Knowledge, behavior, and drivers of residents' willingness to pay for a sustainable solid waste collection and management system in Mymensingh City, Bangladesh

Excessive waste generation and ineffective waste management systems in developing cities have become a major challenge in achieving urban sustainability. As a developing city, Mymensingh City Corporation (MCC) is no exception. The demand for sustainable waste collection and management is increasing gradually. This study aimed to (i) document the existing solid waste collection and management system (SWCMS) of MCC and to (ii) explore the drivers and calculate the residents' willingness to pay for a sustainable SWCMS in MCC. The study conducted several field surveys with a structured questionnaire for primary data collection. We have employed the payment card approach of the contingent valuation method to calculate the willingness to pay (WTP). We used the Pearson's correlation model and the logistic regression model (considering WTP as a dependent variable) to evaluate the influences of different driving factors on WTP. Results show that the insufficient manpower, technological, and financial paucity of MCC authorities is responsible for poor SWCMS in Mymensingh. About 68.49% of people are not satisfied with the existing SWCMS. Approximately 85.42% of total respondents agreed to pay 283.38 Tk/month (USD 3.38 per month) for a sustainable SWCMS in MCC. Findings suggest that people's income, education, and employment have a strong positive influence, and that age, household size, and satisfaction level have a negative influence on residents' WTP. The study can help responsible authorities and policymakers develop and adopt efficient and optimal solid waste collection and management policies for immediate execution, focusing on future requirements.