CAROL WERNERUNIVERSITY OF UTAH

KAB CONFERENCE OCTOBER 2011

Increasing “Good” Recycling:Self-motivated, Correct, Reliable

What is the single most important thing we can do to improve the

quantity and quality of recycling?

There is no single thing. Think about the whole system – think long-

term. Create the right environment. Use a holistic approach in which individual’s attitudes and motivations are supported by the social, physical, and policy-economic environment.

Individual

Social milieu

Economic-political system

Physical environment

Individual (perceivedbarriers, norms, attitudes, knowledge of consequences, procedural knowledge, scripts/habits, “intrinsics,” etc.)Social milieu (friends, family, public figures, mass media, etc.)

Physical environment (access to facilities; ease of behavior; reminders of behavior, etc.)

Economic-political system(laws, policies, taxes; funds for supportive environment; highergarbage fees; small garbagecans plus large recycling bins;

Embed Individual in Multiple Behavioral Supports

HolisticApproachNo “MagicBullet”

Example of Holistic ApproachEmbed Individual in his/her social group (classmates,

parents, teacher) Emphasize “ownership” - local decision-making ;

psychological investment by each individual Teacher and students decide what to recycle, how to

organize, where to put recycling center They involve other classes; group enthusiasm builds,

spreads to individuals, spreads back to group “Institutionalizing”: Parent volunteers to help (gives

continuity year to year – “long-term”)

Supportive Physical Environment Clear, written, visible instructions from peers! Convenient recycling center in school Recycling company provides free pickup

Self-motivated, correct, reliable

Goal is to create people who want to recycle, who care about recycling correctly, and who remember to recycle

We push them in this direction with settings and signage that support recycling.

Consider Some Problem Cases

Problem 1: “University Students Don’t Care”

University Union Food Services removed dishwasher and began using polystyrene plates, cups, utensils.

Students and faculty protested, Food Services agreed to provide recycling program

Program failed. Bins put into storage.

Professional sign; small, does not attract attention.Even multiple bins did not help. Attractive but ineffective. No recycling!University concluded students did not want to recycle!

Class project. Four large signs.Attracted attention!Unprofessional butvery effective.

Note visual examples of acceptable recyclables

No definition of polystyrene.No identification with reader.

Note “Holism”:Use of peer group to under-score normative support“Urgent” only one chance

Recycling (wt)

Contamination

Replication with ProfessionallyMade Signs

Take Away

Make signs visible from a distanceShow what needs to be recycledShow there is normative supportMaintain convenience with multiple bins

Problem 2. Newspaper Recycling

Students were leaving newspapers all over classrooms

Custodial Services annoyed they had to clean up

Tried signs on garbage cans to encourage use of recycling bins

Not much response

Analyzed the “social ecology” of recycling

After 2 It’s Up to You!

Social ecology of newspaper use:

Students left newspapers in classrooms in order to share them with next group of students. Recycling would be unfriendly and wasteful!

Needed intervention that acknowledged sharing while also encouraging recycling.

Sharing not frequent after 2pm (too few students coming in). Targeted 2pm for recycling

After 2 It’s Up to You!

Treatment: Two Signs to Address Sharing & Recycling:

On wall, acknowledged newspaper sharing, said “few students in PM,” and asked for “proper disposal”*

On garbage cans, asked for recycling “after 2 it’s up to you”

vs. Comparison: No sharing acknowledged (energy conservation sign instead); on garbage cans asked for recycling, added “It’s up to you” (nothing about 2pm)

*to avoid two recycling signs in comparison to control group

Success!

Shifted recycling to PM (little recycling in AM, much in PM)

Take AwayNeed to understand how people view their

behaviorCan then accommodate their view, but also

explain how they can help solve the problem.Use signs on garbage cans (interrupt disposal)

and walls, multiple sources of information

Problem 3. Aluminum Can Recycling

Provided recycling bins next to soda machines

Low recycling

Check social ecology. Interviews with students indicated recycling too inconvenient. Took soda to class, exited building far from recycling bin.

Carefully Crafted Signs

Located to “interrupt” the throw-it-away scriptWe put signs on garbage cans, with

instructions for getting to recycling bin

“Validate & Persuade” Validate = Acknowledge inconvenience Designed to reduce complaints of inconvenience Designed to increase “self-talk” in which the person

mulls over the information and self-persuades

Compare Two Signs

No Aluminum Cans, Please!!!!!!!

Use the Recycler Located Close to the Telephones on the First Floor.

Recycling is important

No Aluminum Cans, Please!!!!!!!

Use the Recycler Located Close to the Telephones on the First Floor.

It May Be Inconvenient, but Recycling is important

validation

Both effective, but only sign with validation effective after signs removed

Persuasion for long-term change: Combine strong reason with “self-talk”

A message or reason they should recycle (“it is important”) PLUS

Something to activate “self-talk” – favorable thoughts about the message We used “clinical validation” – acknowledging the

person’s complaint. client feels “understood” and reciprocates by listening to

clinician in recycling, “validation” should make person willing to

think about the message, receptive to message

People Warned us not to Validate Complaints

“Why remind people recycling is inconvenient? That will reduce recycling.”

Not!“Validate/persuade” was a very successful

sign, especially after signs removed“Content analyses” showed validation:

Increased positive reactions to sign Reduced complaints that

sign was demanding (“!!!!!!!”) “important” was vague

“Self-talk” helped them figure out why recycling is important

Summary: Each Problem Solved Holistically

Individual embedded in social, physical, and policy-economic context.

We created supportive physical/social contexts Signs located to interrupt “disposal” script Polystyrene recycling: multiple huge signs; clearly written

by social peers; policy support = polystyrene recycling pick-up

Different from non-supportive – e.g., ignored social ecology of newspaper use

We changed individuals’ attitude with well-known persuasion technique that included our own strategy for getting people to think about the message (validating inconvenience)

Individual is Embedded in Complex Environment

Individual in Social, Physical, and Policy-Economic environment These can support or undermine recycling

No magic bullet – think holistically – provide as much support as possible

Understand the “social ecology” of behaviorCreate signs and environmental support to

reach goal.

Thanks! carol.werner@psych.utah.edu