Previous Article in Journal
Recycling Waste Cottonseed Hulls to Biomaterials for Ammonia Adsorption
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes Towards Recycling in Slovak Republic

by
Silvia Lorincová
* and
Mária Osvaldová
Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Technical University in Zvolen, T. G. Masaryka 24, 960 01 Zvolen, Slovakia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Recycling 2025, 10(4), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10040159 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 1 July 2025 / Revised: 30 July 2025 / Accepted: 5 August 2025 / Published: 7 August 2025

Abstract

Climate changes have increased interest in the circular economy, an alternative model that seeks to minimize environmental impact and maximize resource reuse. A key element of this model is individuals’ behaviors and attitudes, which determine the overall efficiency of recycling processes. The study fills the gap by investigating how selected socio-demographic factors affect attitudes and intentions toward recycling and material reuse in the Slovak Republic, by using the Perceived Characteristics of Innovating (PCI) framework. Through a two-way ANOVA, we tested the hypotheses that higher education correlates with stronger recycling attitudes and that women are more willing than men to engage in circular practices. The results show that gender differences in consumer attitudes towards the circular economy do occur, but their magnitude is often conditioned by education level. Education proved to be the strongest predictor of ecological behavior: respondents with higher education reported stronger beliefs in the importance of recycling and a greater willingness to act sustainably. The interaction between gender and education revealed that university-educated women hold the most pronounced pro-environmental attitudes, underscoring the importance of gender-sensitive educational strategies. It is recommended that environmental education and outreach focus on less-educated groups, particularly women, who have high potential to influence their communities.
Keywords: circular economy; recycling; sustainable management; environmental awareness; gender; education circular economy; recycling; sustainable management; environmental awareness; gender; education

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Lorincová, S.; Osvaldová, M. Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes Towards Recycling in Slovak Republic. Recycling 2025, 10, 159. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10040159

AMA Style

Lorincová S, Osvaldová M. Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes Towards Recycling in Slovak Republic. Recycling. 2025; 10(4):159. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10040159

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorincová, Silvia, and Mária Osvaldová. 2025. "Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes Towards Recycling in Slovak Republic" Recycling 10, no. 4: 159. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10040159

APA Style

Lorincová, S., & Osvaldová, M. (2025). Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes Towards Recycling in Slovak Republic. Recycling, 10(4), 159. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling10040159

Article Metrics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.
Back to TopTop