Evaluating the Factors Influencing Household Waste Sorting Behavior: A Survey in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

In the context of rapid urbanization and population growth, the issue of household waste has emerged as a pressing concern in residential areas across Vietnam. The amount of domestic waste has significantly increased in recent years, putting immense pressure on the waste management system and contributing to environmental destruction. Therefore, waste classification has become a critical solution to mitigate the burden on treatment facilities and promote environmental protection. However, the awareness of proper waste classification practices and the factors influencing individuals' participation in these practices, which are crucial for improving waste management efficiency and fostering sustainable development, remains inadequate. Noticing that Vietnam’s Environmental Protection Law 2020 represents a pioneering regulatory effort to tackle waste management issues, the team decided to research the factors influencing residents’ household waste classification. The goal is to gain a better understanding of people’s sorting behaviors and identify the most effective ways to promote long-term compliance with waste management practices. To achieve these goals, we apply quantitative methods for data gathering by conducting both online and offline surveys. The survey questionnaire refers to 9 main factors selected from previous research: Reward and Punishment Measures, Publicity and Education, Subjective Norms, Environmental Knowledge, Attitude, Perceived Behavioral Control, Perceived Cost, Information Quality, Waste Collection Infrastructure. Data were collected from a representative sample of 261 participants from Ho Chi Minh City, encompassing a diverse range of ages (59.4% aged 20 or below). The result from the analysing process shows that the three most influential factors are Waste Classification Infrastructure, Reward and Punishment Measures, and Subjective Norms. Therefore, our findings highlight the importance of improving solutions related to these factors so as to enhance the participation of residents in waste classification