Exploring Urban Scenarios with an Agent-Based Model to Assess Residential Waste Sorting

Preprint, 2024

Efficient waste management is vital for sustainable urban development, reducing emissions, and increasing recycling. Waste separation at the source relies on citizens' behaviour. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) can explain waste sorting behaviour, but factors like bin distance, recycling facilities' characteristics, and information campaigns need more research. This study explores the relationship between the built environment and residential waste sorting using a spatially explicit agent-based model (ABM) with TPB. The article details how TPB was exploited to model the behaviour of waste sorting. The ABM was implemented in two urban areas with low and high population densities, showing that changing bin placement affects sorting and proximity to recycling bins influences adequately sorted residual waste. This article demonstrates how to model and study the link between urban planning and waste sorting performance, revealing the impact of individual residents' behaviour on sorting percentages.