Residents’ Waste Separation Behaviors at the Source: Using SEM with the Theory of Planned Behavior in Guangzhou, China

Dongliang Zhang, Guangqing Huang, Xiaoling Yin and Qinghua Gong
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Dongliang Zhang: Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
Guangqing Huang: Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangzhou 510070, China
Xiaoling Yin: Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangzhou 510070, China
Qinghua Gong: Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangzhou 510070, China

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: Understanding the factors that affect residents’ waste separation behaviors helps in constructing effective environmental campaigns for a community. Using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examines factors associated with waste separation behaviors by analyzing responses to questionnaires distributed in Guangzhou, China. Data drawn from 208 of 1000-field questionnaires were used to assess socio-demographic factors and the TPB constructs ( i.e. , attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and situational factors). The questionnaire data revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intentions, and situational factors significantly predicted household waste behaviors in Guangzhou, China. Through a structural equation modeling analysis, we concluded that campaigns targeting moral obligations may be particularly effective for increasing the participation rate in waste separation behaviors.

Keywords: theory of planned behavior; waste separation behavior; structural equation modeling; environmental education; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (25)

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