Household waste segregation in a secondary south Asian City: behavioral drivers, institutional barriers, and frontline waste-worker perspectives in Bangladesh

Household waste segregation is essential for sustainable municipal solid waste management in rapidly urbanizing secondary cities. This mixed-methods study examined behavioral drivers, institutional barriers, and frontline waste-worker perspectives on household waste segregation in Rajshahi City Corporation, Bangladesh. Data were collected from 384 cluster-sampled households, complemented by 20 key informant interviews and 15 in-depth interviews. Survey results showed that City Corporation staff collected waste from 88.3% of households and 61.5% received daily collection; however, only 31.2% currently separated recyclables, while 63.0% intended to do so. Multivariable OLS regression showed that behavioral intention was significantly predicted by moral norms (B = 0.340, p < .001), motivation/incentives (B = 0.175, p < .001), and TPB attitude (B = 0.186, p = .012). Logistic regression indicated that current segregation was associated with intention (AOR = 2.86), perceived behavioral control (AOR = 1.45), service quality (AOR = 1.48), and awareness (AOR = 1.96), while perceived barriers reduced segregation odds (AOR = 0.61). Qualitative findings confirmed infrastructure deficits, manpower shortages, weak public compliance, and occupational risks for cleaners. The study highlights the need for integrated behavioral, institutional, and worker-sensitive waste-management reforms.