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Open AccessArticle
Pro-Environmental Behavior and Attitudes Towards Recycling in Slovak Republic
by
Silvia Lorincová
Silvia Lorincová *
and
Mária Osvaldová
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.
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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
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