For several years, Bulgaria has been implementing systems for separate collection of packaging waste as elements of environment policy, which aims to decrease the quantity of the municipal-generated waste deposited in land. The effectiveness of these systems is largely determined by consumers' recycling behaviour in post-socialist countries with emerging sustainable behaviour patterns. The aim of this article is to identify different segments among Bulgarians based on their attitudes towards recycling in order to highlight the characteristics of recyclers and non-recycler groups and, subsequently, to elaborate on possible tailored marketing and communication plans to promote recycling among Bulgarians. A national survey was conducted with 968 people over 18 years of age from the municipalities covered by the system for separate collection of packaging waste. The cluster analysis of the results of the survey made possible the segmentation according to the attitudes towards recycling. The following four clusters were identified: the 'Environmentally sensitive' (18.46%); the 'Inert' who do not appreciate the benefits of recycling for the environment (26.14%); the 'Indifferent' to the separate collection of waste (29.57%); and the 'Recycling' (25.83%). The composition of each of the clusters is analysed both according to recycling practices and according to other types of sustainable behaviour (buying of organic foods, non-food ecological products, energy-efficient household appliances, etc.). The contextual factors that have demotivating effects on consumer behaviour for separate collection of waste in the country are also discussed. The correlations between cluster belonging and socio-demographic characteristics of the participants in the study are examined. The implications of the study may be associated with the development and implementation of public policy strategies for the separate collection of waste and the promotion of sustainable consumer behaviour patterns.
Taking into account the shortfalls of the regulative and economic instruments, a third wave of entirely new instruments emerged in the EU economic policy at the end of the 20th century – the instruments of the voluntary approach. They appear in response to the need for effective and flexible instrument to overcome the limitations and difficulties of the existing policy. They are engagements that the business undertakes voluntarily to improve their ecological performance. One of the most widely distributed instruments for management of the ecological performance are the Environmental Management Systems (EMS). They contribute to the decrease of the ecologic footprint, facilitate the identification of various risks and hazards and provide the possibility for the company to demonstrate environmentally responsible behaviour in front of the customers and the society in general. Based on a research of 137 companies in the country, the current article aims at presenting an overview and evaluation of the motives and benefits of the EMS implementation by the Bulgarian companies. The analysis shows that the business in Bulgaria identifies as main drivers for EMS introduction mainly external economic factors – normative regulation, eligibility criteria for tenders, improvement of the competitiveness and better market performance.
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