Rural Households for a Circular Economy

Németh, Nikoletta - Mészáros, Katalin

Keywords: Keywords: sustainability, selective waste collection, environmentally conscious purchasing, recycling, Q53, Q56, R20

The rapid increase in the amount of waste is the result of our consumption and production habits, and its reduction is a matter of sustainability, as it not only puts a strain on the environment but also causes economic loss. The aspirations of recent years are leading from a linear economy to a circular economy, which calls for the waste to be returned to the economic cycle.
With the current survey, we map the attitudes of the population and search for motivational channels to see whether as the micro-level units of the economy households are ready to move forward sustainable development and as environmentally conscious consumer help formulating circular economy through their purchasing, selective waste collection and by researching for recycling opportunities.
In our study, we examined the practice of households in Sopron and its surroundings by random sampling about how they think and what they do to reduce household waste. In the course of the research, we tried to highlight the differences in the attitudes of people living in villages, urban agglomerations and the city centre towards selective waste collection. In the case of the respondents involved in the research, we expect an environmentally conscious purchasing behaviour and a high level of support and positive reception of selective waste collection, regardless of the demographic variables examined.
Among the results, the population of Sopron and its surroundings is mostly aware of the selective waste collection (supported by the values obtained for the willingness to the disposal of selective waste) and the commitment is independent of gender, but is influenced by the place of residence (city centre, urban agglomeration, village), and by generations as it increases with age. Most of the respondents collect paper and plastic waste selectively. The main reasons for not collecting waste are the lack of space in the apartment and the incomplete infrastructure on the part of the service provider.
Not only selective waste collection but also the reduction of waste can help to achieve a circular economy. In connection to this, respondents highlighted the importance of purchasing reasonable and packaging-free as well as high quality, long-lasting and environmentally friendly products.

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