Work

Are habits driven by motivation in large urban contexts? The role of goal pursuit in waste separation behavior

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Household waste separation constitutes a crucial component of sustainable waste management. This study employs a model grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to investigate the determinants influencing the intention to engage in household waste separation. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypothesized relationships among constructs. The results confirm the robustness of traditional TPB predictors of intention: attitude (β = 0.400, p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.396, p < 0.001), and subjective norms (β = 0.114, p < 0.05). In addition, environmental motivation exerts a significant positive effect on both attitudes (β = 0.318, p < 0.001) and habits (β = 0.642, p < 0.001); habits influence intention (β = 0.225, p < 0.01), attitude (β = 0.439, p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.721, p < 0.001), and past behavior (β = 0.225, p < 0.05). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that extending the TPB framework to incorporate environmental motivation and habitual processes enhances its explanatory power, particularly when analyzing repetitive actions with minimal volitional control, such as waste separation. Finally, this paper provides policy recommendations and future research directions, including the development of targeted campaigns designed to activate pro-environmental goals.

Source: Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management

DOI: 10.1007/s10163-026-02519-1

Authors: Alessandro Concari, Marco Savastano, Gerjo Kok, Pim Martens

Institutions: Centro Alti Studi per la Difesa (CASD), Sapienza University of Rome, Maastricht University

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Education and Sustainability

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,190