School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
Waste Manag. 2018 Jun;76:431-442. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.02.028. Epub 2018 Feb 21.
As one of the most popular methods for the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration offers effective solutions to deal with the MSW surge and globe energy issues. Nevertheless, the construction of WTE facilities faces considerable and strong opposition from local communities due to the perceived potential risks. The present study aims to understand whether, and how, community engagement improves local residents' public acceptance towards waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facilities using a questionnaire survey conducted with nearby residents of two selected WTE incineration plants located in Zhejiang province, China. The results of data analysis using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) reveal that firstly, a lower level of public acceptance exists among local residents of over the age of 35, of lower education levels, living within 3 km from the WTE Plant and from WTE incineration Plants which are under construction. Secondly, the public trust of local government and other authorities was positively associated with the public acceptance of the WTE incineration project, both directly and indirectly based on perceived risk. Thirdly, community engagement can effectively enhance public trust in local government and other authorities related to the WTE incineration project. The findings contribute to the literature on MSW treatment policy-making and potentially hazardous facility siting, by exploring the determinants of public acceptance towards WTE incineration projects.
作为处理城市固体废物（MSW）的最流行方法之一，垃圾能源化（WTE）焚烧为应对 MSW 激增和全球能源问题提供了有效的解决方案。然而，由于被认为存在潜在风险，WTE 设施的建设面临着来自当地社区的相当大的强烈反对。本研究旨在使用问卷调查了解社区参与是否以及如何通过社区参与来提高当地居民对垃圾能源化（WTE）焚烧厂的公众接受度，该调查是在中国浙江省的两个选定的 WTE 焚烧厂附近的居民进行的。使用结构方程建模（SEM）进行数据分析的结果表明，首先，年龄在 35 岁以上、教育程度较低、居住在距离 WTE 工厂 3 公里以内以及正在建设中的 WTE 焚烧厂的居民对公众的接受度较低。其次，当地政府和其他当局的公众信任与对 WTE 焚烧项目的公众接受度呈正相关，这既直接又间接基于感知风险。第三，社区参与可以有效地增强公众对与 WTE 焚烧项目相关的当地政府和其他当局的信任。通过探索公众对 WTE 焚烧项目接受度的决定因素，本研究为 MSW 处理政策制定和潜在危险设施选址的文献做出了贡献。
