Differential public support for waste management policy: The case of Hong Kong

Abstract

Gaining public support for environmental policy can promote pro-environmental behaviors and facilitate policy implementation. A telephone survey was conducted in Hong Kong to solicit 504 respondents’ level of support for different waste management policies and to investigate the role of key socio-demographic variables in influencing the level of support for these policies. Data was examined by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Findings revealed that variance in policy support for different measures differs significantly across gender, age groups, and education level, while household size and political inclination exhibited less association with support for the policies. Respondents also indicated a varying level of support across policy tools, with policies of developing recycling industry and extending Producer Responsibility Scheme received more support, but municipal solid waste charging scheme and publicity and education measure were less welcomed by respondents. Our analysis infers that current waste management framework should be driven toward a more coherent mode in order to secure greater public support and maximize policy effectiveness. Policy implications could be applied to waste management framework development in cities which share similar background with Hong Kong.