Socio-Demographic Determinants of Household Composting Adoption and Participation in Circular Organic Waste Management Systems in Accra, Ghana

Organic household waste constitutes a significant proportion of municipal solid waste and presents major environmental and public health challenges when poorly managed. Composting offers a sustainable approach to managing biodegradable waste while supporting soil health and circular economy objectives. This study investigates the socio-economic and behavioral factors that influence households' willingness to adopt composting in the presence of free training. Data were collected through a household survey involving 397 respondents and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and ordered logistic regression models. The results indicate that approximately 68% of respondents expressed willingness to adopt composting under a training-supported scenario. Chi-square analysis indicates that knowledge of organic waste and waste separation practices is significantly associated with willingness to adopt composting. The ordered logistic regression results indicate that the practice of separating waste is a strong positive predictor of willingness to adopt composting. On the other hand, a person's position in the household and the amount of organic waste they produce have strong negative effects. Socio-economic factors such as gender, education level, and household income were not statistically significant predictors in the multivariate model. These findings suggest that behavioral readiness and existing household waste management practices play a more critical role in compost adoption than demographic characteristics. The study highlights the importance of integrating compost promotion programs with household waste separation initiatives and community-based training programs. Strengthening behavioral change strategies and practical support mechanisms may enhance household participation in composting and contribute to more sustainable municipal waste management systems.