinerating WEEE also leads to carbon savings, however at the cost of losing recyclable materials and critical metals. The correct capture of this waste stream would therefore generate significant economic, environmental and resource benefits nationally and globally. The study has also highlighted the crucial need for raising public awareness about WEEE management and indicated that kerbside collection services for WEEE would probably be beneficial and popular.

Lu X., Pu X., Han X.

In the context of the “smart city”, information and communication technologies (ICT) have become indispensable in the planning and design of modern municipal solid waste management . Due to more waste varieties, there are urgent calls to implement waste classification worldwide, which promotes resource recycling to achieve sustainable development . In this paper, we present an ICT-based smart waste classification and collection system (SWCCS) that is abstracted as a bi-objective mathematical programming model to optimize the waste collection problem. To implement the proposed SWCCS effectively, we design a novel multi-objective hybrid algorithm based on the whale optimization and genetic algorithms (MOGWOA) with an improved convergence factor and a fast, non-dominated sorting method. A comparison of our algorithm with two classical multi-objective algorithms on generated test instances and on a real-world case shows that the proposed MOGWOA is more effective for optimizing the established model. This paper demonstrates how the ICT-based SWCCS works and how it can help sanitation companies improve waste collection both economically and environmentally. • A sustainable smart waste classification and collection system is investigated. • A dual-objective mathematical model is developed to minimize cost and workload. • A hybrid multi-objective whale optimization algorithm is presented. • Effectiveness of the model and algorithm proposed in this paper is proved.

Alhassan H., Kwakwa P.A., Owusu-Sekyere E.

Poor solid waste management has increasingly taken a hegemonic position in urban policy discourse in Ghana. Often, the discourse centers on free market principles and inflexible waste management laws that promote privatization and deregulation. Recently however, source separation is dominating discussions on policy alternatives. This study investigates determinants of households' source separation behaviour and solid waste disposal options among residents of Ghana's 'Millennium City'- Accra using logit and multinomial logit regression models respectively. The logit regression estimates show that households' source separation behaviour is determined by gender, income, monetary incentives, attitude, compound house dummy, type of service provider and other household location variables. The multinomial logit estimates reveal that gender, age, age square, income, household size, employment, housing type, and attitude predicted household disposal options. We argue that to win the 'garbage war', source separation should be promoted by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly as this may enhance positive attitudes towards proper waste management.

Tong Y., Liu J., Liu S.

In recent days, garbage classification has become a hot topic in China, and Shanghai took the lead in the implementation of garbage classification legislation in China. Starting from the current situation of garbage classification in China, this study emphasizes the garbage classification in terms of law, amount, economy, management, resourcing and successful experience of garbage classification in China, so as to provide inspiration and guidance for garbage classification for other countries.

Granco G., Heier Stamm J.L., Bergtold J.S., Daniels M.D., Sanderson M.R., Sheshukov A.Y., Mather M.E., Caldas M.M., Ramsey S.M., Lehrter II R.J., Haukos D.A., Gao J., Chatterjee S., Nifong J.C., Aistrup J.A.

Sustainability has been at the forefront of the environmental research agenda of the integrated anthroposphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere since the last century and will continue to be critically important for future environmental science. However, linking humans and the environment through effective policy remains a major challenge for sustainability research and practice. Here we address this gap using an agent-based model (ABM) for a coupled natural and human systems in the Smoky Hill River Watershed (SHRW), Kansas, USA. For this freshwater-dependent agricultural watershed with a highly variable flow regime influenced by human-induced land-use and climate change, we tested the support for an environmental policy designed to conserve and protect fish biodiversity in the SHRW. We develop a proof of concept interdisciplinary ABM that integrates field data on hydrology, ecology (fish richness), social-psychology (value-belief-norm) and economics, to simulate human agents' decisions to support environmental policy. The mechanism to link human behaviors to environmental changes is the social-psychological sequence identified by the value-belief-norm framework and is informed by hydrological and fish ecology models. Our results indicate that (1) cultural factors influence the decision to support the policy; (2) a mechanism modifying social-psychological factors can influence the decision-making process; (3) there is resistance to environmental policy in the SHRW, even under potentially extreme climate conditions; and (4) the best opportunities for policy acceptance were found immediately after extreme environmental events. The modeling approach presented herein explicitly links biophysical and social science has broad generality for sustainability problems.

Gkargkavouzi A., Halkos G., Matsiori S.

This study explores the determinants of environmental behavior in a private-sphere context and proposes an integrative model that includes the constructs from two theoretical frameworks, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the value belief norm theory (VBN), along with two additional variables, habits and self-identity. A questionnaire survey method was used to collect the survey data and statistical analysis relied on application of structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that intention is the best predictor of environmental behavior followed by habits and subjective norm is the main attendant of intention. Awareness of consequences has a positive impact on personal and subjective norms, attitudes and perceived behavioral control, while these constructs have in turn a significant influence on behavioral intention. Self-identity moderates the relationships between biospheric values and personal norm, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. The proposed model exhibit superior predictive ability compared to the original TPB and VBN models verifying its utility and effectiveness in explaining environmental behavior. The results of this work can be used by governments and policymakers to design and implement conservation programs to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Recommendations for future research are discussed in the last section of this paper.

Baber H.

The study is aimed to explore the factors of subjective norms and their influence on shaping the intention of people to participate in crowdfunding. Data was collected from 155 respondents who have been involved in one or many crowdfunding campaigns as a contributor or fundraiser. Data was analyzed using various statistical tools like data reliability test, factor analysis, correlation, and regression. It was found that intention to participate in crowdfunding is shaped by the influence of family and friends and people have high motivation to comply with the approval of these reference groups. Influence of other reference groups like a supervisor, teacher, neighbor, social network friend, etc. has no impact on shaping the intention of people towards crowdfunding. The study will be useful for crowdfunding platforms to understand the influence of referent groups on people regarding crowdfunding participation.

Khan G.F., Sarstedt M., Shiau W., Hair J.F., Ringle C.M., Fritze M.P.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the knowledge infrastructure of methodological research on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) from a network point of view. The analysis involves the structures of authors, institutions, countries and co-citation networks, and discloses trending developments in the field. Design/methodology/approach Based on bibliometric data downloaded from the Web of Science, the authors apply various social network analysis (SNA) and visualization tools to examine the structure of knowledge networks of the PLS-SEM domain. Specifically, the authors investigate the PLS-SEM knowledge network by analyzing 84 methodological studies published in 39 journals by 145 authors from 106 institutions. Findings The analysis reveals that specific authors dominate the network, whereas most authors work in isolated groups, loosely connected to the network’s focal authors. Besides presenting the results of a country level analysis, the research also identifies journals that play a key role in disseminating knowledge in the network. Finally, a burst detection analysis indicates that method comparisons and extensions, for example, to estimate common factor model data or to leverage PLS-SEM’s predictive capabilities, feature prominently in recent research. Originality/value Addressing the limitations of prior systematic literature reviews on the PLS-SEM method, this is the first study to apply SNA to reveal the interrelated structures and properties of PLS-SEM’s research domain.

Hair J.F., Risher J.J., Sarstedt M., Ringle C.M.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive, yet concise, overview of the considerations and metrics required for partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis and result reporting. Preliminary considerations are summarized first, including reasons for choosing PLS-SEM, recommended sample size in selected contexts, distributional assumptions, use of secondary data, statistical power and the need for goodness-of-fit testing. Next, the metrics as well as the rules of thumb that should be applied to assess the PLS-SEM results are covered. Besides presenting established PLS-SEM evaluation criteria, the overview includes the following new guidelines: PLSpredict (i.e., a novel approach for assessing a model’s out-of-sample prediction), metrics for model comparisons, and several complementary methods for checking the results’ robustness. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides an overview of previously and recently proposed metrics as well as rules of thumb for evaluating the research results based on the application of PLS-SEM. Findings Most of the previously applied metrics for evaluating PLS-SEM results are still relevant. Nevertheless, scholars need to be knowledgeable about recently proposed metrics (e.g. model comparison criteria) and methods (e.g. endogeneity assessment, latent class analysis and PLSpredict), and when and how to apply them to extend their analyses. Research limitations/implications Methodological developments associated with PLS-SEM are rapidly emerging. The metrics reported in this paper are useful for current applications, but must always be up to date with the latest developments in the PLS-SEM method. Originality/value In light of more recent research and methodological developments in the PLS-SEM domain, guidelines for the method’s use need to be continuously extended and updated. This paper is the most current and comprehensive summary of the PLS-SEM method and the metrics applied to assess its solutions.

Liao C., Zhao D., Zhang S., Chen L.

Xu L., Ling M., Lu Y., Shen M.

Due to the increasing amount of global waste generated over the years, most countries have the urgency to implement effective household waste recycling to solve this problem. In order to develop the policy that regulates waste recycling behaviour, it is important to investigate on the external factors that may influence an individual's waste sorting behaviour and participation rate. In this paper, we examined how four possible external factors―namely market incentives, market facilitators such as informal recycling market, government incentive and government facilitators―influence waste separation behaviour of Hangzhou's residents in China. The survey questionnaire was designed based on the extension of an extant theoretical framework and literature review, and then disseminated to the households through systematic sampling in JB Street of Hangzhou, resulting in a sample size of 631 valid responses. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of each construct. Our results revealed a significant and positive correlation between all the constructs to waste separation intention except the path from market incentive to intention. We further discussed on the moderating effect of the social-demographic variables such as social influence, gender and income on recycling intention and waste separation behaviour. This study expands the understanding on perceived effectiveness of external factors that influence residents' waste separation behaviour. The findings can be extrapolated to other countries to implement effective household waste management policies.

Cohen J., Gil J., Rosado L.

Nigam A., Sainy M.

Zhu N., Guo Q., Wei T.

Source classification of rural residents is related to the effectiveness of domestic waste classification and treatment. The development of the habit of domestic waste classification by rural residents requires the incentive of environmental regulations. Using data from the 2022 CLES (China Land Economic Survey) database survey of 1189 farm households, we analyzed the impact and path of environmental regulation on the level of domestic waste classification among rural residents using the Oprobit model. This study found that approximately half of the samples used the classification method to dispose of domestic waste. The level of waste classification was low, and only 5.72% of the samples used the four-classification method to dispose of domestic waste. There is still a long way to go in classifying the domestic waste of rural residents. Guided environmental regulation, constrained environmental regulation, and incentive environmental regulation can directly improve the level of domestic waste classification of rural residents. However, it can also indirectly promote the level of domestic waste classification by promoting the understanding of domestic waste classification, improving the living environment, and improving environmental cognition through a sense of identity related to family responsibility. Accordingly, countermeasures are proposed to guide rural residents in classifying domestic waste by continuously strengthening the publicity of domestic waste classification, improving the system of policies and regulations, and raising the environmental awareness of rural residents.

Luo W., Yu Z., Zhou P., Ren Y., Lv H.

Segregation of household waste is an important means of achieving resource recovery, minimization and harmlessness of waste, which is of great significance in addressing the dilemma of the “rubbish siege”. However, at present, urban community residents still face many challenges in the practice of household waste classification, such as lack of classification knowledge, imperfect classification facilities and weak and persistent classification behavior, which seriously restrict the effective promotion of garbage classification work. In this paper, a model of the factors influencing community residents’ willingness to separate household waste was developed based on the theory of planned behavior and tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a sample of 218 surveys conducted among residents of community X in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province. It was found that urban community residents were generally willing to sort their household waste subjectively. The five factors of waste sorting recognition, intrinsic moral constraints, group behavioral incentives, time and space factors and waste sorting facilities positively influenced urban community residents’ willingness to sort household waste. Government job satisfaction and legal and regulatory constraints had no significant influence on urban community residents’ willingness to sort household waste and did not reach a statistically significant level. Based on this, in the future, we should strengthen public education, enhance group behavioral incentives, improve supporting infrastructure, standardize and improve laws and regulations to improve residents’ willingness to separate household waste and promote the process of urban household waste segregation in China.

Sui F., Zhang H.

Al Aflak A., Vij P.

Tan C.P., Woo P.J., Gew L.T.

Global plastic recycling rates remain as low as 9% despite evident consequences of plastic pollution on planetary health and life. This cross-sectional survey study employed the Integrated Behavioural Model to examine the determinants of plastic recycling intention and behaviour. Data was collected from 391 adult consumers residing in Malaysia, who were recruited via convenience sampling. Multiple regression analyses revealed that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control predicted plastic recycling intentions. Specifically, increase in experiential attitude and descriptive norm leads to increase in plastic recycling intentions. Additionally, plastic recycling behaviour is determined by knowledge, and environmental constraints, and not by intentions or habits. These findings offer guidance in devising localised plastic recycling interventions.

Cascioli P., D’Ingiullo D., Furia D., Odoardi I., Quaglione D.

Sustainable development is increasingly recognized for its reliance on grassroots, bottom-up practices embedded in local communities. The economic literature has tested various influencing factors on household behaviors, such as culture or social cohesion, often considering proxies of so-called “intangible capitals” separately. This article aims to jointly consider the pivotal role of three of these potential capitals that could have a trigger effect on pro-environmental behaviors, specifically, social capital (sc), human capital (hc), and institutional quality (iq). In particular, our study, by adopting a PVAR approach, analyzes if and to what extent sc, hc, and iq influence the priority goal of increasing waste-sorting practices in the 20 Italian regions. Additionally, rooted in a robust theoretical framework, we present an in-depth analysis, with the trend of impulses from statistically significant variables—having observed the important roles played by hc, sc, and particularly iq, as well as the control variables GDP per capita and population density—in increasing the percentage of waste sorting. This impulse analysis suggests for policy interventions that there would be immediate effects (1–2 years) due to the improvement of our intangible capitals, but also a short duration. This suggests the need for lasting and structural interventions.

Cai L., Li Q., Wan E., Luo M., Tao S.

ObjectiveWaste sorting has received considerable attention in recent decades. However, research on the mechanisms underlying the relationships among cultural worldview, environmental risk perception, and waste sorting is rather scarce. This study aims to explore the cultural worldviews, environmental risk perception, and waste sorting among urban Chinese and their mechanisms.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study involving 744 urban Chinese residents (371 men and 373 women). A questionnaire was utilized to measure cultural worldviews, environmental risk perception, and waste sorting. Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used to examine the relationship between cultural worldviews, perceptions of environmental risk, and waste sorting.ResultsWaste sorting had a relatively insignificant negative relationship with fatalism and individualism. The correlation between environmental risk perception and cultural worldviews was negative except for egalitarianism, and the correlation between hierarchy and environmental risk perception was higher than the others, while individualism was higher than fatalism. Heightened environmental risk perception mediates the relationship between egalitarianism and waste sorting. Reduced environmental risk perception mediates the relationship between hierarchy and waste sorting, and mediates the relationship between individualism and waste sorting.ConclusionThese new findings provide initial support for the mediating role of environmental risk perception in the relationship between cultural worldviews and waste sorting. Both theoretical and practical implications for understanding the psychological mechanisms of waste sorting are discussed.

Galavote T., Chaves G.D., Yamane L.H., Siman R.R.

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.

Zhong J., Li Z., Zhang D., Yang J., Zhu J.

This initiative seeks to attain a harmonious equilibrium of regional environmental pressures and improve resource utilization efficiency within the context of habitat and environmental preservation. The escalating urban population exposure underscores the significance of restoring human settlements, emerging as a critical concern in urban planning and development. However, a notable deficiency exists in both theoretical foundations and methodologies for identifying cities requiring greater support for environmental restoration. The evaluation of ecological compensation priority has thus become pivotal in accomplishing this objective. Consequently, this study endeavors to elucidate the research paradigm surrounding urban ecological compensation priority and proffer a framework for assessing and analyzing the spatial characteristics of such priority in China. Employing the meta-analysis method, the study established an evaluation index system for ecological protection importance (EPI) to delineate ecological compensation priority. Leveraging data sourced from literature findings and publicly available data from Google Earth Engine, an evaluation of EPI subsystems (HSEQ and ecological sensitivity) ensued via the application of a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. Ultimately, the EPI value was computed using a coupling coordination degree model, facilitating the determination of ecological compensation priorities for Chinese cities. The results showed that (1) Most cities displayed both low-grade human settlement environmental quality (HSEQ) and ecological sensitivity, especially about 59.8% cities in lowest grade HSEQ. And they showed aggregated distribution from both the aspects of the HSEQ(Moran’I = 0.16) and the eco-sensitivity(Moran’I = 0.297). (2) 53.5%(n = 53) cities in low compensation priority and 38.4%(n = 36) in medium compensation priority, only 8.1%(n = 8) cities in high compensation priority. (3) 83.75% cities accorded with the feature that cities with obvious population growth could upgrade the compensation priority. It indicates that cities and urban agglomerations with potential for population growth should receive more attention. This study presents an analytical framework for urban ecological compensation, aiming to offer valuable insights for urban HSEQ policy decisions related to urban ecological management.

Liang Y., Tang J., Xia H., Aljerf L., Gao B., Akele M.L.

A 3D numerical model of the municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) process was constructed based on a grate furnace with a daily processing capacity of 800 tons. Fluent was used for analyzing key factors affecting the concentration and diffusion level of particulate matter (PM). According to the actual MSWI plant working condition, a 3D model of the incinerator and the waste heat boiler has been constructed under benchmarks. Key factors affecting PM generation were determined by combining mechanistic knowledge and experts’ experience. They were the combustion temperature of solid phase municipal solid waste (MSW), the wall’s PM collision mode, and the second baffle length. Subsequently, the process of resolving the 3D numerical model was delineated. Then, a univariate analysis of the aforementioned 3D model was conducted for the three pivotal factors mentioned above. Conclusively, the effect of the important factors on the number of particles at the outflow of the incinerator was analyzed via orthogonal experiments to obtain the optimal combination. PM concentration initially diminished and then rose with the increased combustion temperature of the solid-phase MSW. Furthermore, a noteworthy reduction in PM concentration was observed when the second baffle length was 12.45–12.95 m. The greatest influence on the PM concentration of the outlet was posed by the wall’s PM collision mode, followed by the second baffle length. The appropriate adjustment of the combustion temperature of the solid-phase MSW, selection of wall materials, and design of the second baffle length were beneficial for diminishing PM concentration and ensuring long-term stable operation of the MSWI process. The combinative optimality of the three key factors was acquired via orthogonal experiments, which proved the subsequent optimal control of PM concentration at the outlet.

Logachev M.

The article presents the results of devising a concept for organization of separate waste collection at the household level using special software. The problem of waste collection and disposal at the local level in Russian regions is substantiated. All key characteristics of the problem area are defined and the basic concepts of functional capabilities of a respective mobile application are formulated using divergence, synthesis, analysis, transformation and convergence methods. The primary concept defines the following elements: accessibility of waste collection areas depending on their type; awareness of waste content and their preparation and disposal methods in household conditions; involvement of people of various age into the waste preparation and disposal process in a game format.

Chunye W., Hayat N., Yao J., Yang Q., Al Mamun A.

With the growing economy and society, as well as the massive expansion of the urban population and industrialisation, household waste production is continuously growing, posing a risk to the environment, the atmosphere, and household health and well-being. Thus, waste separation behaviour is critical in resolving the environmental situation of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal separation. Besides that, most research has explored MSW classification from the household perspective, and very few have identified the waste separation intentions and behaviours of younger generations, particularly students. This current study aims to examine the influencing factors of waste separation intention behaviour from students’ perspectives. The Theory of Planned Behaviour served as the footing for the current work. Cross-sectional data were gathered from 350 respondents using an online survey. Data were analysed using a second-generation statistical analysis of partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The analysis confirms that attitude towards waste separation, subjective norm and perceived behaviour control influence positively and significantly waste separation intention that influences waste separation behaviour. The study’s findings are significant for the educational institution because they lead to a more tailored waste separation programme that aligns with Malaysia’s goal of becoming a sustainable developing country by identifying the factors influencing trash separation intention. The study reported the discussion, implications, limitations and future research opportunities at the end.

Ma J., Song Y., Suo L.

Garbage classification, as an environmental protection behavior carried out all over the world, has huge impact on the development of sustainability. Which means, it is particularly vital to study the methods how to make garbage classification works well. With the popularity of Internet use, its role in environmental remediation is increasingly apparent. Therefore, this paper is based on the garbage classification implementation of rural residents, trying to research whether the Internet can promote garbage sorting behavior. Using data from China Land Economic Survey (CLES), this study screens out 2573 rural household samples and adopts binary classic model of Probit to empirically examines the quantitative impact of the use of Internet on the garbage sorting behavior of rural residents. After completing the demonstration, the following conclusions are reached: (1) As rural residents use the Internet, their garbage sorting behavior has improved. For those who use the Internet often, they are 14.5% more possibly to comply with garbage classification than those who don`t use the Internet very much. (2) Among individual characteristics, the differences in age, health status and education level have an obvious influence on the garbage classification behavior of farmers. (3) Farmers in areas where the government implements incentives and penalties are more likely, compared to areas without those interventions, to classify their garbage; farmers in areas with publicity reports are more likely to conduct garbage classification than those in areas without them. Therefore, this study is helpful to give play to the positive impact of Internet use and improve the garbage classification behavior to provide a reference.