Integrating Citizens’ Importance-Performance Aspects into Sustainable Plastic Waste Management in Danang, Vietnam

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a matter of deep concern that requires an urgent and international response, involving stakeholders at all levels. The rapid increase of single-use plastic and medical waste, especially in the context of COVID-19, has caused a drastic progression in the plastic pollution crisis on a global scale. To identify an efficient plastic waste management (PWM) system to tackle this major environmental problem, this study adopted importance-performance analysis and used logistic regression to identify key factors affecting citizens’ behavior to participate in PWM strategies in Vietnam. The results indicate that while the importance of all PWM solutions was considered to be high, their performance was rated at a low level, implying a sizable gap between perceived importance and performance of eleven solutions for PWM. The findings also show that solutions such as “offering zero-waste lifestyle seminars to citizens”, “having community engagement”, “using eco-friendly products”, and “imposing a ban on single-use plastics” are useful for the development of an effective environmental policy. Furthermore, it was found that the following characteristics have a significant influence on citizens’ participation in PWM solutions: (1) gender, (2) education level, (3) residential area, (4) employment status, and (5) citizens’ awareness and behavior towards plastic reduction. This study is expected to provide theoretical and empirical evidence for policymakers and authorities who are in charge of promulgating the necessary mechanisms and policies to promote the socialization of PWM.