RECYCLING INTENTION AND BEHAVIOUR AMONG THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS’ (HEIS) COMMUNITY IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

The Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are among the largest waste producers in the municipality, and they have a huge responsibility towards the waste they produced. In order to divert waste as much as possible from the landfill, many HEIs have implemented reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs) strategies and programs on their campuses. However, not all the communities are aware of the programs initiated, and as such, the recycling rate in most universities is still low. Therefore, this research seeks to identify the factors that influence the HEIs community to practise recycling on the campus. This study has extended the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) with the inclusion of situational factors, recycling information and personal norm in the model. A total of 1068 duly completed questionnaire surveys were collected from six selected universities. The data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential analyses. The findings show that all the constructs investigated significantly influence recycling intention with exception of the subjective norm, whereas the situational factors have a significant direct influence on recycling behaviour. These findings have led to several suggestions and recommendations for a better sustainable waste management on the campuses in Malaysia.