Informing and public awareness on waste separation: a case study of the City of Ni (Serbia)

Modern waste management is virtually impossible without public awareness on proper waste handling and the desire to tackle and solve this issue. By adopting the National Waste Management Strategy and the City of Ni Waste Management Strategy (Serbia), the separate disposal of household waste has become a priority. The paper presents the results of a survey conducted among the residents of Ni about how they are informed on waste issues and their willingness to separately collect their household waste. The aim of the research is to obtain data on the dominant source of information about the significance of waste separation and waste disposal, which would help implement the local waste management strategy. The survey included 600 respondents from local urban communities. The results were processed using SPSS software and descriptive and nonparametric analysis. The results revealed that most respondents had accurate information about waste and recycling, regardless of how they received it, that they were prepared to become involved in selective household waste separation, and that their age and education level were relevant factors in obtaining accurate information. The majority of respondents receive their information through television and there is a connection between the respondents' age and dwelling (house, flat) and how they collect their information. The results show that formal and non-formal education about waste and recycling is essential and that the Public Utility Company "Mediana" and the local TV stations need to be more active in raising public awareness.