An Affordance-Based Model for the Sustainable Design of Community Food Waste Management Facilities

This study addresses the issue of low utilization rates of kitchen waste recycling facilities in urban communities in China, caused by insufficient resident willingness to participate and sustain use, which impacts the efficiency of urban sustainability. A system design model based on Affordance Theory (BIATM) is proposed to connect behavioral insights with design and decision-making tools to improve sustainability outcomes at the local level. This model includes three components: demand classification identification based on Affordance Theory and the Best-Worst Method (BWM), hierarchical relationship analysis of demand based on Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), and design transformation based on Affordance Theory. Unlike prior approaches that apply affordance theory as a post hoc interpretive lens, this study operationalizes it as a generative design tool integrated with quantitative demand analysis. The results indicate that “Incentive Feedback” is a key factor directly influencing sustained participation behavior, while factors related to hygiene anxiety and operational burden are fundamental constraints to residents’ use of community kitchen waste recycling facilities. This suggests that the explicit needs expressed by residents may not always be the primary drivers of behavior initiation and continuity. To promote sustained participation, design should prioritize meeting deeper behavioral prerequisites and maintain participation through superficial feedback and incentive mechanisms. Based on this analysis, three design proposals for community kitchen waste management facilities are presented, evaluated, and optimized using the TOPSIS method. The study concludes that combining demand weight identification, hierarchical relationship analysis, and Affordance Theory translation effectively supports the identification, design generation, and optimization of community kitchen waste management facilities, providing a methodological reference for the sustainable design of public service facilities and practical pathways for promoting resident participation in community resource recycling.