Perceived versus objective knowledge towards a sustainable solid waste management in Northern Nicosia

Abstract

General environmental knowledge is often attributed to positive environmental behaviour; however, a very little is known about how perceived and objective knowledge influences behaviour within the context of SSWM. This study measures people’s perceived and objective knowledge on SSWM methods and evaluates which one of these has more impact on participation. A semi-structured survey study was conducted on 400 adults. The results show that 83% of the participants were concerned about solid waste pollution; however, most of them knew very little about SSWM methods. Total participants’ scores for perceived and objective knowledge were 63 and 15%, respectively. The disparity between the perceived and objective knowledge was rather unexpected as 70% of the participants had a degree in higher education. Compared to objective knowledge, perceived knowledge had a larger impact on SSWM behaviour. In addition, the participants with perceived knowledge were more motivated to receive education on SSWM than the others. The findings suggest that a sense of understanding related to perceived knowledge positively correlates with public engagement. In conclusion, the environmental educators should develop effective active learning techniques to equip the learners with both types of knowledge focusing more on the perceived one as part of the compulsory education.