The role of consumer behavior in the recycling and special treatment of garbage is analyzed in three steps. The first step focuses on the production and consumption cycle. Four recycling chains and one special treatment chain, as well as the role of consumers in these chains, are discussed. The second step concerns the specific decisions of consumers that lead to their continued participation in waste separation programs. The third step deals with the determinants of these decisions. Results from research on the participation of consumers in waste separation programs in the Netherlands and Germany illustrate the application of the three-step approach. Conclusions and recommendations for public policy are formulated.
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