FACTORS AFFECTING SOLID WASTE SEGREGATION PRACTICES AMONG HOUSEHOLDS: A CASE STUDY IN SELANGOR

Abstract

Malaysia, as one of the countries committed to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN), has set out to achieve those goals by 2030. One of the efforts undertaken is through the Resource Allocation Initiative (SSI) under the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act 2007 (Act 672) was launched and came into effect in September 2015 in which Malaysian households are encouraged to participate by practicing solid waste segregation at home. Although there are various negative effects on unstructured waste management, many past studies have only discussed factors of intention and recycling practices among households as opposed to solid waste segregation practices. Therefore, the objective of this study is to highlight the role of intrinsic motivation in influencing solid waste segregation behavior by using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a framework. A survey of questionnaires was conducted among the residents of residential units in the state of Selangor, and a total of 361 questionnaires were returned. Smart PLS software is used to analyze the data. The results showed that all variables including attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral control had significant relationships in predicting solid waste segregation behavior. Based on the results of this study, recommendations are made to encourage solid waste segregation behavior among households. In addition, this study makes a significant contribution to the knowledge of household behavior in practicing solid waste segregation. From a practical point of view, this study is very important for local authorities in Malaysia and around the world to encourage the involvement of households to segregate solid waste to protect and safeguard the environment and reduce pollution.