Environment and Behavior · 1999 · 112 citations · 32 references
EngineeringHousehold RecyclingEnvironmental Impact AssessmentSustainable DevelopmentWaste DisposalEnvironmental PlanningEnvironmental PolicySocial SciencesEconomic AnalysisEconomic InequalitySocial InequalityEconomicsPublic PolicyWaste ReductionSocial ImpactMunicipal Solid WasteEqual OpportunityFair DivisionSolid Waste ProblemHousehold Recycling IntensityZero WasteMarketingEqual Educational OpportunityWaste ManagementWaste PreventionCommunity DevelopmentRecyclingSustainability
This study examined the underlying factors that influence household recycling intensity when program conditions (curbside collection) are standardized. A mail-back survey was used to obtain information on public solid waste diversion behaviors, motivations, policy perceptions, and environmental attitudes of 673 households in four communities within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Analysis revealed several salient factors that distinguish active recyclers from those with lower levels of material recovery, including individual motivations for recycling, attitudes toward the solid waste problem and strategies to address it, the range of other waste diversion actions adopted, and certain environmental attitudes. The findings suggest potential social marketing and program changes to stimulate household recycling, improvement integral for progress toward promulgated provincial and state solid waste diversion goals.
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