Factors influencing changes in island waste systems: The case of Bornholm, Denmark

The study investigates the factors influencing the waste system change in the island of Bornholm, Denmark. The study uses the ISWM (Integrated Sustainable Waste Management) framework as its main theoretical foundation. The research was carried out using a large-scale (3 % of the population in the island), representative, quantitative survey with questions informed by the ISWM framework, including circular economy perspectives. To analyze the expectations in the hypotheses the data was run through a Z-test. The study unveils that a high baseline level of awareness about environmental issues is one of the key factors influencing the waste system change. Furthermore, the interests in the local (i.e. island) angle are preferred, where the consideration for solutions that directly benefit the island are preferred over solutions based on mainland activities. There is an acceptance of increased costs when the changes are implemented but as cost rises, acceptance decreases.