Naoko Tojo
Senior lecturer
Waste sorting/disposal habits in Swedish households : Relations with facilities, gender and knowledge of waste treatment [in Japanese]
Author
Summary, in English
A survey on household waste sorting and disposal habits was conducted in Sweden to investigate behavioral patterns of recycling in a context in which wide measures are taken to promote and encourage pro-environmental behavior by making it easy and convenient. 207 residents of three cities in southern Sweden, Lund, Malmö and
Helsingborg, responded to an online questionnaire survey. Relations between waste sorting/disposing habits with facilities, gender and knowledge of waste treatment were analyzed with some emphasis on food waste sorting. Recycling rates were generally high and reasons for sorting indicated that food waste sorting was a norm-based behavior. However, there were also indications that convenience was a precondition. Recycling rates were higher when dedicated containers for disposing (recycling) items were provided and the collection point was closer. There was a striking gender difference in food waste sorting. Single male households did not sort food waste at all while more than 90% of other groups did when provided the collection service. This was interpreted as differences in lifestyles rather than attitudes based on other data. Relations between recycling rates with house-ownership and knowledge of waste treatment fees were found and effects of reference groups were also suggested. The authors plan
to replicate the survey in Japan to compare the results and draw implications for designing policies, services and environments for promoting waste sorting/recycling.
Helsingborg, responded to an online questionnaire survey. Relations between waste sorting/disposing habits with facilities, gender and knowledge of waste treatment were analyzed with some emphasis on food waste sorting. Recycling rates were generally high and reasons for sorting indicated that food waste sorting was a norm-based behavior. However, there were also indications that convenience was a precondition. Recycling rates were higher when dedicated containers for disposing (recycling) items were provided and the collection point was closer. There was a striking gender difference in food waste sorting. Single male households did not sort food waste at all while more than 90% of other groups did when provided the collection service. This was interpreted as differences in lifestyles rather than attitudes based on other data. Relations between recycling rates with house-ownership and knowledge of waste treatment fees were found and effects of reference groups were also suggested. The authors plan
to replicate the survey in Japan to compare the results and draw implications for designing policies, services and environments for promoting waste sorting/recycling.
Department/s
- The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Publishing year
2013
Language
Japanese
Pages
1-16
Publication/Series
Journal of the Faculty of International Studies, Utsunomiya University
Volume
36
Links
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Utsunomiya University
Topic
- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Keywords
- waste sorting
- food waste
- behaviour
- convenience
- life style
- Sweden
- gender
- knowledge
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1342-0364