Effects of the Environmental Attitude and Responsibility on Household Waste Separation: Evidence from Iranian Married Women

Siroos Ahmadi

doi:10.2174/1874350101811010025

Abstract

Background:Women can play an important role in relieving problems in every society but this capacity has been neglected especially in developing countries. Given the intensification of the waste issue in Iran, this research aimed to investigate the effect of environmental attitude and responsibility of married women on household waste separation as a significant strategy to alleviating waste problem.Methods:This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 562 married women in two Iranian provinces; Kohgiluye and Boyerahmad, and Fars.Findings:Research findings using structural equation model suggested that; the environmental attitude and responsibility positively affect on HWS (R2=.66). Furthermore, HWS was significantly different in terms of demographic variables of education, age, job, city of residence, years of marriage, and number of children.Conclusion:The study concluded that; by improving the married women’s environmental attitude, responsibility, education level, and employment chances, HWS as an urgent need of the country will be significantly developed.

Highlights

Due to growth in population, urbanization and change in ways of life in Iran, generation of municipal solid waste, as garbage that comes mainly from homes [1], has reached 20 million tons [2] per year; 600g per day for everyone
Because of population growth and rapid urbanization, generation of municipal solid waste is quickly increasing and its management is becoming a serious problem in Iran that can damage to the country from various aspects
Considering much of the MSW comes from homes, married women as home managers by household waste separation can effectively assist to improvement of the MSW management but they don’t pay much attention to this issue

Summary

Introduction

Due to growth in population, urbanization and change in ways of life in Iran, generation of municipal solid waste, as garbage that comes mainly from homes [1], has reached 20 million tons [2] per year; 600g per day for everyone. Continuing this situation damages the country from various dimensions. Given the intensification of the waste issue in Iran, this research aimed to investigate the effect of environmental attitude and responsibility of married women on household waste separation as a significant strategy to alleviating waste problem

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion