Municipal solid waste charging based on residents’ preference, a case of Harbin City, China

ABSTRACT Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) has been an increasing challenge for cities in China. Effective and sensible charging mechanism of municipal solid waste (MSW) needs to be designed to abate rapid generation of MSW from its source. This paper investigates four aspects related to public preference on MSW charging, including cleanliness, frequency, time, and cost. A case study was conducted in Harbin, which is a megacity in China and one of the first pilot cities for MSW classification. This study adopted stratified sampling approach in surveying Harbin residents, which generated a final sample of 280 residents for empirical investigation. Conjoint analysis was employed to analyze residents’ preference for MSW charging. The results demonstrate that the preference varies with the level of income. High-income and middle-income residents are more favourable to cleanliness, while the low-income group is more concerned about the cost of MSWM. To a large extent, this difference may be related to differences in personal needs and consumption patterns.