Factors Influencing Environmental Awareness and Solid Waste Management Practices in Bogotá: An Analysis Using Machine Learning

Abstract

The effective management of solid waste presents a pressing challenge within the environmental sector, given its adverse impacts on health and the environment (water, soil, air). This global concern is particularly relevant for cities striving to implement efficient waste management strategies. This study explores the factors that impact environmental awareness and solid waste management practices in Bogota, offering valuable insights for designing and implementing effective public policies and environmental management strategies. By understanding the drivers of environmental behavior among city residents, local authorities can devise more precise interventions and implement environmental education and awareness programs aimed at fostering sustainable waste management practices. The city of Bogota faces unique challenges in waste management, considering that the amount of waste generated per capita has increased fivefold in recent years, coupled with being a densely populated city. Data from the 2021 Environmental Culture Survey conducted by Bogota’s Mayor’s Office, consisting of 266,994 entries, was analyzed using LASSO regularized logistic regression. LASSO offers advantages such as automatic feature selection, multicollinearity reduction, regularization to prevent overfitting, computational efficiency, and flexibility in a variety of modeling problems. The study provides significant insights into waste separation behaviors in Bogota, Colombia. The algorithm, with a 70% accuracy coefficient, indicates a direct correlation with the number of years individuals have resided in the city, demonstrating a 3.2% increase in the probability of consistently separating waste. Residents of Usaquén, Chapinero, Barrios Unidos, Bosa, and Teusaquillo exhibit higher probabilities of consistent waste separation, while those in San Cristóbal, Usme, Suba, Antonio Nariño, Rafael Uribe Uribe, and Ciudad Bolívar tend to have lower probabilities. Confidence in the recycling process significantly impacts behavior, with a 62.7% increase in the probability of consistently separating waste among those assured of the process. The study also highlights the importance of recycling bin availability, as individuals with only one bin in the kitchen show an 81.2% likelihood of almost never separating waste. The discoveries from this study regarding the factors influencing household waste separation and recycling practices offer valuable insights for enhancing environmental education and promotion strategies. By delving into the intricate dynamics of sociodemographic, geographical, and attitudinal elements, this research sheds light on the complexities of waste separation behaviors. These insights are pivotal for crafting tailored policies that can yield greater effectiveness in promoting sustainable practices and facilitating environmental conservation.