Exploring Individual, Social and Structural Determinants of Current Waste Segregation Practices at Urban Households in India

With the steep rise in population and migration from various countries, effective municipal solid waste management in India has become a critical issue for environmental sustainability and public health. The most critical step of solid waste management process is waste segregation at source, that significantly impacts recycling rates and pollution status. However, majority of existing studies focus on waste generation and disposal aspect instead of exploring psychological factors and individual attitude that may improve solid waste management. This study examines the standard social and behavioral determinants influencing intention as well as actual waste segregation behavior as mandated by the current guidelines for waste management in India. Considering the Swachh Bharat Mission, the presented analysis also evaluates key enablers and barriers, driving someone to become a segregator or nonsegregator. The primary data for this investigation is collected randomly from selective urban households across different cities in India. The enablers and barriers in the context of waste segregation is identified with the help of theory of planned behavior framework. Correlation analysis is conducted to establish the effectiveness and importance of standard waste collection methods for identified indicators. Through a mixed-methods approach, this study recommends strategies for enhancing source separation rates to reduce the intention-action gap and to improve compliance with current waste segregation guidelines. Its integration in the working system may encourage environmental sustainability by strengthening enablers and by managing identified barriers efficient.