Evaluation of People's Awareness and Practice of Household Waste Management in 2017: A Case Study of Kermanshah, Iran

Background & Aims of the Study: Solid waste management is one of the most daunting environmental challenges. The present study aimed to investigate the awareness and practice of people about household waste management in Kermanshah, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 150 Kermanshah citizens in 2017. Cluster sampling was performed and the data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, including awareness, practice, and resources of education for waste management. Finally, the data were analyzed in SPSS software (version18) using ANOVA and t-test at α = 0.05. Results: Citizens' awareness of waste-related diseases and the impact of waste on the environment, the benefits of recycling and reduction in origin were assessed as moderate up to favorable. Nonetheless, the public's performance in relation to the Recycling Agency and the municipality was not favorable. Citizens demonstrated poor practice in terms of household waste management. Conclusion: From the results of the present study, it can be concluded that conducting training courses, increasing the level of general knowledge and culture in the field of household waste management can improve public awareness and practice.