Abstract
To achieve substantial and sustainable levels of separation of municipal solid waste (MSW), it is essential to engage young people as they are important drivers of change and will have a major influence on the future of the world. This study aimed to understand Chinese high school students’ intention toward the separation of solid waste on campus (SSWC). The study has used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as its theoretical framework, and further incorporates two additional constructs (environmental education and environmental knowledge) to explain the separation of solid waste (SSW) behavior of 562 high school students. The results indicate that environmental education is essential to ensure that students have required knowledge and positive attitudes toward SSWC. Knowledge was the best predictor of high school students’ separation behavior. Moreover, a lack of subjective norm from the important people could prevent students from participating in this process, regardless of their positive attitudes. The implications for policy and scope for further research are discussed.
Highlights
Municipal solid waste (MSW) is getting worse, and the global annual municipal solid waste (MSW)generation is expected to rise from the current 2.01 billion to 3.40 billion tons by 2050
Those who finish within five minutes are grouped as early respondents, and those who spent more than five minutes are late respondents
In the context of separation of solid waste on campus (SSWC) in Chinese high schools, the lack of association between subjective norms and behavioral intention may be partly because separation of household solid waste is not required in Chinese cities, even those involved in the pilot MSW programs
Summary
Municipal solid waste (MSW) is getting worse, and the global annual municipal solid waste (MSW)generation is expected to rise from the current 2.01 billion to 3.40 billion tons by 2050. 33 percent of that is not managed in an environmentally safe manner currently [1] Both developed and developing countries have taken measures to improve municipal solid waste (MSW) management to recycle materials, save land used in landfills, and improve environmental hygiene. Measures conducted include enforcement of legislation, provision of infrastructure, and other technological and social measures [2]. Both voluntary and mandatory separation of waste at source is effective, on a small scale, at promoting separation, recycling, and utilization of MSW. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of People’s Republic of China (MOHURD), 185 million tons of MSW were generated in 2015 in 246 large and medium-sized cities (MOHURD, 2016).
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