Does exposure enhance interest? An analysis of composting exposure on interest in household waste management

Abstract

With the increasing amount of household waste produced in developing countries’ municipalities, composting can be a crucial alternative to ease the burden of disposal. This study utilizes primary survey data to investigate the association between households’ exposure to public composting campaigns and the interest in composting in Siddharthanagar Municipality, Nepal. We also use household attitudes, knowledge, barriers, and policy variables. Further, using our geo-referenced data as a novel approach, we probe the spatial connections between exposure and interest and investigate any inter-regional differences by constructing spatial maps. The dichotomous model results indicate a significant positive impact of exposure to composting campaigns on interest in composting, and the results remain consistent after the robustness check. Further, spatial autocorrelation is evident for composting exposure and interest. The spatial maps indicate inter-regional similarity for these variables. These results indicate the urge for policies that extensively promote public information regarding composting at the household level.