Predicting Three Dimensions of Residential Curbside Recycling: An Observational Study

Abstract

Empirical knowledge about recycling behavior is needed to inform environmental education efforts and policy proposals. Three dimensions of household recycling behavior (frequency of participation, amount of recyclable materials, and contamination of recyclables by improper material) were observed in 705 households of a suburban residential community over an 8-week period. These dependent variables were predicted by a set of 10 independent variables: recycling knowledge, general environmental concern, community attachment, 3 demographic variables, and 4 specific recycling motivation factors. A different pattern of predictor variables was found for each of the dependent variables, and the results suggest that many of the variables that predicted recycling behavior in past research have weaker relationships in current, more convenient, curbside programs.

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Notes on contributors

Lynnette Zelezny

Stuart Oskamp is a professor and Rachel L. Burkhardt and Sharrilyn Hurin are doctoral candidates in the Psychology Department at Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California. P. Wesley Schultz is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Lynnette Zelezny is a lecturer in psychology at California State University, Fresno.