Behavioral factors influencing the acceptance and usage of waste bins in Ghana: application of the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB)
Abstract
Purpose
Several waste bin sanitation initiatives have been introduced in Ghana to address the surge in indiscriminate solid waste disposal in households. What is not known are the behavior factors that determine the acceptability and use of waste bins. This study aimed to identify the determinants of waste bin acceptability and use in Ghana using the theory of planned behavior (TPB).
Design/methodology/approach
Data on waste bin acceptability and usage were collected from 881 households in the Volta and Oti regions of Ghana. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique in SmartPLS 3 software.
Findings
The coefficient of determination (R-squared value) of the original TPB and the extended model explained 39.9 and 44.7% of the variance in waste bin acceptability and use intentions, respectively. The results revealed that attitudes (ß = 0.114, t = 3.322, p < 0.001), subjective norms (ß = 0.306, t = 6.979, p < 0.001) and perceived moral obligation (ß = 0.352, t = 8.062, p < 0.001) significantly predicted household waste bin acceptability and use behavior intentions, but perceived behavioral control (ß = −0.003, t = 0.064, p < 0.949) did not influence behavior intentions significantly.
Practical implications
The study provides valuable insights into the behavioral factors to be prioritized by waste management service providers to improve household waste bin acceptability and usage.
Originality/value
This is one of Ghana's first studies investigating the behavioral determinants of waste bin acceptability and usage.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the respondents who participated in this study, for making this work possible. The authors are also grateful to the research assistants who assisted with data collection. For financial support, the authors thank the Environmental Sanitation Research Fund (ESRF) of the Jospong Group of Companies for funding this study.
Citation
Boakye, M.K., Adanu, S.K., Agbosu, W.K., Lissah, S.Y., Abdul-Aziz, A.-R. and Owusu, A.G. (2024), "Behavioral factors influencing the acceptance and usage of waste bins in Ghana: application of the extended theory of planned behavior (TPB)", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-06-2023-0176
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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