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Abstract

Analysis of the Customers’ Behavior Towards Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy †

by
Slaveya Petrova
1,2,*,
Bogdan Nikolov
1,
Viktoriya Getzova
1,
Megi Dakova
3,
Aygun Erturk-Mincheva
4 and
Margarita Ruseva
4
1
Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2
Department of Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnologies, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Agricultural University, 12 Mendeleev Boulevard, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
3
Department of Electronics, Communications and Technologies, Faculty of Physics and Technologies, Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
4
Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Plovdiv University Paisii Hilendarski, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 11th World Sustainability Forum (WSF11), Barcelona, Spain, 2–3 October 2025.
Proceedings 2025, 131(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025131072
Published: 2 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 11th World Sustainability Forum (WSF11))
Versions Notes

Waste management is an essential part of sustainable development and environmental protection. Customers’ attitudes and behavior play a key role in the effectiveness of implemented systems for separate waste collection. The EU’s ambitious waste reduction targets undoubtedly require increased personal activity. This study aims to provide up-to-date information on household practices for waste management by identifying factors, as well as determining peoples’ attitudes and concerns. The data and analysis are presented based on a large-scale survey in Bulgaria from settlements of different sizes and demographic characteristics, and the results outline specific ways to improve existing policies and strategies. Education in schools and financial incentives together with penalty payments, are the most motivating for proper waste separation at household level, the importance of unification of the regulatory framework and effective collection schemes, appropriate structure, and satisfactory storage capacity are also emphasized.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, S.P., B.N., V.G., M.D., A.E.-M. and M.R.; methodology, S.P., V.G., M.D., A.E.-M. and M.R.; software, M.R.; validation, M.D., A.E.-M. and M.R.; formal analysis, M.R.; investigation, V.G.; resources, S.P. and M.R.; data curation, M.D., A.E.-M. and M.R.; writing—M.D., A.E.-M. and M.R.; writing—review and editing, S.P.; visualization, M.D., A.E.-M. and M.R.; supervision, M.R.; project administration, S.P.; funding acquisition, S.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF), Grant No. KP-06-N65/13.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethical review and approval were waived for this study due to the anonymous and voluntary participation into the survey.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Data are available upon request to the authors.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Petrova, S.; Nikolov, B.; Getzova, V.; Dakova, M.; Erturk-Mincheva, A.; Ruseva, M. Analysis of the Customers’ Behavior Towards Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy. Proceedings 2025, 131, 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025131072

AMA Style

Petrova S, Nikolov B, Getzova V, Dakova M, Erturk-Mincheva A, Ruseva M. Analysis of the Customers’ Behavior Towards Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy. Proceedings. 2025; 131(1):72. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025131072

Chicago/Turabian Style

Petrova, Slaveya, Bogdan Nikolov, Viktoriya Getzova, Megi Dakova, Aygun Erturk-Mincheva, and Margarita Ruseva. 2025. "Analysis of the Customers’ Behavior Towards Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy" Proceedings 131, no. 1: 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025131072

APA Style

Petrova, S., Nikolov, B., Getzova, V., Dakova, M., Erturk-Mincheva, A., & Ruseva, M. (2025). Analysis of the Customers’ Behavior Towards Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy. Proceedings, 131(1), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2025131072

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