Students Attitude and Behavior towards Circular Economy to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The latest strategy to replace the linear economy is thought to be the circular economy. Circular economy understanding and sustainable practices are still at par in the setting of higher education institutions. Recent studies demonstrate that university students still lack a broad understanding of the circular economy. This study was conducted to gauge undergraduate students' attitudes about and behavior toward the circular economy idea. In this study, 35 undergraduate students at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia were surveyed using a questionnaire as part of a quantitative technique. The questionnaire items' moderate reliability is indicated by their Cronbach's alpha rating of 0.69. Using SPSS software version 20, the data was examined and published in a descriptive manner. According to the study's findings, there are seven items in the circular economy domain and eight items in the area of circular economy attitudes. While the mean score for the conduct domain is 3.89, demonstrating a high degree of behavior towards the circular economy, the mean score for the attitude domain is 3.50, indicating a moderate level. This study found that undergraduate students recognize the value of the circular economy and have taken constructive steps to implement it. Despite their high level of behavior and intermediate level of attitude, there may be a chance to raise their awareness and grasp of concerns related to the circular economy. This creates possibilities for more study and instruction in this area. The circular economy helps to achieve the objective of sustainable development by optimizing the utilization of natural resources and minimizing adverse effects on the environment.