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Factors affecting household solid waste source separation intention and disposal: a focus on Sri Lanka

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Abstract

This study explores the factors influencing household solid waste source separation intention and household solid waste disposal in three districts of Sri Lanka’s Western Province. The study utilizes data from 428 households and employs ordinal probit regression and multinomial logistic regression models to analyze the data. The results indicate that the age of the household head, land size, length of time living in the current residence, knowledge of waste management, inconvenience, attitudes, and subjective norms significantly influence household solid waste source separation intention. On the other hand, house size, land size, family size, type of settlement, ownership of the current residence, education level of the household head, place of the food item purchase, experience, inconvenience, awareness campaigns by the local authority, and general awareness significantly affect household solid waste disposal. The findings suggest that practical and cost-effective education and communication campaigns are essential to promote sustainable household waste management practices in Sri Lanka. These campaigns, however, should be tailored to the unique characteristics of each settlement to maximize their effectiveness.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management and Economics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China

    Zhao Yuhuan & Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala

  2. Department of Social Statistics, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

    Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala

  3. Rezo Inovasyon Edikatif Ayisyen, Mirebalais, Haiti

    Claudel Mombeuil

  4. Université Notre Dame d’Haïti, Port-Au-Prince, Haïti

    Claudel Mombeuil

Authors
  1. Zhao Yuhuan
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  2. Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala
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  3. Claudel Mombeuil
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Correspondence to Hemantha Premakumara Diunugala or Claudel Mombeuil.

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Yuhuan, Z., Diunugala, H.P. & Mombeuil, C. Factors affecting household solid waste source separation intention and disposal: a focus on Sri Lanka. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 26, 1776–1794 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-024-01936-4

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