The Recycling Ethos

July 25, 2017

Today’s Blog is courtesy of the International Solid Waste Association. It was first posted in their Weekly Waste Briefing on May 26, 2017.

The relationship between culture and waste recycling is complex. Some cultures recycle more than others, some litter more than others. Such behavioral differences can be observed not just cross-culturally, but also within cultures. What contributes to the behavior of an individual who is not inclined to find their nearest waste bin, or separation facility if there is one?

Studies have shown how easily influenced we are, and small details can produce big changes in attitude. To better understand how easily influenced we are, how small details can produce big changes in attitude, CNN recently looked at several case studies which highlighted how our behavior is easily formed by prevalent behavior and aesthetics. In search of a better understanding, CNN recently looked at several case studies.

One such example is of a crushed soft drink can which is considered damaged and therefore more likely to end up on the floor or in the general waste than in the recycling bin. Jennifer Argo, a marketing professor from University of Alberta commented that "People see it as a damaged good that is not useful anymore in any way--what can you do with a crushed can? … If the can came to you crushed and you had to make the decision, our research shows that it's going in the garbage." Once products begin to differ from their ideal version, it seems that we see them as being beyond purpose, or repurpose.

Another case study that CNN looked at was of two car parks in Arizona, one completely free of litter, the other not. Researchers placed paper flyers on the windscreens of cars in each car park and observed that in the littered environment, 54% threw their flyer on the floor, a significant increase against those who did so in the clean environment (6%).

Simple marketing and design can also influence our recycling habits, with the shape and style of bins and recycling facilities being taken very seriously by municipalities. Every city has their own design for their bins and wherever you travel, you can often identify the thought process behind the design. A 2008 study by the University of Arizona conducted a series of experiments and found that the design of the lid can completely alter the recycling mindset. By placing appropriate shaped holes in the lids, the rate of contaminants decreased by 95%.

Many other factors can determine our individual tendency to be more careful with our waste. A 2014 Study in the United States revealed that the younger generation are less inclined to go out of their way to find a recycling a station or hold onto their waste until they find one. 90% of those surveyed felt that recycling collection sites need to be more readily accessible to consumers.

Other reasons, pointed out in this Ipsos survey, include a lack of understanding over what should be recycled and a refusal to sacrifice the extra time it sometimes requires. But what was clear is that very few referred to ideological barriers, with only 1% of respondents doubting the environmental benefit.

Still, even when recycling facilities are available on every single block, as in Singapore, it doesn’t always go as expected. Per CNBC, recycling is easy enough in Singapore. There are shared recycling bins at every block on the island's public housing estates. Despite the small island having very efficient systems in place, households recycled just 19 percent of their waste in 2015.  "It's really not that difficult for residents to place their recyclables in these bins," Melissa Tan, ISWA’s National Member Representative in Singapore told CNBC in November 2016. "What is needed is a mindset change...We need to further develop our recycling culture so that Singaporeans make an extra effort to recycle more.”

We know individuals are easily shaped by their predominant cultural behavior patterns and habits. The public discourse on recycling needs to take this into account, not just in the way that we market our collection facilities, but to promote the habit changes we need to make a little extra effort when dealing with our own waste.

The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) serves to promote and develop sustainable and professional waste management worldwide. Their articles are reprinted in the NERC Blog by permission.

NERC welcomes Guest Blog submissions. To inquire about submitting articles contact Athena Lee Bradley, Projects Manager at athena(at)nerc.org. Disclaimer: Guest blogs represent the opinion of the writers and may not reflect the policy or position of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc.