Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness, Attitude, and Practice of Plastic Waste Management Among the Digitally Active Public in India

Plastic pollution has become a significant challenge that seriously threatens the environment and biota. Studying people’s knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding plastic pollution and plastic waste management can help inform policymaking, source segregation, and mitigation measures. The present study was conducted using an online Google Forms-based survey to assess the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices of the general public towards plastic pollution and plastic waste management. A total of 540 respondents participated across 27 different states of India. Descriptive statistical measures, frequency analysis, chi-square goodness-of-fit tests, and Pearson correlation analysis were performed to analyse the results of sociodemographic information, sources of plastics, and different domains of KAP scores. The results show that plastic bags were the most regularly used single-use plastic items, mainly from grocery stores. The overall KAP scores revealed that 16.7% of respondents had poor knowledge, 30% had poor awareness, 19.3% had poor attitude, and 61.5% had poor practice related to plastic waste management and pollution. Sociodemographic variables such as residential area, education level, and occupation were significantly associated with KAP towards plastic pollution and waste management (P<0.05). The study recommends conducting environmental awareness campaigns, integrating topics related to plastic pollution and its impacts on the environment and human health into formal and informal education, and ensuring access to recycling facilities within local communities.