Evaluating opinions, behaviours and motivations of the users of a MSW separate collection centre in the town of Baronissi, Southern Italy

This paper presents the results of a survey regarding customer satisfaction as well as other aspects relating to the frequency and motivations of citizens going to a separate collection centre (SCC) for recyclables in a Southern Italian town. The study was carried out in 2015 to verify whether there were significant changes in the behaviours and opinions of the SCC’s users, who had been interviewed in 2013, in the light of the change of the local administration. The majority of the respondents (60.4%) coupled going to the SCC with other tasks, with 58.6% of them going to a supermarket. Therefore, future SCCs should localized near shopping centres (it would be preferable to have small and numerous SCCs). Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests showed how SCC’s users of the town under study behaved as a community. The percentage of respondents that declared to ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ with the idea that only putrescibles and residue could be collected at their home, with all the other materials being collected at the SCC, increased from 56.6%, in 2013, up to 59.0%, in 2015. The percentage of respondents that declared going to the SCC due to environmental motivations was unanimous. Moreover, the saving of money for the community became the second preferred option, with a significant improvement (from 65.6%, in 2013, up to 93.2%, in 2015). Therefore, the community’s interests over the individual’s were privileged. The SCC’s users confirmed their attention to environmental issues even though the local administration changed. It is probable that this could be the result of maintaining high standard of service as well as a good job in terms of communication, continuous involvment of citizens and the adoption of good environmental practices.