The Willingness to Pay and Factors Affecting it for Home Compost Production (Case Study: Isfahan)

Abstract

In Iran, about half of municipal waste is made up of organic matter, while indeed only 12% of the organic waste produced in the country is composted. Therefore, the aim was to investigate the factors affecting the willingness to pay (WTP) for home composting and how much WTP for home composting. The statistical population consisted of the citizens of Isfahan city, Cochran formula estimated 367 households as a sample then they are selected by random sampling. The results showed that 143 respondents were reluctant to pay and did not want to accept it. Also, the results showed that lack of facilities and equipment, lack of knowledge, time consuming and user, and lack of adequate space were the most important deterrents. According to the results, the willingness to pay for the production of home compost was estimated at 112 thousand Tomans per year. The variables that influenced the WTP include age, household size, and type of house. Based on the results, In order to strengthen and stimulate proper environmental behaviors and help citizens interested in producing home compost recommended that a special bin donates to them by the municipality.

Keywords

• contingent valuation
• home composting
• economic model
• willingness to pay