Factors Affecting Organic Household Waste Recycling Behaviour: A Case Study to Understand how Digital Technologies Shape Recycling Behaviour in Basel Switzerland

Abstract

Switzerland is a world leader in areas such as engineering and innovation, but also in per capita waste generation. In 2016 the Swiss government mandated the recapture of organic waste for the production of sustainable energy and soil products, but current collection systems have not yet succeeded, and currently collect less than half of all organic household waste produced. The literature reveals that research in waste management begins to incorporate digitalization and circular economy elements, and this is reflected in the organic waste recycling solutions implemented in Switzerland’s largest municipalities. Although there is evidence of RFID, mobile app, and gamification technologies having positive effects on recycling rates, similar research has not been performed in Switzerland and it is therefore not known how these technologies would affect organic waste recycling behaviour locally. Recycling systems rely on user participation and source separation of waste to be successful, and few studies have focused specifically on the factors affecting recycling behaviour for organic waste streams....