FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE WILLINGNESS OF RESIDENTS TO PAY FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BHUBANESWAR

Abstract

The sheer volume of solid waste has become a growing concern of local authorities regarding its adverse impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, the need for developing policies and regulations towards the environmentally sound management of solid waste is becoming crucial. Although the municipalities play an important role in solid waste recycling program, there does not appear to be any study involving residents’ perceptions on solid waste management in Bhubaneswar city. This paper aims to examine the influencing factors of end users’ willingness to pay and their payment preferences toward solid waste management. The logistic regression model was employed to analyze a qualified data set collected through a personal interview survey in Bhubaneswar city. All analyses were conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (version 20.0). The results revealed that the households are willing to pay for efficient management of solid waste. These results suggest that strong and rigorous promotional and educational programs are needed to improve the knowledge and positive attitude of residents towards recycling methods and the three policies. However, subsidy should be provided to low-income groups who cannot afford to pay the waste charge.