Extended Theory of Planned Behavior for Predicting the Willingness to Pay for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Beijing

Abstract

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management has become a problem in China, mainly since there is no uniform standard for MSW management charges, causing conflict between local residents and the government. An intelligent garbage sorting system (IGSS) is an effective sorting approach for MSW management. To explore the predictors of local residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the IGSS, this study applied an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) model by adding an antecedent environmental concern (EC) prior to the main predictors of the TPB model (attitudes, subject norms, perceived behavioral control). The WTP of Beijing residents for MSW management and the determinants of WTP were analyzed. The specific amount of WTP was predicted by a contingent valuation method (CVM) in an online questionnaire, and the mean WTP was estimated to be USD 49.93 per household per year. The results showed a positive connection between EC and residents’ WTP, and most of the participants were willing to pay for the IGSS for MSW management.