Addressing the issues of separate collection of municipal solid waste in the university cities of Siberia[Решение Вопросов Раздельного Сбора Твердых Коммунальных Отходов В Университетских Городах Сибири]

The article considers problems still prevailing in many Russian regions due to the low motivation and awareness of the population as yet, hindering active involvement in the separate solid municipal waste (MSW) collection. The purpose of the article is to explore the municipal administrative practice of the Siberian university cities in addressing issues of separate MSW collection and pro-active (mainly young people’s) attitude development while solving the so-called “garbage” problems. As the main research method, the comparative-analytical analysis and empirical generalization have been used. The role of university cities, their initiatives and student communities is analyzed as part of the green economy concept in the aspect of MSW separate collection. The role of local authorities, federal, regional and public environmental organizations, activists, scientists and student communities in the environmental initiatives promotion is also highlighted. The innovation process, in housing and utilities sector in particular, is rather complex as it requires the approval of not only municipal and public bodies but also of citizens. Upbringing, education and attitude development of the population should equally contribute. Issues concerning the availability of the separate MSW collection are taking the rise in Russia requiring a higher awareness level. The cultural progress in the field of separate MSW collection is still rather low. Moreover, it is noted, that a number of public officials lack environmental competencies. The proposed research results focus on creation of favorable conditions for maintaining the well-balanced urban environment and on the promotion of university cities as flagships in the environmental education and behavior development. The scientific novelty of the article is that it reveals the involvement of the university cities municipalities in developing environmental competencies and environmental thinking of citizens, students and, in some way, authorities in relation to new environmental challenges.