Exploring the antecedents of apparel disposal behaviors

To obtain a comprehensive view of the apparel disposal behaviors of young U.S. consumers, this study evaluated antecedents of apparel disposal behaviors using a framework based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA), categorization theory, and prior literature. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of undergraduate students at a large U.S. Midwestern university through a self-administered online survey. A final sample of 358 usable surveys was analyzed through the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) with Amos. The results supported the proposed relationships between environmental apparel knowledge and attitude toward sustainable methods of apparel disposal. In addition, the proposed relationships between attitude and apparel disposal intention (intention to discard, donate, reuse, or resell) were all supported except for intention to resell. While the results showed a significant and positive relationship between subjective norms and intention to resell or donate apparel, no significant relationship was shown between subjective norms and intention to reuse or discard apparel. In addition, subjective norms were a positive and significant antecedent of attitude. Lastly, respondents’ intention to engage in a particular apparel disposal behavior corresponded with the actual apparel disposal behavior.

Prevention of Littering through Improved Visual Design

Littering is a daunting environmental issue that occurs daily; the impact of littering can range from lowering the aesthetic appeal of a city to polluting waterways and biomes. Littering persists on a collective and individual level despite the existence of numerous laws and regulations that prohibit it. We assume that there is a correlation between the effectiveness of visual aids and littering behavior. Poorly designed prohibitive signs and inaccessible trash bins could be part of the reason why littering persists. The current research aims to evaluate existing prohibitive signs and trash bins and to design some improvements. The researchers used direct observation methods of visual designs based on socio-psychological persuasion techniques and a questionnaire conducted at the School of Environmental Science of Universitas Indonesia. The results showed that respondents were generally aware of littering being a serious issue that could lead to environmental problems. The university campus was generally clean; however, respondents stated that they often saw plastic trash in sewer and drainage areas. University residents do litter despite adverse social judgment. In addition, respondents stated that they responded better to visually pleasing encouragement posters rather than the standard prohibitive signs on proper waste disposal behavior.

Residual Neural Network Model for Detecting Waste Disposing Action in Images

Waste in general has become a major problem for people around the world. Evidence internationally shows that everyone, or nearly everyone, admits to polluting at some point, with the majority of people littering at least occasionally. This research wants to overcome these problems, by utilizing computer vision and deep learning approaches. This research was conducted to detect the actions carried out by humans in the activities/actions of disposing of waste in an image. This is useful to provide better information for research on better waste disposal behavior than before. We use a Convolutional Neural Network model with a Residual Neural Network architecture to detect the types of activities that objects perform in an image. The result is an artificial neural network model that can label the activities that occur in the input image (scene recognition). This model has been able to carry out the recognition process with an accuracy of 88% with an F1-Score of 0.87.

Analysis of Households’ E-Waste Awareness, Disposal Behavior, and Estimation of Potential Waste Mobile Phones towards an Effective E-Waste Management System in Dubai

During the recent decades, the world has seen ongoing economic and technological development which resulted in the generation of huge volumes of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). In the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranks among countries with large e-waste generation due to its consumers’ high spending on electronic devices thereby resulting in a high obsolescence rate in the country. Accordingly, this study aims to analyze the e-waste management and recycling practices in the UAE. It takes Dubai as a case study and conducts a structured questionnaire to analyze households’ awareness, consumption of electronic devices in general and mobile phones in particular, and the disposal behavior of e-waste. Waste mobile phones is taken as a key representative in this study, in which potential waste mobile phones is estimated using the Approximation 1 method in the period 2021–2030. Results from the survey illustrated gaps among households’ awareness and disposal behavior of e-waste, where e-waste recycling rates were noticed to be low. Based on these gaps, strategies were proposed for an effective e-waste management system in the context of Dubai, and were supported by the proposal of an e-waste legislation framework in the UAE.

Challenges in Solid Waste Management: Insights Into the Disposal Behavior of Suburban Consumers in Guatemala City

Help, I need to get rid of it! In suburban areas of Guatemala City, inhabitants dispose of their household waste by burning it on their private property. Garbage collection coverage in the capital is inadequate, with only 85% of the generated waste being collected and collection rates in suburban areas lag far behind. This study examines the critical events, decisions and emotions linked with the disposition of household items of impoverished consumers living in the suburban area of Cumbre de San Nicolás near Guatemala City. We emphasize the determinants of their behavior, attitudes, and perceptions regarding their daily disposal routines of household possessions. The selected method to describe the poor consumers' experience in the disposition process of their household possessions is that of existential phenomenology. This analysis of 10 in-depth, semi-structured, qualitative interviews provides new insights into residents' daily disposal routines, social life, and traditions. Results show that religion, social norms, and peoples' relationships are essential for the well-being of those in suburban areas. Moreover, they significantly affect peoples' rationales and reflections on their disposal behavior and are promising factors for controlling suburban resource management of waste. This study's respondents showed a high level of awareness that on-site burning of household waste negatively affects human health and the environment. On the individual level, emotions influence the way of how people dispose of their personal belongings. Based on this study's results, we propose an intervention framework tailored to suburban impoverished citizens.

One size fits all? Segmenting consumers to predict sustainable fashion behavior

PurposeThis study segmented consumers by combining emotional and shopping characteristics to develop typologies that classify their consumption patterns and disposal behaviors.Design/methodology/approachTo identify segments of fashion consumers, an online questionnaire was administered measuring emotional and shopping characteristics, including perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress, hedonism, and frugality. An online questionnaire involving 168 US-based participants were used to accomplish the purpose of the study. A cluster analysis was conducted to identify segments of participants based on these variables. Consumption patterns and disposal behavior, including motivation to buy environmentally friendly items, consciousness for sustainable consumption, buying impulsiveness, likelihood to follow fashion trends, and tendencies to dispose of or repair damaged or unwanted items were also measured via the questionnaire as dependent variables to be predicted by identified segments.FindingsThree clusters of consumers were identified as: Distressed and Self-Oriented, Warm and Thrifty, and Cold and Frivolous. Distressed and Self-Oriented individuals reported the highest levels of personal distress and hedonism. Warm and Thrifty individuals reported the highest levels of empathic concern, perspective taking and frugality, and the lowest levels of personal distress and hedonism. Cold and Frivolous individuals reported the lowest levels of perspective taking, empathic concern, and frugality.Originality/valueThe classification of consumers into segments brings a new dimension to the field of sustainable fashion. Clusters were created according to the variables of emotional characteristics (i.e. perspective taking, empathic concern, and personal distress) and shopping characteristics (i.e. hedonism and frugality). The analysis unveiled three distinct clusters that can be utilized to develop tailored strategies to successfully promote sustainable fashion consumption.

Consumer survey on the final consumer behavior concerning the disposal of WEEE in Germany

The evaluation of the waste of electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) collection masses in relation to the amounts placed on the market shows comparably low rates of about 43 to 45% in Germany for the last years. Since a minimum collection rate of 65% has to be achieved from 2019 onward, it is important to ask how the current low rates can be explained. In light of these low rates, the disposal behavior of consumers might play a significant role which is examined in this study. A survey was conducted at the end of February 2018 to assess the consumers’ behavior concerning the individual disposal of WEEE. The residents’ knowledge about the known return possibilities and the collection systems for WEEE were investigated and if disposal routes differ for large and for small devices. On top of that regional differences in disposal behavior within Germany were considered to explain in all the existing deficits in the collection rate. The consumer survey showed that predominantly regular routes for the disposal of WEEE are used and relevant quantities are not only physically “lost,” but that there are also significant deficits in the monitoring itself.

Disposal Behavior of Used Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Moroccan Community: Potential Environmental Impact

The spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) levied on the Moroccan authorities to increase their mask production capacity, which reached up to 12 million facemask units produced per day. This increase in personal protective equipment (PPE) production and consumption is an efficient tool to address the spread of COVID-19. However, this results in more plastic and microplastic debris being added into the land and marine environments, which will harm the ecosystem, wildlife, and public health. Such a situation needs deep individual behavior observation and tracking, as well as an assessment of the potential environmental impact of this new type of waste. For this reason, we assessed the Moroccan population’s behavior regarding the use and disposal of facemasks and gloves. An exploratory survey was prepared and shared via social media and email with the population of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Casablanca-Settat regions. Additionally, we calculated the estimated number and weight of daily and weekly PPE used and generated by the studied regions. The survey showed that 70% of the respondents threw their discarded masks and gloves in house trash or trash bins after their first use, whereas nearly 30% of respondents admitted that they did not wear masks because they did not leave their homes during the lockdown, while from the 70% of facemask users, more than five million (equivalent to 40,000 kg) of facemasks would be generated and disposed of daily by the community of these regions, which presents 35% of the total engendered facemask waste in Morocco. Accordingly, the environment impact of facemasks showed that the greenhouse gas footprint is about 640 kT CO2 eq./year for the whole of Morocco, while the energy footprint is around 60,000 GWh/year. Furthermore, an urgent multidisciplinary environmental assessment of the potential impact of PPE must be conducted among the 12 Moroccan regions. This study demonstrated the real impact of the COVID-19 PPE on human behavior and the environment and suggests a need for providing new didactic management of facemasks and gloves.