The Role of Social Interaction and Personal Characteristics in Affecting the Adoption of Compost from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste in Italy

Abstract

The composting process allows one to minimize quantities of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) disposed through landfills. Compost obtained from OFMSW is not yet widespread across all European countries, including Italy. Even though previous studies emphasized the role that social interaction and socio-demographic users’ characteristics may have toward the adoption of sustainable practices, to our knowledge, few studies have specifically addressed OFMSW compost. Considering the need to integrate the social perspective in sustainable agriculture literature, further research is required regarding the intention to adopt this organic product, especially among potential users. A questionnaire was used to investigate potential users’ level of interest in using OFMSW compost and their a priori perceptions on its fertilizing properties, if anyone ever suggested using OFMSW compost, as well as the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. Fifty-eight participants were involved. The results demonstrated a significant association between education level and received suggestions from peer or social networks in the interest of adopting OFMSW compost. In addition, participants who received suggestions had higher odds of being highly interested in adopting OFMSW compost versus those who did not receive it. In conclusion, institutions, where formal knowledge has a place, and agricultural policy makers should be engaged with the aim to facilitate knowledge exchange and connections among different actors, supporting local-level initiatives.