Exploring urban scenarios of individual residential waste sorting using a spatially explicit agent-based model

Abstract

Managing the diverse waste fractions generated by households presents a significant environmental and logistical challenge. One widely adopted solution is waste sorting at the source, where residents are required to separate their waste into designated containers. The success of this strategy depends on the extent of adoption and the behaviour of residents. Waste separation is a complex activity influenced by various interrelated factors. While the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has been effectively applied to characterise waste-sorting behaviour, it primarily focuses on internal psychological mechanisms, often overlooking environmental factors such as the placement of waste bins or the condition of sorting stations—critical elements for spatial planning. To bridge this gap, this study presents an agent-based model (ABM) that simulates residential waste sorting in urban scenarios, incorporating TPB for the agents’ behavioural architecture (residents). Three features distinguish this ABM from previous efforts: (i) Agents in the model are residents and not aggregated households, allowing for a one-to-one integration with TPB; (ii) the ABM bridges the gap between individual waste sorting behaviour extracted by TPB and outcomes quantifiable through waste sorting metrics; and (iii) the ABM is spatially explicit, enabling the exploration of various urban scenarios.

The ABM was applied to two urban areas with differing population densities, demonstrating that changes in bin placement impacts sorting behaviour, and proximity to recyclable waste bins influences the correct sorting of residual waste. This study illustrates how modelling the interaction between the urban environment and waste sorting behaviour can reveal the impact of individual residents’ actions on overall waste sorting performance.