ABSTRACT VIEW
EVALUATION OF BEHAVIORS AND BELIEFS OF TWO URBAN POPULATIONS: MEXICO CITY AND VALENCIA, AND THE IMPACT OF TEACHING THROUGH THE DISSEMINATION OF SCIENCE
D. Linares Ramírez1, B.E. Gutiérrez Barba2, R. Florencio da Silva3, P. Barandiarán4, L. Roca Pérez5
1 Secretaría de Investigación y Posgrado-Instituto Politécnico Nacional (MEXICO)
2 CIIEMAD - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (MEXICO)
3 ESIME Ticomán - Instituto Politécnico Nacional (MEXICO)
4 Huerto Roma Verde (MEXICO)
5 Universidad de Valencia (SPAIN)
Urban waste (MW) in the food industry, hotel industry and other public spaces can generate new forms of value for the bioeconomy through other processes such as making biofertilizer and compost from organic waste to produce food such as vegetables. In order to implement an effective Smart Waste System (SWS), which includes the proper classification of waste and its revaluation, variables from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were observed and analyzed in different people living in Mexico City, Mexico. (MC) and Valencia, Spain (VAL). The TPB predicts an individual's intention to engage in a behavior at a specific time and place, links beliefs to behavior, and shapes the individual's behavioral intentions.

The objective was to know the subjective beliefs and norms that lead to the generation and disposal of urban waste in different public spaces in MC and compare them with those presented by people from public centers in the province of VAL; as well as, disseminate scientific knowledge and human well-being strategies around adequate management, composition and recoverable products from urban waste.

Regarding the analysis of human behavior that leads to the generation of MW in different public spaces, there was a correlation with a significant difference p<0.05. This was carried out in SPSS with a Pearson correlation analysis of several variables because they are non-parametric data, obtaining lower and higher confidence levels.This was analyzed the questionnaires that were applied to 178 people from Mexico and Valencia.

Three environmental workshops were given in 2024 in MC and VA. The workshops were given to people from 5 to 70 years old, with a duration of approximately two hours, the topics to be discussed were: composting, management and proper disposal of municipal solid waste, types of urban solid waste, circular waste economy , recycling, reuse, reuse of waste.

In this study, it was observed that factors such as attitude, knowledge, beliefs, place of residence significantly influence the management and disposal of MW in each country. The results of this study have different implications, with beliefs being the variable that most affects behavior.

This study highlights the need for the implementation of environmental education programs aimed at providing basic knowledge of MW and its correct disposal and management for waste minimization. Some measures that can be taken to make people realize the importance of performing environmentally friendly behavior is to make an attractive documentary and games to persuade consumers to recycle, reuse and repurpose waste, such as the case of organic waste for make compost and have your own vegetables.

Keywords: Environmental education, compost, toxicity, Huerto Roma Verde, Mexico City.