Analysing Households’ Behaviour towards Selective Waste Collection: Presentation of the Validation Process of the Questionnaire and the Evaluation of the Pilot Test

One of the cornerstones of the European Green Deal is the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), adopted in 2020. This focuses on waste management, including reducing the amount of municipal waste going to landfills. Given that waste generation in the EU is not decreasing - and is, in fact, projected to rise by 70% by 2050 - the crucial role of selective waste collection in achieving the goals of the Green Deal becomes increasingly evident.

Our study therefore focuses on the analysis of selective waste collection, more specifically on the behaviour associated with it. Our research question seeks to answer what factors may influence the behaviour of residents in relation to selective waste collection. To answer it, an online questionnaire is planned. The questionnaire content is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), as well as the results from World Café Method and focus group interviews, we previously conducted and analysed. Building upon our systematic literature review and previous results, the TPB model and its factors seem to be able to describe the individual behaviour related to waste management. Thus, the behaviour analysed may be influenced by factors such as attitude, intention, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. In the present study, the pilot results of the questionnaire survey are presented, as well as the validation of the questionnaire using the test-retest reliability method.