Behavioural
Variables
Environmental
values, situational characteristics, and psychological factors play a
significant role in the prediction of waste management behaviour. It can be
attributed to several groups of independent variables: environmental values, cognitive
variables (e.g., knowledge, behavioural skills), situational variables, and
personality variables (e.g., attitudes, locus of control/self-efficacy) and
psychological factors which influence environmental behaviour.
Environmental
values
Environmental
values, classified as underlying orientations held by individuals toward the
physical environment are important in looking at people’s individual
perceptions of recycling and what influence their waste management behaviour.
It is used interchangeably with environmental concerns, ecological worldviews,
and environmental attitudes. Moreover, the relationship between social and
environmental values can be interpreted as a socio-environmental basis for examining
values toward environment. Environmental concern (or related concepts such as
environmental values or ecological worldview) relate to an individual’s
orientation towards, or concern for, the preservation, restoration, or
improvement of the environment. People who believe recycling substantially
reduces the use of landfills and conserves natural resources are more likely to
recycle. Furthermore, Individuals who are more open to change, more altruistic,
and feel closer to nature are more likely to be pro-environmental. Relational
aspects of environmental values concern the implicit understanding of
individuals to the relationship between nature and culture, or environment and
human. It also to behavioural domains relating to the way in which humans treat
the environment.
Situational
Variables
Situational
Variables influence waste management behaviour and are defined by given
personal situation with regard to behavioural context (for example, service
provision), individual characteristics (such as socio-demographics) and
individual knowledge and experience of the behaviour. Behavioural context has
been examined by a relatively small number of authors and has focused around
the extent to which access to a structured kerbside recycling collection
enhances recycling behaviour and degree to which static recycling provision
influences action. Situational factors are embrace enabling and disabling
influences and classed as contextual, sociodemographic, knowledge based, and
experience based. Those with better access to static recycling also tend to recycle
more.
Environmental
and behavioural knowledge is important in shaping waste management and general
pro-environmental behaviour. Environmental knowledge is the abstract knowledge
for action, being a representation of general knowledge about the state of the
environment and an awareness of environmental problems, such as waste issues.
Knowledge regarding both environmental problems and an awareness of how to
perform environmental behaviours is of importance. One can distinguish between
‘abstract’ and concrete (providing more scope to predict recycling and other
environmental behaviours. Moreover, personal experience of the behaviour is a
significant prediction of waste management behaviour; a strong link has been
found between behavioural experience in one domain and action in another,
whereby participation in one behaviour leads to more willing uptake of other
actions.
Psychological
Factors
Psychological
factors (factors are unique perceptual traits of the individual and are
personal perceptions of the individual in question that affect their overall
behaviour) are all linked by the fact that they are personality characteristics
of the individuals and the perceptions of those individuals toward the actions
that they are undertaking and include altruistic influences on recycling
behaviour. Psychological factors relate to personality and perceptional traits
of individuals that determine their overall attitudes regarding an
environmental behaviour. These variables are based on a recycling behaviour score;
environmental concern score; facility provided attitude score; recycling
attitude score; waste recycling confidence score; community identity score;
difficulties in sorting household waste.
Altruism
It
relates to the degree to which recycling could be seen as altruistic, or
helping, behaviour.
Intrinsic
motivation
Intrinsic
motivation to act is an important predictor of environmental and waste
management behaviour. Individuals who find recycling enjoyable and derive inner
satisfaction from helping the environment are more likely to both initiate and
continue with pro-environmental behaviour.
Threat
to wellbeing
A
belief that environmental problems can be perceived as so much of a threat to
well-being and health that they override many of the traditional predictors of
environmental behaviour in their importance. The personalisation of an
environmental problem may urge individuals to act as a matter of self-interest
so as to avoid harm.
Extent
of behaviour
The
extent to which undertaking a given behaviour will also have a tangible impact.
Individual actions can have little or no impact toward a given problem.
Behaviour is predicted by behavioural intention, as well as the situational and
psychological factors. In turn, behavioural intention would be predicted by
environmental values, situational and psychological factors.
Importance
of others’ recycling behaviour
The
importance of others’ recycling behaviour is also likely to be significant in
increasing individual recycling rates and when individuals are aware of a given
social norm and accept this norm.
Public
awareness and attitudes
Public
awareness and attitudes to waste can affect the population's willingness to
cooperate and participate in adequate waste management practices. General
environmental awareness and information on health risks due to deficient solid
waste management are important factors which need to be continuously
communicated to all sectors of the population.
Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy
may also be seen as a significant predictor of waste management. There exist a
relationship between the degree to which respondents felt competent to and
actually did undertake the behaviour and their action as well as their
perception that such action will have a tangible positive effect.
Environmental
citizenship
Individuals
who conform to certain characteristics are more likely to behave in an
appropriate manner because they feel involved within society and most
importantly have a notion of citizenship. This include a balance between rights
and responsibilities, an active involvement within society, characterized by a
feeling of good community spirit and a part in the local decision making
processes regarding the environment.
Convenience
Recycling
behaviour can be facilitated by convenience. Making recycling more convenient
and accessible would be expected to enhance attitudes towards behaviour.
Understanding
the factors that influence or promote recycling behaviour can lead to more
efficient recycling programmes. Thus, four broad categories of explanatory
variables relate to recycling behaviour (internal motivators (psychological
factors that lead individuals to be self-motivated in continuing a certain act
or task), external motivators (are psychological factors that motivate
individuals in continuing an act through things they cannot control), internal
facilitators (are factors that provide individuals with the knowledge and
mental capacity to complete a task properly), and external facilitators (characteristics
of the surrounding physical environment that allow for the completion of a task
and also barriers that can discourage individuals from doing a task).
Conclusion
People’s
perceptions, behaviours and opinions all differ as a result of differing
environmental values, situational factors, and psychological factors. One thing
remains certain, recycling is a viable solution, in terms of environmental,
economic, and social aspects, to minimise the waste that has rapidly occurred
over the recent years.
References
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M. 2008. From Salvage to Recycling – New Agendas or Same Old Rubbish? Jstor Area, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 79-89.
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V., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Snelgar, R., Furnham, A. 2011. Personality,
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