Exploring the Effect of Family Life and Neighbourhood on the Willingness of Household Waste Sorting

For developing countries, garbage classification has become an important measure to handle the environmental pollution crisis. This empirical study examined urban and rural families' willingness to sort and deposit garbage at fixed recycling points. We found that urban residents demonstrated a significantly higher willingness to sort and deposit garbage at designated points compared to rural residents. The average number of family meals per month, average monthly household food expenditure, household cleanliness, and household crowding (spaciousness) are significantly related to a family's willingness to sort garbage. In terms of neighbourhood factors, families living in neighbourhoods with property management are more likely to have a higher willingness to sort garbage. The degree of air pollution in the neighbourhood also has an impact on the family's willingness to sort garbage. This study proposes that neighbourhood factors have a non-negligible influence on a household's willingness to sort and put garbage in designated locations. Especially in urban neighbourhoods, the willingness of residents living in commodity housing neighbourhoods to sort and place garbage at designated locations is significantly higher than that of residents living in other neighbourhoods. To improve the implementation effect of the waste sorting policy, we suggest that the configuration of neighbourhood garbage recycling services and facilities should be improved so that people can sort garbage more conveniently.

Automated summary

This empirical study found that urban residents have a significantly higher willingness to sort and deposit garbage at designated points compared to rural residents. Factors such as the number of family meals, household food expenditure, cleanliness, and neighbourhood environment all play a significant role in a family's willingness to sort garbage. The study also proposes that improving neighbourhood garbage recycling services and facilities can enhance people's convenience in garbage sorting.