Factors influencing residents’ willingness to pay for improved household solid waste management: a comparative study

Solid waste management is a major environmental challenge facing most developing countries. The goal of this study is to identify the factors that influence residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improved solid waste management in Shah Alam city, Malaysia and Ibadan city, Nigeria. A total of 440 residents were randomly selected across residential neigbourhoods in the two cities. The contingent valuation method (CVM) involving two hypothetical improved service scenarios in waste management were used to estimate WTP. Binary logit regression analysis technique was employed to determine factors that influence residents’ WTP. Findings from the study revealed that on average, residents from Shah Alam city are willing to pay RM58.47 (USD$12.2) for the proposed service improvement in waste management, while Ibadan city residents are willing to pay ₦4,796 (USD$3.4). In terms of factors that influence WTP for improved SWM, results showed that income, household size, and educational qualifications have significant influence on WTP for improved SWM in both cities.