Waste separation behaviour among international students in Finland
Moslem Zadeh, Parinaz (2026)
Diplomityö
2026
School of Energy Systems, Ympäristötekniikka
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20260702109037
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20260702109037
Tiivistelmä
One of the crucial aspects of the circular economy is the proper separation of household waste. In Finland, however, one of the challenges for international residents may be to comply with these practices. This study investigated waste separation behavior and barriers among international students living in Finland. In a quantitative cross-sectional study, online questionnaire data were collected from 100 international students across Finnish universities, and the resulting data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to assess sorting frequencies, knowledge levels, and perceived barriers.
The findings show that sorting frequencies for standard categories (plastic, cardboard, paper, and biowaste) are high, but on the other hand, there is a significant decrease in sorting rates in complex waste categories, such as hazardous waste, pharmaceuticals, and electronic waste. Overall, the results, which are examined within the Attitude-Behaviour-Context (ABC) framework, indicate that sometimes many contextual barriers can hinder the environmental motivation to separate. The complexity of composite packaging, Finnish language instructions and internal space constraints in shared housing can be named as the three main structural barriers in this study.
Finally, it can be concluded that to achieve better results in terms of recycling compliance, it is better to prioritize system simplification rather than using awareness campaigns. Finally, it is recommended to implement universal visual signs, as well as the use of English instructions at waste disposal points and product packaging, and more placement of optimal containers to facilitate easy waste separation for international populations.
The findings show that sorting frequencies for standard categories (plastic, cardboard, paper, and biowaste) are high, but on the other hand, there is a significant decrease in sorting rates in complex waste categories, such as hazardous waste, pharmaceuticals, and electronic waste. Overall, the results, which are examined within the Attitude-Behaviour-Context (ABC) framework, indicate that sometimes many contextual barriers can hinder the environmental motivation to separate. The complexity of composite packaging, Finnish language instructions and internal space constraints in shared housing can be named as the three main structural barriers in this study.
Finally, it can be concluded that to achieve better results in terms of recycling compliance, it is better to prioritize system simplification rather than using awareness campaigns. Finally, it is recommended to implement universal visual signs, as well as the use of English instructions at waste disposal points and product packaging, and more placement of optimal containers to facilitate easy waste separation for international populations.