A simulation of householders’ recycling attitudes based on the theory of planned behavior

Abstract

What would induce householders to recycle their waste in a practicable way? This paper investigates the determinants of recycling behavior through the development of an Agent-Based Model (ABM) simulation. Specifically, this contribution examines the effectiveness of a simulation based on different recycling behaviors to better understand the phenomenon. The perspective used takes into consideration the recycling attitude and the sensitivity to social norms based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict recycling outcomes. As a whole, this paper highlights the dominance of dynamics and interacting aspects of waste management for the formulation of effective recycling public policies based on behavioral aspects. In addition, it illustrates how it is possible to use such empirical models as the Structural Equation Models (SEM) as a starting point for developing ABM simulations that are closer to both theory and reality.