Master’s thesis Environmental Management Assessment of the Source Separation of Household Solid Wastes in Nigeria

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Zhang, et al (2015) observed that certain factors that influence the way individuals handle issues related to waste management can be explained with the theory of planned behaviour, since it helps us to understand, for example, the factors that motivate a person to involve in waste separation behaviour. Ina study about people’s intention to engage in recycling-related behaviour conducted in a community in Thailand where the theory was applied, the results showed that, all the three variables enumerated in the theory were associated with the intention of people to separate recyclable materials in separate waste bins hence the researcher advised that separate waste bins should be provided indwelling units alongside ongoing public awareness campaign
(Apinhapath, 2014). Ina similar study by Ayob & Sheau-Ting (2016) about key determinants of waste separation intention among students on campus in Malaysia, the results showed that, intention to perform the behaviour of separating waste from source can also be influenced by public awareness campaigns that encourage the behaviour. This agrees with Ajzen’s variable of perceived behavioural control. A survey of some university staff in Malaysia by Wan Ab, et al (2013) about food waste separation behaviour which applied the TPB revealed that, provided the authorities saddled with the task of waste management create the opportunities, provide the facilities and create platforms for knowledge dissemination on how to separate waste from source, people are prepared to change their behaviour positively. Some studies advise the inclusion of other variables to test the predictive validity of the theory. For example, in Gusti, et al (2015) it was shown that, the knowledge of sustainable waste management practices has a vital relationship with people’s attitude towards sustainable management behaviours in a study about behavioural intention to implement sustainable waste management on primary school students in a city in Indonesia. Agwu (2012) in a research on challenges of solid waste management in Port-Harcourt city, Nigeria also reported that there is a significant relationship between the knowledge level of respondents and the practice of environmental behaviours. Akulume & Kiwanuka (2016), in assessing healthcare waste segregation behaviour among health workers in Uganda found that,
52.5% of the variance in the performance of segregation behaviour by health workers was accounted for by the theory of planned behaviour but with the addition of other external variables, the results indicated 66.7%, which explains the need to add some other variables to the model in predicting its validity. Another variable like moral obligation has also been found useful
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Oloruntoba, 2009; Oyelola & Babatunde, 2008; Aliu, et al, 2014; Anestina, et al, 2014) about household solid waste management in Nigeria, which includes the city of Lagos highlighted the country’s unsustainable waste management practices and recommended a transition to integrated solid waste management methods to achieve improved environmental quality, not much is known about how the specific application of how the TPB influences the performance of waste separation behaviour from source, although it must be acknowledged that a few studies about the situation in Nigeria make reference to the theory.

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