A Conceptual Framework Analysing Malaysian University Students’ Solid Waste Minimisation Behaviour: An Integrated Model

Abstract

The magnitude of the global waste crisis highlights the urgent need for its mitigation. In Malaysia, consumer solid waste generation significantly contributes to the proliferation of municipal solid waste. University students, as a subset of the youth demographic, are considered the future gatekeepers of environmental preservation and sustainability. The present study proposes a conceptual framework that integrates the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and Identity Theory to analyse solid waste minimisation behaviour among university students in Malaysia. The framework postulates that student behaviour varies across five TTM stages. The primary aim is to investigate the significance of pro-environmental self-identity (PESI) as an underlying motivation at various stages of the TTM. Besides behavioural adoption, the proposed framework emphasises the maintenance aspect of the behaviour, along with possible relapse effect. The knowledge generated from this study could be utilised by both policymakers and intervention planners to create student segmentation for a more streamlined behavioural change and Campaign, Education, Public Awareness (CEPA) effort. The present study supports the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production) target and the green growth goals outlined in the Twelfth Malaysian Plan 2021–2025.