Environmental Awareness and Knowledge of Municipal Waste Management Among Inhabitants of Eastern Mazovia

The problem of municipal waste management is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Its solution requires the integrated involvement of central and local authorities as well as the public. For their actions to be fully effective, they must be accompanied by an increase in environmental awareness. The aim of the study was to assess the environmental awareness and knowledge of inhabitants of eastern Mazovia regarding municipal waste management. A survey study was carried out on a group of 262 individuals using a questionnaire. Analysis of the results showed that the surveyed inhabitants of eastern Mazovia were aware of problems associated with municipal waste management, but some of them were critical of the actions taken by central and municipal authorities to solve them. Their high level of environmental awareness and knowledge was evidenced by the fact that most of those surveyed were familiar with the principles of selective collection of municipal waste, including green and hazardous waste.