ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC VIEWS REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PLASTIC POLLUTION IN CLUJ COUNTY, ROMANIA

Abstract

Plastic in the environment poses significant problems for the present, as well as for future generations. The consequences and the exposure of living organisms to plastic pollution are not yet fully understand. The risks to health, environment and climate, due to the ubiquity and persistence of plastic are of great interest. The current study analyzes the perception of the Romanians regarding plastic pollution, in order to determine any pro-recycling behaviour of the local people and to recommend specific actions to reduce plastic pollution and the environmental risks associated with the studied region. The population is an important agent in waste management, in addition to local and central authorities, sanitation and recycling companies and/or public institutions. In order to achieve our goals, we developed a questionnaire that includes a series of questions related to people-s behaviour, knowledge, perceptions and feelings about waste management in relation to the environment, reducing single-use plastic and plastic hazards. The results demonstrated that 95.6% of the interviewees agreed that the use of plastic bags is harmful to the environment, 87.9% consider that plastic packaging of some products is sometimes unnecessary, 88.5% believe that recycling is the solution for removing plastic from the environment, and only 59.3% believe that the sanitation company is able to collect the waste selectively. The average of the answers related to the use of recyclable packaging shows that people are more and more concerned about the packaging of the purchased products, their recyclability, and the risks posed by plastic in the environment. Based on the people-s responses and willingness to get involved in reducing environmental plastic pollution, some measures adapted to the region have been recommended as useful for increasing the plastic recycling rate and reducing risks to the environment.