From Barriers to Action: Individual Responsibility and Solutions for Selective Waste Collection in Western Hungary

Konka, Boglárka and László, Veronika and Nagy, Andrea Magda and Töreki, Stefánia Matild and Darida, Zsuzsa and Banász, Zsuzsanna (2026) From Barriers to Action: Individual Responsibility and Solutions for Selective Waste Collection in Western Hungary. In: FEJLŐDÉSI PÁLYÁK ÉS ÚJ TÖRÉSVONALAK A FENNTARTHATÓSÁGI ÁTMENET IDŐSZAKÁBAN : Nemzetközi tudományos konferencia a Magyar Tudomány Ünnepe alkalmából. Soproni Egyetem Kiadó, Sopron, pp. 254-265. ISBN 9789633345795

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Abstract

Sustainable waste management appears as a sub-target in three of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), and Climate Action (SDG 13), highlighting the global significance of this issue. This research aimed to identify barriers to selective waste collection and to explore what individuals can and are willing to do to overcome these obstacles. Using the World Café Method (WCM), 226 participants took part in collaborative discussions in western Hungary. The results revealed that the most significant barriers were ‘Lack of infrastructure’, ‘Lack of knowledge’, and ‘Laziness’. The micro-level analysis identified several participantproposed solution areas, such as ‘Collecting and giving information’, ‘Motivation’, and ‘Creating infrastructure in the own environment’. The study highlights that although system-level problems exist, individual-level interventions and personal responsibility can play a crucial role in improving selective waste collection practices. The findings provide practical guidance for developing targeted, individual-centred interventions in the micro-level environment.

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