Recycling Behavior Research Articles

Household’s Participation in Recycling Behaviour towards Creating Sustainable Environment

The paper aims to statistically analysis the relationship between the determinants of household’s participation in recycling Behaviour. The study proposes to add new constructs that affect Behaviour in the existing TPB framework, which is the relationship between attitude, convenient of segregation, perceived recycling knowledge, and availability of public policy, perceived Behavioural control and social pressure towards participation in recycling Behaviour. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires to targeted households in Selangor. The sampling frame of this study comprise of households randomly selected from the twelve municipal councils in Selangor. A total of 800 questionnaires were distributed to respondents. The model was validated and tested using partial least square modelling. The findings showed that attitude, perceived recycling knowledge, perceived Behavioural control and social pressure positively contribute to high participation towards recycling Behaviour. The results generated from the path analysis indicate the model applied in this study, has a moderately good model fit with R2-value of 0.542 for the relationship between the six determinants and participation in recycling Behaviour. The findings suggest that 54.2 per cent of the variance in participation in recycling Behaviour can be explained by attitude, convenient for segregation, recycling knowledge, public policy, perceived Behavioural control and social pressure. It is recommended that government policies are tighten as the recycling activities is gaining more important foothold given that the future sustainability of mother nature begin now. If the practice is not enforced now, the trend of global warming and other extreme severities will take a toll on the life of all living creatures.

Fundamental Influences of Crosslinking Structure on the Cell Morphology, Creep Property, Thermal Property, and Recycling Behavior of Microcellular EPDM Foams Blown with Compressed CO2

In this study, the crosslinked ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM) foams were prepared by batch foaming using compressed CO2 as the blowing agent. The various crosslinking structures, i.e., the...

A Survey on Factors Influencing Recycling Behavior for Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment in the Municipality of Volos, Greece

The status of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling in a middle-sized industrialized city in Greece has been investigated, through the application of structured questionnaires to 310 citizens from the municipal units of Volos and Nea Ionia, asking for their habits and opinions on this kind of recycling. The underlying factors affecting the intention of these citizens to perform WEEE recycling were investigated, applying aspects of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Results show that there is an underperformance of WEEE recycling with 57% of the sample answering that they have never participated in WEEE recycling. A number of behavioral factors, based on TPB predictors, affect the intention of these citizens to participate in WEEE recycling schemes, namely total attitude, willingness to pay, information status regarding WEEE recycling and subjective norm. These findings may aid in improving marketing strategies for WEEE recycling of the general public. Investigation into pro-environmental incentives in Greece and in other countries with similar WEEE recycling management is urgently needed.

Recycling Behaviour of Malaysian Urban Households and Upcycling Prospects

Households remain the main generator of municipal solid waste in Malaysia. Malaysians produce an average of 30,000 tons of waste per day and only 5 per cent of it is recycled. Malaysian urbanites throw away waste more than normal. The solid waste generated continues to be a costly affair with about two-thirds of the local councils’ total collected annual assessment fees being spent to manage waste. Yet at the same time, Malaysia’s waste recycling rate is way below the average levels. Hence the perennial question remains as to why Malaysian households are not recycling or recycling enough. This study investigates recycling behavior of urban households in a green city. Methodology utilized survey questionnaire approach to 100 households to determine residents’ willingness to participate in recycling activities. Results revealed proactive and reactive behaviors indicating two distinct recycling groups. Analysis generated factors of convenience of recycling facilities and services, environmental involvement recycling benefits and habitual recycling in the two groups. Willingness to recycle differed across the two groups. Recycling benefits and convenience to recycling facilities significantly influenced the behavior of proactive group while only habitual recycling was significant for the reactive group. Findings had implications on policy making and implementation of recycling programs. Upcycling prospects highlighted proactive roles of households to convert useless wastes into quality and marketable products to benefit the environment.

Competitive Development Tools in Identifying Efficient Educational Interventions for Improving Pro-Environmental and Recycling Behavior.

Daily life in today’s dynamic world requires fast adaptation of people’s behavior to new challenges emerged from environmental, health, urban housing, transportation, etc. problems. A strong and complex tool in changing behaviors, education consumes significant resources and requires time for effective impact. The present study proposes a roadmap, integrating advanced methods for industrial competitive development (QFD) in configuring efficient educational interventions for changing people’s behavior on special thematic areas, such as environment and recycling. A literature review on applicable behavioral theories led to more than 30 behavioral factors (constructs) targetable by education, their specific impact evaluation being the subject of a survey among education professionals. Finally, to reach a mapping of efficient interventions with low costs, high impact and fast results criteria, educational interventions and behavioral factors were correlated by the QFD method on three dimensions addressing: teachers and trainers, contents and tools, respectively the national & institutional level. The current research results are focused particularly on changing recycling behaviors, but the overall concept and methodology can be expanded to incorporate any preoccupation in the areas of environment and health, as long-term drivers of public well-being.

Assessing recycling attitude and behaviour in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE

Ras Al Khaimah (Rak) is the northernmost emirate of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The emirate has witnessed a phenomenal economic and demographic growth. Taking a progressive stance on sustainability, the emirate has undertaken a sustainability strategy that aims at increasing its recycling rate from the current level of about 15 to 75% by 2021. The current study examines the socio-demographic (gender, age, family size, education and household income) and environmental awareness determinants of recycling attitude and behaviour in Rak. This is done through statistical analysis of results from a public survey, where 227 respondents were interviewed face to face to respond to several questions designed to get insight into the main drivers and factors influencing recycling in Rak. The results indicate that environmental awareness and education level are significantly associated with recycling behaviour in Rak at a significance level of 0·001. Environmental awareness is also associated with recycling attitude, but at a lesser significance level of 0·07. Other socio-economic and demographic factors such as gender, age, family size and income are not significantly associated with recycling attitude and behaviour. The results from the study provide valuable insight that would help policymakers design effective recycling campaign.

Citizens' Intent and Behavior Towards Recycling in the Municipality of Kavala

Purpose: This study examines the factors that tend to affect citizens intent and behavior towards recycling. There are several key factors that can influence this behavior, such as perception and behavior towards as well as the spatial planning of bins and the culture. Design/methodology/approach: Taking these variables into account a quantitative survey was carried out on a sample of 307 people in the municipality of Kavala from June 2018 to June 2019. The data were gathered through the use of a structured questionnaire implemented with the SPSS 20.0 and the techniques applied were Correlation Analysis, Regression analysis and ANOVA analysis. Finding: The results of the survey showed that Recycling Behavior and Recycling Culture are the factors that affect the behavior towards the most according to the citizens of Kavala. On the other hand “Spatial planning of bins” seems to be indifferent to the participants while Individual perception about recycling is the least agreeable factor. Research limitations/implications: One of the most basic and uncontrolled constraints is the objectivity of the responses given by the individuals who completed the questionnaires. It is worth mentioning the negative reaction of many male respondents when they were informed about the subject of the survey. In a way, the researcher tried to obtain the most objective answers possible through clarifying questions. In addition, some of the difficulties faced by the researcher were the negative responses about answering the questionnaire using as an excuse the lack of time, while individual cases of respondents (10) refused to participate in the research because its issue was not of their concern or interest. Originality/value: This survey shows citizens' behavior towards following the implementation of measures by the Municipality of Kavala.

Linking the Malaysia’s Solid Waste Management Policy Instruments with Household Recycling Behavior

The environmental problems faced by the world population today is the result of human daily activities. One of the contributing sources to the environmental problems is the growth of solid waste. Solid waste generation increases as a result of economic progress, urbanization, population growth and consumer-based lifestyles. The urban areas of Asia is expected to spend at least US$50 billion per year in 2025 on solid waste management. Malaysia, experiencing rapid economic prosperity, is also faced with challenges in solid waste management. This paper will highlight the present state of waste generation trends, its management, the waste management policies and strategies with specific focus on recycling for the household sector. Recycling has been highlighted for decades as a plausible option for sustainable waste management but still faced with various challenges. This paper will provide a brief classification of the policy instruments adopted in achieving the policy objectives. This provide the basis for future research to analyse the households’ perspective on the effectiveness of implemented policy instruments. It is crucial for policymakers to understand the behavioral aspect of the policy instruments in planning future comprehensive strategies.

Catalytic Efficiency, Structure, and Recycling Behavior of Electrospun Polyvinyl Alcohol-Xylanase Fibers Cross-Linked by Glutaraldehyde

A versatile and effective method of producing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-xylanase (XY) fibers cross-linked by glutaraldehyde vapor (GA) is reported in the present study. Crosslinking was performed for 30, 60, 90, and 180 min. The morphology, structure, and thermal stability of the fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The enzymatic activity was studied under different storage time and reutilization cycles. The enzyme’s ability to reduce the turbidity of a standard β–glucan solution was also verified. Cross-linked fibers presented denser and more compacted structures. There was an improvement in thermal properties as well as in the recycling and storage efficiency of cross-linked XY–PVA fibers, compared to their non-cross-linked counterparts. Free and 180 min-cross-linked immobilized enzymes were able to reduce the turbidity of the β-glucan solution by a similar degree.

A facile method in removal of PVP ligands from silver nanowires for high performance and reusable SERS substrate.

Silver nanowires (i.e., AgNWs) can act as effective surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (i.e., SERS) substrates to detect small molecules. However, a lot of prepared AgNWs were often wrapped by polyvinylpyrrolidone (i.e., PVP) thin film to form an insulating layer to produce ill-defined AgNWs-PVP-AgNWs interface, limiting the plasmonic coupling among the stacked AgNWs. Herein, we reported a facile method in removal of PVP ligands from AgNWs for high performance and reusable SERS substrate. Sodium borohydride (NaBH4) was used to completely remove the PVP ligands from the surface of AgNWs and produce a clean AgNWs-AgNWs interface that effectively enhances the localized surface plasmon resonance (i.e., LSPR) was produced, greatly improving the SERS activity of the AgNWs thin film. The SERS detection of rhodamine 6G (i.e., R6G) used with PVP AgNWs and without PVP AgNWs is 1.0 × 10-9 and 1.0 × 10-15 M, and the average enhancement factor (EF) is about 0.86 × 104 and 9.35 × 104, respectively. Moreover, the recyclable behavior of the AgNWs with several analyte molecules is much more interesting than that of the PVP@AgNWs. The SERS detection of AgNWs for R6G, the 3-mercaptopropionic acid (i.e., 3-MPA) and melamine with good recyclability in nanomolar and millimolar concentration can be easily detected.

A cross-cultural perspective on facilitators of recycling

This study investigates the overall effect of individual-level variables on predicting recycling in a cross-cultural context. The objective of the study was to investigate the role of social norms and perceived behavioral control as moderators and/or mediators of the relations between culture and reported recycling behavior. A survey was conducted among 172 Jewish and Muslim-Bedouin residents of a rural regional council in Israel. The survey included scales measuring social norms, perceived behavioral control, and reported recycling. Results revealed strong cross-cultural differences in reported recycling behaviors, with higher reported recycling among Jewish than among Muslim-Bedouin residents. Perceived behavioral control made an almost identical contribution to the explained variability of recycling among both Jewish and Muslim-Bedouin residents. Social norms were a significantly stronger predictor in explaining recycling among Muslim-Bedouin than among Jewish residents, yet, no significant interaction effect was found between culture and social norms in explaining recycling. Both social norms and perceived behavioral control mediated the relations between culture and recycling.

Social factors influencing household waste separation: A literature review on good practices to improve the recycling performance of urban areas

As population density, urbanization and industrialization continue to increase, so do quantities of global urban waste worldwide. Still, compact urban areas record low-performing rates of recyclables. Improving the recycling performance in order to recover qualitative materials, save resources and keep waste out of landfills belongs to the pressing challenges of our time. Moving towards a circular economy requires active public participation in waste management and pre-sorting of wastes at home. In the process of establishing and improving well-performing municipal solid waste management systems (MSWMS) the understanding of fundamental social factors to influence household behaviour is commonly underestimated but of utmost importance. Compiling theory and good practices from cities globally, this paper intends to support practitioners and policy makers from different backgrounds to design future strategies and interventions to motivate household waste separation behaviour. By means of an extensive literature review a general overview of the main social factors influencing household recycling behaviour is given and key motivation drivers for behavioural change are identified. Followed by a presentation of international good practices and recommendations for urban areas, special attention was given to high-density contexts. The results in combination are supposed to serve as a resource for practitioners and as a basis to develop further studies focusing on the improvement of recycling behaviour in defined urban areas and tailored to the local situation. • Circular economy models require public participation in waste management. • Understanding social factors influencing household behaviour is of utmost importance. • Tailoring waste management system to local context and background is a key point. • Public education and specific communication highly contribute to improve recycling. • Collaboration and learning from experiences of compact cities worldwide is encouraged.

Conscientiousness and smartphone recycling intention: The moderating effect of risk perception

Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this article analyses how conscientiousness and risk perception influence consumers’ behavior intentions in regard to smartphone recycling. We carried out field research in Anhui Province, China and collected 802 valid questionnaires as basic data for this study. The empirical results of structural equation model (SEM) indicate that conscientiousness is positively related to attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control towards smartphone recycling, while attitude, subjective norm, and past behavior are positively related to smartphone recycling intention. Attitude and subjective norm mediate the relationship between conscientiousness and smartphone recycling intention. In addition, we found that risk perception moderates the relationships between conscientiousness and attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and past behavior. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations of the study, and future directions are discussed.

Pro-social behaviours, waste concern and recycling behaviour in Italy at the end of the 1990s

This paper examines both theoretically and empirically the link between pro-social behaviours, individual attitudes regarding waste prevention and disposal, and individual recycling behaviour in Italy at the end of the 1990s, in a period in which policy makers started to make the population aware of the importance of waste prevention, disposal and recycling. In the theoretical framework, following Czajkowski et al. (Environ Resour Econ 66:647–670, 2017), we develop a utility function that represents the individual level of satisfaction, which is influenced by certain aspects related to environmental quality. In the empirical analysis, using the 1998 wave of the multipurpose household survey (MHS) conducted by the Italian Central Statistical Office and probit models, we show a positive relationship between pro-social behaviours, waste concern and recycling behaviour that is robust to the inclusion of social capital variables.

The “Just-Right Feeling” and Recycling Behaviors: The Role of Regulatory Focus, Self-Construal, and Involvement

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of the interaction between regulatory focus frames and self-construal (i.e., regulatory fit effects), and the mediating effects of involvement on responses to advertising messages that promote recycling. The results show that promotion-focused frames generate more positive attitudes and behavioral intentions in individuals with interdependent self-construal, whereas there was no differential framing effect in individuals with independent self-construal. The findings demonstrate a unique pattern of regulatory fit effects, also mediated by involvement with the recycling issues, in the context of environmental appeals. This study contributes to the findings of regulatory goal compatibility by investigating the effects of regulatory focus, self-construal, and involvement interplay in the context of recycling advertising campaign. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

The Role of Food Packaging Design in Consumer Recycling Behavior—A Literature Review

Household waste sorting at the source is an essential part of the waste management system in many countries. Correct sorting of this waste, including food packaging waste, is cost-effective, it facilitates the recycling process and enhances the quality of the recycled product. Although there is a growing body of research that studies the effect of different attributes of food packaging on household recycling behavior, the effect of these attributes on the sorting of the food packaging waste is not well known. This contribution reviews work that studies the relationship between attributes of food packaging and consumer sorting behavior. The review highlights the potential of the visual attributes and the quality of packaging as a communication channel for encouraging consumers to sort the food packaging waste. The efficiency of the waste management system and the quality of recycled products can hence be affected by the proper design of food packaging.

Spectroscopic studies of fuel recycling and impurity behaviors in the divertor region of Wendelstein 7-X

The first divertor operation phase (OP1.2a) was carried out on Wendelstein 7-X in the second half of 2017. Fuel recycling and impurity behaviors in the divertor region were investigated by employing a newly built ultraviolet–visible–near infrared overview spectroscopy system. The characteristic spectral lines of the working gases (hydrogen and helium), intrinsic impurities (carbon, oxygen and iron), and seeded impurities (neon and nitrogen) were identified and analyzed. The divertor electron temperature and density were measured using He I (667.8, 706.5, and 728.1 nm) line intensity ratios. The Hα (656.3 nm), He I (587.6 nm), C II (514.5 nm), and O I (777.2 nm) emissions were investigated over a wide range of operating conditions. The results showed that fuel and impurity emissions in the divertor region exhibit a strong dependence on magnetic topology and plasma conditions. The levels of Hα, He I, C II, and O I emissions are all reduced moving from the standard configuration to the high mirror configuration, and even further reduced for the high iota configuration, which is associated with decreasing connection length in these island divertor configurations. The H/He influx ratio shows that the plasma is a mixture of helium and hydrogen. The neutral and impurity influxes from the divertor target tend to increase with increasing divertor electron temperature.

Predicting multi-family dwelling recycling behaviors using structural equation modelling: A case study of Hong Kong

The problem of solid waste is acute in Hong Kong. Among various options for waste management, recycling attracts the most attention. Recycling minimizes the amount of waste that requires disposal and at the same time, it promotes the management of sustainable resources. Different from most Western cities, the recycling program of Hong Kong primarily targets multi-family dwellings (MFDs). Although the performance of the program is far from satisfactory, little is known about what factors and how they affect recycling behavior. With that in mind, this paper adopted a modified knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) model by proposing three components (i.e., convenience, housing type and PM initiative) as the theoretical framework, to investigate how the MFD recycling behavior is shaped by environmental and psychological factors. A random telephone survey (N = 1016) was conducted in Hong Kong, then Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to identify and outline the structures of the framework. The results indicated that housing type, property manager (PM) initiative, attitude, and convenience affected the recycling behavior of Hong Kong residents. In addition, PM initiative had a significant effect on attitude that further affected convenience. These findings not only can provide a reference for the improvement and implementation of the recycling program in Hong Kong but also supplement the existing literature.

Pro Environmental Behavior: Is the Travelers Apply It in The City of Denpasar?

This study aims to investigate whether energy conservation, mobility and transportation, waste avoidance, recycling, consumerism, and vicarious behaviors toward conservation play a role in the formation of pro-environmental behavior among tourists visiting sites in the city of Denpasar. The results showed that the six of behaviors that forming pro environmental behavior, two of them were not had an influence on the formation of pro environmental behavior among the tourists visiting the historical sites in the city Denpasar. Such behavior is Energy conservation, and Mobility and transportation. Keywords: pro environmental behavior, energy conservation, mobility, behavior, tourism

Stable coordination polymers with linear dependence color tuning and luminescent properties for detection of metal ions and explosives

A series of new isostructural lanthanide coordination polymers (Ln-CPs), {[Ln(HL)(H2O)2]·(H2O)2}n [Ln = Eu (1), Tb (2), Gd (3), Sm (4), Dy (5), Nd (6), Pr (7) and Er (8), H4L = (1,1ʹ:3ʹ,1ʹʹ-terphenyl)-3,3ʹʹ,5,5ʹʹ-tetracarboxylic acid], were synthesized by using a solvothermal method. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that 1–8 featured (3, 6)-connected layered frameworks with the extended point symbol of {415·66}. The compounds exhibited a variety of luminescence properties including ligand-centred fluorescence, metal-centred 4f–4f emission in both visible and near-infrared ranges. By adjusting the relative ratios of luminescent components in the well-defined host framework, a series of co-doped Ln-CPs {[LnxLn′1-x(HL)(H2O)2]·(H2O)2}n with a linear dependence of color tuning emissions were fabricated. Moreover, 1 and 2 showed thermal stability up to 400 °C and exhibited chemical stability in acid/alkali solutions and different water/ethanol solutions, which render them a promising future for sensing. 1 and 2 can serve as dual-functional materials for sensing metal ions and explosives. Alternatively, 2 displayed excellent recyclable behaviors and can be recycled at least 10 times for sensing Fe3+ and Cr2O72− effectively. The minimum detection limits of Fe3+ and Cr2O72− located in micro molar concentrations (0.28 μmol L−1 and 0.36 μmol L−1), and the quenching constants Ksv were 3.7 × 105 L mol−1 and 3.8 × 105 L·mol−1for Fe3+ and Cr2O72−, respectively.