The effect of training on public participation in the in-house separation of urban wastes

Recycling and reusing urban wastes are of the most important pillars of waste management. In this respect, training has an important role in motivating and changing people’s behavior. This study was conducted to examine the effect of training on public participation in the in-house separation of urban wastes in the 5th municipal district 5 of Tehran. In this study, 300 families resident in this district were randomly selected. They were divided into three equal groups of workshop training, brochures training and the without training group; their motivational factors for participation in this plan were investigated using questionnaires. The workshop and brochure training groups referred to the time-consuming nature of waste separation, the lack of space in apartments, the irregular collection of wastes, and the unfruitfulness of the separation as the most important discouraging factors. Encouraging people, paying the costs and providing a healthier environment were noted by the educated people as the most important motivational factors. Brochure training, after workshop training, played an effective role in attracting public participation in this plan. The lowest public participation in this plan was recorded for the untrained group. The research results indicate that training, particularly workshop training, has a significant effect on motivating and improving individuals’ waste separation behavior.