Garbage project on recycling behavior

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5627490

McGuire, R H; Hughes, W W; Rathje, W L

Results are presented of a study undertaken to determine the factors which are most effective in motivating different socio-economic groups to change their recycling behaviors and participate in recycling programs. Four types of data were collected and analyzed in Tucson: (1) purchase data from local recyclers, (2) traditional interview-survey data on recycling behavior, (3) long-term and short-term household refuse data, and (4) combined interview-garbage data. Findings reveal that disposal patterns for newspapers and aluminum cans are tuse data, and (4) combined interview-garbage data. Findings reveal that disposal patterns for newspapers and aluminum cans are the same across census tracts with significantly different socio-economic characteristics. Further, analysis of interview and garbage data matched by household reaffirm that what people say about recycling and how they dispose of recyclable materials are two different things. Thus, interview reports of newspaper recycling correlate with higher income informants, but their interview reports do not correlate with what is thrown into their garbage cans. Money is concluded to be the most powerful incentive toward recycling.

• Research Organization: Arizona Univ., Tucson (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5627490
• Report Number(s): PB-85-181527/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
ARIZONA
HOUSEHOLDS
SOLID WASTES
RECYCLING
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
SURVEYS
ECONOMICS
FEDERAL REGION IX
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
320604* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Municipal Waste Management- (1980-)