Consumer behaviour with regard to waste separation in public and private space

Consumer behaviour plays an important part in waste separation. In contrast to private households, consumer behaviour in public spaces, like parks, pedestrian zones and on sidewalks, has hardly been analysed and waste separation in public is scarcely implemented. Recent research on the characterization of public waste indicates that waste from public spaces contains a high proportion of recyclables, which shows that considerations concerning the introduction of separate waste collection are reasonable. This study aims to understand the differences between consumer waste behaviour in private and public spaces. Waste separation behaviour in public spaces is analysed through guided interviews (n=12) and an online survey (n=238) of residents of Vienna (Austria) and is compared to waste separation behaviour in private spaces. The results show that, firstly, social norms regarding waste separation are more established in private households than in public spaces. Secondly, although the total amount of waste generated in public spaces is lower, recyclables (paper, plastic, metal, glass) are relevant waste fractions in public waste and are therefore regarded as important when high resource recovery is pursued. Thirdly, waste separation in public spaces requires more effort on the part of consumers disposing of waste than in private spaces. This is mainly due to the lack of recycling bins. Fourthly, waste separation in public spaces is seen as a lower priority by respondents compared to litter prevention. The results suggest that separation behaviour varies according to the contextual space and cannot be regarded as identical.