Waste Sorting Behavior in Cities: the Role of National Factors

Designing a well-functioning system for solid waste management in cities is one of the major goals of municipal authorities worldwide. In recent decades, the need for actions is becoming more urgent in developing countries due to growing population and increasing rates of waste generation. Source separate collection of waste is identified as one of the major steps towards increasing recycling and sustainability. Previous studies have investigated city- level factors that may impact waste separation behavior, however the result are usually applicable to a single region or group of cities. Data used in this paper originated from a file developed by the World Bank covering over 360 cities in different continents. GLS linear regression model is used to assess how both city-level and national factors that correlate with waste separation rates. The analysis shows that such national development indicators as GDP per capita, Human Development Index, Gender Inequality Index and education correlate with waste sorting levels in cities. On the city-level, access to information about waste management strongly correlates with rates of separation. The results can be used to raise awareness campaigns to increase population participation in waste sorting and provide recommendations to local authorities on how to increase effectiveness of waste management measures.