The Interplay of Knowledge and Attitudes in Predicting Household Plastic Recycling Behavior
Keywords:
plastic waste, household recycling, environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitude, waste management behavior, urban sustainabilityAbstract
This study investigated the predictors of plastic waste separation behavior among urban households, focusing on the roles of specific knowledge and environmental attitudes. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 300 urban residents, assessing their knowledge of local recycling protocols, attitudes toward plastic waste, and self-reported recycling frequency. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that both knowledge (r = .43, p < .01) and attitudes (r = .54, p < .01) were significant positive correlates of recycling practice. Crucially, regression results identified knowledge (β = .43, p < .001) as a slightly stronger unique predictor than attitude (β = .35, p < .001), with the model explaining 42% of the variance in behavior. The findings suggest that public recycling campaigns must be dual-pronged, strategically combining attitudinal interventions with the dissemination of precise, actionable local recycling information to effectively convert environmental concern into consistent practice.
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