Teaching the Concept of Precycling: A Campaign and Evaluation

Abstract

Precycling, or purchasing wisely to reduce waste, is the EPA-preferred way to conserve resources and extend landfill life. A 3-month campaign of radio, television, and in-store advertising was effective at teaching the concept of precycling. After the campaign, telephone interviews indicated that 16% of the sample could correctly define the term, a 9% increase over the first survey. The survey results indicate that at least 65,000 citizens of Salt Lake County had probably learned the concept from the ad campaign. Given that the term had not come into popular use at the time of the advertising, it is unlikely that individuals had learned the term from another source. Furthermore, there was a significant association between seeing the ads and correctly defining precycling.