How effective are current household recycling policies? Results from a national survey of U.S. households

This paper analyzes a unique dataset collected during a 2006 national survey of U.S. households to explore the effectiveness of common household recycling policies for metals, glass, and plastics: curbside recycling, drop-off recycling, deposit–refund systems (bottle bills), and marginal pricing for household waste. After estimating either generalized ordered logit or multinomial logit models, we find that the most important determinants of household recycling are people's attitudes toward recycling. Our results also suggest that omitting internal variables (perceived recycling obstacles and benefits as well as moral considerations) may bias policy coefficients. Socio-economic variables are typically not statistically significant, with the exceptions of young adults and of African Americans who tend to recycle less than others. Policies with the largest odds ratios are curbside recycling (which is further strengthened if recycling is mandatory), followed by the presence of drop-off collection centers nearby. Bottle bills are also statistically significant but their odds ratios are smaller, possibly because refunds are relatively small and typically do not change for years. Finally, marginal pricing appears to have a limited impact on recycling. These results suggest avenues for improving household recycling at a time when recycling rates appear to be plateauing.     

Waste separation at home: Are Japanese municipal curbside recycling policies efficient?

Recent studies have predicted that the costs and benefits of curbside recycling programs will vary considerably across municipalities. In this paper, we examine how the characteristics of municipalities are reflected in curbside recycling policies. Our analysis of Japanese municipal data reveals that municipalities implement recycling programs that fit the demographic profiles of their residents. Municipalities with a considerable number of single-recycler households tend to implement simple waste separation programs. The labor market positions of spouses have different impacts on recycling policies. We further find that the municipalities implementing comprehensive recycling programs collect plastic bottles and containers more frequently than do other municipalities. This implies that the municipalities need to take measures to effectively execute comprehensive recycling programs after implementing them.     

Demonstrating the need for the development of internal research capacity: Understanding recycling participation using the Theory of Planned Behaviour in West Oxfordshire,UK

Many UK local authorities, looking to meet their regulatory recycling targets, have opted for voluntary kerbside collection schemes for source segregated recyclables from households. The success of a recycling service is highly dependant on the number of people who participate in the service and the frequency of its use. High participation rates are therefore an essential component of any effective kerbside collection scheme. It is commonly accepted that recycling behaviour is strongly influenced and motivated by personal opinions as well as external issues such as access and convenience. This paper characterises the recycling attitudes within West Oxfordshire, UK, and compares them with the results from a previous study conducted during 2003 in Brixworth, in Daventry, UK. From 1st April 2004, West Oxfordshire District Council, expanded its kerbside collection scheme for dry recyclables, adding cardboard, batteries, aerosols and mixed plastics to the already collected recyclables (paper, glass, textiles and metals) and increasing the frequency from fortnightly to weekly In this study, the recycling attitudes and behaviour of a cross-sectional socio-economic sample from households from West Oxfordshire, is investigated. It is observed that the propensity to recycle varies between individuals and socio-economic areas, and that recycling is influenced by concern for future generations, the need to bury less waste in landfills, and the fact that recycling saves resources and protects the environment. The results from this study can be used to help inform local authorities who are considering the development of their recycling schemes and associated promotional campaigns based on an understanding of their socio-demographic profile.     

Household Demand for Waste Recycling Services

Municipalities everywhere are coping with increasing amounts of solid waste and need urgently to formulate efficient and sustainable solutions to the problem. This study examines the use of economic incentives in municipal waste management. Specifically, we address the issue of recycling, if and when this waste management option is—on social welfare grounds—a preferred solution.A number of studies have recently assessed the monetary value of the externalities of alternative solid waste management options. In the present context, these subsidies could be interpreted as the implicit value of the benefits from reducing environmental externalities associated with landfilling as perceived by local government authorities. We surmise that the difference between mean households willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling services, via the purchase of a subsidized waste disposal facility, and the above (proxy) value of externalities reflects the difference between private and public perception regarding the negative externality associated with landfilling. We believe that this information is useful in determining the level of subsidization needed (if at all) to sustain any recycling program.The study is unique in the sense that its conclusions are based on revealed household behavior when faced with increased disposal costs, as well as information on WTP responses in hypothetical but related (and, therefore, familiar) scenarios. The article also explores the influence of the subsidization schemes on recycling rates. It was found that with low levels of effort needed to participate in a curbside recycling program, households participation rates are mainly influenced by economic variables and age, and households are willing to pay a higher price for the recycling scheme. When the required effort level is relatively high, however, households would pay a lower price, and the rate is influenced mainly by their environmental commitment and by economic considerations. We found that in both cases a subsidy would be required in order to achieve an efficient level of recycling. The median price that households are willing to pay for recycling devices is found to be about NIS 370 (New Israeli Shekel, approximately $90).     

Reasons for non-participation in a kerbside recycling scheme

In this article potential barriers to recycling are explored within a UK community of approximately 8000 households that are piloting a kerbside paper recycling scheme. All 1690 non-users of the scheme were surveyed for their decisions not to participate. A 43% response rate was generated from the survey and the reasons given by householders were coded into 12 categories. The main reasons for non-participation included insufficient paper and lack of space in which to locate the recycling bin. 62% of the non-participants reported that they were recycling paper using other facilities such as local bring schemes and charity collections. Strategies to increase participation in the kerbside scheme are suggested.     

The influence of collection facility attributes on household collection rates of electronic waste: The case of televisions and computer monitors

In the US, household electronic waste collected for recycling is primarily by voluntary drop-off at designated collection facilities. This study examines the influence of specific collection facility attributes (recycling fees charged, number of days open, and driving distance) on the household collection rate of e-waste in the US state of Maine. Data were collected for household computer monitor and television collection for 92 municipal waste transfer facilities representing 30% of the state's population for one year. Results suggest that recycling fees are negatively correlated with the number of televisions and computer monitors collected; furthermore, the more frequently facilities were open, the more televisions and computer monitors were collected per capita. The distance from the facility had no correlation, which prompted an analysis of whether the existence of a curbside collection system in the municipality was influential. Results show a negative correlation between computer monitor and television collection and a municipality having recycling (but not e-waste) curbside collection. Based on the results of this study, policymakers may be able to increase the collection rate of household e-waste by eliminating or lowering recycling fees, expanding collection days and hours to increase convenience, and/or considering curbside collection of e-waste.     

The development of a UK kerbside scheme using known practice

Local authorities in the UK have been set challenging new targets for recycling household waste for 2003/4. This means many of them are urgently trying to determine which parameters in kerbside schemes are most important for increasing recycling rates. In this work information from previous kerbside schemes was used to plan significant improvements in an existing scheme in Horsham District, UK, and a trial was conducted using 1000 homes including a control group. It used fortnightly collection of residual waste with sets of recyclables collected on alternate weeks. The new scheme resulted in improvements of participation rates from 72 to 84%, and set-out rates from 45 to 59% (falling to 76 and 50% respectively, some months later). Details on participation and set-out for different groups of materials are given, as well as levels of excess waste and participation in the collection of garden waste.     

Systematic studies of shop and leisure voucher incentives for household recycling

This work reports on a series of medium scale trials of various voucher based incentives schemes for household recycling carried out in England. They show that increases of 10–20% in participation rates can be achieved with 3-month schemes. The results are drawn from 15 sub-projects carried out in 6 districts where parameters such as voucher value, types of shops used, demographics and community types were varied overall, allowing their effects to be explored. Surprisingly, the results show that the success does not depend on the affluence of the areas. Statistically strong data shows little difference across deprivation indices. Successful schemes were those where the vouchers were awarded on an individual household basis (very important), the value of each voucher was over £1 (€0.60), and the shops or facilities they are valid for were within half a mile (with suggestions from the public that if usable at supermarkets they would travel further). Although some improvements were seen in areas where participation rates were already over 65%, the schemes are more successful in areas which are not already achieving so highly, right down to those below 20%. Although schemes can be designed for maximum effect in small targeted areas, they could also be used on a large scale if e.g. supermarket vouchers were used. The study also reports on the costs of the schemes, which range from £5.15 per household to £12.10 per household over 3 months (including monitoring work). Possible savings of up to 50% are indicated.     

Systematic studies of shop and leisure voucher incentives for household recycling

This work reports on a series of medium scale trials of various voucher based incentives schemes for household recycling carried out in England. They show that increases of 10–20% in participation rates can be achieved with 3-month schemes. The results are drawn from 15 sub-projects carried out in 6 districts where parameters such as voucher value, types of shops used, demographics and community types were varied overall, allowing their effects to be explored. Surprisingly, the results show that the success does not depend on the affluence of the areas. Statistically strong data shows little difference across deprivation indices. Successful schemes were those where the vouchers were awarded on an individual household basis (very important), the value of each voucher was over £1 (€0.60), and the shops or facilities they are valid for were within half a mile (with suggestions from the public that if usable at supermarkets they would travel further). Although some improvements were seen in areas where participation rates were already over 65%, the schemes are more successful in areas which are not already achieving so highly, right down to those below 20%. Although schemes can be designed for maximum effect in small targeted areas, they could also be used on a large scale if e.g. supermarket vouchers were used. The study also reports on the costs of the schemes, which range from £5.15 per household to £12.10 per household over 3 months (including monitoring work). Possible savings of up to 50% are indicated.     

Mobilizing citizen effort to enhance environmental outcomes: A randomized controlled trial of a door-to-door recycling campaign

This paper uses a randomized controlled trial to test whether doorstep canvassing can raise participation in kerbside recycling. Existing research shows that canvassing can confront negative attitudes, increase understanding and resolve structural obstacles, but there is less known about the longitudinal effects of such interventions, which may fall away over time. 194 streets in Trafford, in the North West of England, UK were randomly assigned into a treatment and a control group. All households in the treatment group were visited by canvassers who were trained to promote and encourage recycling. Recycling participation rates for all households were measured by observing bin set out rates over a three-week period. Measurement was done before and after the canvassing campaign and then again three months later to see if the intervention had been effective in raising participation rates. Random-effects multilevel regression models, controlling for baseline recycling, street size, deprivation and size of ethnic minority population, show that the canvassing raised recycling participation rates for the treatment group compared to the control group, but there was a decline in the impact of the intervention over time. The intervention was more effective on streets with low levels of recycling at baseline.     

Public understanding and its effect on recycling performance in Hampshire and Milton Keynes

Improving the recycling rate might be the primary aim of ‘recycling targets’, but good diversion from disposal can be achieved in different ways. Public participation is obviously critical to success; however it is not just how many people participate, but how well they do so, that is important. Analysis of public attitude research gave insight into how effectively recyclers were participating, and examined levels of public understanding. These were correlated with design parameters and publicity and education strategies to try to identify aspects of successful schemes that led to high quality of participation.     

Sustainable pattern analysis of a publicly owned Material Recovery Facility in a fast-growing urban setting under uncertainty

Sustainable development goals are achievable through the installation of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in certain solid waste management systems, especially those in rapidly expanding multi-district urban areas. MRFs are a cost-effective alternative when curbside recycling does not demonstrate long-term success. Previous capacity planning uses mixed integer programming optimization for the urban center of the city of San Antonio, Texas to establish that a publicly owned material recovery facility is preferable to a privatized facility. As a companion study, this analysis demonstrates that a MRF alleviates economic, political, and social pressures facing solid waste management under uncertainty. It explores the impact of uncertainty in decision alternatives in an urban environmental system. From this unique angle, waste generation, incidence of recyclables in the waste stream, routing distances, recycling participation, and other planning components are taken as intervals to expand upon previous deterministic integer-programming models. The information incorporated into the optimization objectives includes economic impacts for recycling income and cost components in waste management. The constraint set consists of mass balance, capacity limitation, recycling limitation, scale economy, conditionality, and relevant screening restrictions. Due to the fragmented data set, a grey integer programming modeling approach quantifies the consequences of inexact information as it propagates through the final solutions in the optimization process. The grey algorithm screens optimal shipping patterns and an ideal MRF location and capacity. Two case settings compare MRF selection policies where optimal solutions exemplify the value of grey programming in the context of integrated solid waste management.     

Why recycle? A comparison of recycling motivations in four communities

Four Illinois communities with different sociode-mographic compositions and at various stages of planning for solid waste management were surveyed to determine the influence of sociodemographic variables and planning stages on the factors that motivate recycling behavior. A factor analysis of importance ratings of reasons for recycling and for not recycling yielded five factors interpreted as altruism, personal inconvenience, social influences, economic incentives, and household storage. The four communities were shown to be significantly different in multivariate analyses of the five motivational factors. However, attempts to explain these community differences with regression analyses, which predicted the motivational factors with dummy codes for planning stages, a measure of self-reported recycling behavior, and sociodemographic measures were unsatisfactory. Contrary to expectation, the solid waste management planning stages of the cities (curbside pickup, recycling dropoff center, and planning in progress) contributed only very slightly to the prediction of motivational factors for recycling. Community differences were better explained by different underlying motivational structures among the four communities. Altruistic reasons for recycling (e.g., conserving resources) composed the only factor which was similar across the four communities. This factor was also perceived to be the most important reason for recycling by respondents from all four communities. The results of the study supported the notion that convenient, voluntary recycling programs that rely on environmental concern and conscience for motivation are useful approaches to reducing waste.     

On the relationship between set-out rates and participation ratios as a tool for enhancement of kerbside household waste recycling

Although the use of kerbside recycling facilities by householders is often key to the reduction of materials disposed of to landfill, the quantitative assessment of householders' recycling behaviour is problematic. This study introduces a method to diagnose recycling behaviour by assessing kerbside scheme use in terms of the set-out of recyclate containers compared to the proportion of households participating in recycling (participation ratio). Application of numerical behaviour models demonstrated that kerbside recycling in sampled regions of the UK tends to be consistent with householders using kerbside schemes more frequently than would be observed with random patterns of use that are uniform amongst all householders. When aggregated to collection rounds, householders' modal recycling behaviour tended towards either non-participation or frequent participation. We propose that initiatives to enhance kerbside recycling should employ such quantitative assessments of recycling behavioural modes to inform and guide promotional and educational strategies. A conceptual model for prioritizing campaigns to promote recycling at the kerbside on the basis of identifiable and quantifiable patterns of householder recycling behaviour is presented.     

Recycling Policy in Areas of Low Income and Multi-storey Housing

The paper considers the participation of households in recycling programmes in areas of multi-storey, low income housing which are often considered unattractivefor such programmes.A model of the material recycled is presented together with a review of socio-economic, housing, technological, policy and other factors influencing household recycling. This is followed by a case study of two areas in the city of Edinburgh. Results suggest that the level of recycling is influenced by collection methods, for all materials except glass, with half of the recyclers starting as a result of the introduction of kerbside collection. Housing characteristics such as the storey-level in buildings without lifts , household size and access to cars all influenced recycling participation rates. Housing tenure was not found to be significant. This suggests that well designed kerbside collection programmescan have a significant impact in areas with high levels of multi-storey dwellings, low income and public housing.     

The Impact of a Change in Collection Frequency on Kerbside Recycling Behaviours

The research monitors the changes in recycling performance indicators arising from halving the collection frequency of a kerbside newspaper collection scheme. The changes in the performance parameters are explained in terms of the underlying behavioural changes that could have occurred within the community. This interpretation is aided by a computer simulation of the kerbside recycling activity of the community. Moving from a 2-week collection to a 4-week collection did not substantially affect the number of households recycling, nor the overall weights collected. A small weight loss, however, may have occurred, from a small minority of households, unable to accommodate the extra storage demand of the new regime. Model predictions were consistent with the observed performance data. It is postulated that the scheme could withstand considerable intervention before significant behavioural changes are induced. It demonstrates that cost-cutting interventions can be undertaken without significantly compromising individual participations. The case-study also highlights the caution needed in the interpretation of the recycling performance indicators themselves.     

Social, cultural and structural influences on household waste recycling: A case study

The household-recycling rate in the Borough of Burnley, England in 2001/2002 was only half the national average of 12%. This research employed both quantitative and qualitative surveys in order to ascertain whether householders’ attitudes to recycling were contributory factors to the generally poor recycling performance and to investigate other social, cultural and structural influences. The Borough has a large Asian–British population concentrated in two deprived wards where recycling rates are particularly low, so special attention was given to ascertaining their attitudes towards recycling.The quantitative survey comprised a postal questionnaire sent to a random sample of 360 households drawn from the electoral register. The qualitative survey consisted of group interviews with the Asian–British population at local community centres and focus groups attended by volunteers from the quantitative study.The findings suggest that householders are very willing to participate in recycling, as shown by the almost 80% claiming to recycle paper, but that local recycling services are too unreliable and inconvenient to allow them to do so comprehensively. Asian–British attitudes to recycling were found to be no different to those of the wider population, with their low participation being linked to the higher priorities imposed upon them by economic deprivation. The findings are broadly in line with those of the literature in that recycling participation tends to be higher among more affluent and older people, but lower among less affluent and younger households, probably due in part to the availability of both storage space and time, with the implication that the Borough's preponderance of terraced housing militates against a high recycling rate. Policy recommendations to local authorities include the provision of bespoke recycling services to suit the variety of residential conditions across the UK, and the provision of regular feedback to householders regarding recycling services and performance.Further research is needed to identify non-recyclers and to explore how householders’ underlying psychological, cultural and social attitudes to recycling impinge upon recycling and participation rates.     

Household Valuation of Curbside Recycling

This paper looks at the willingness to pay for, and participate in, a curbside recycling programme based on a survey of 401 residents in Ogden, Utah. Modifying the Cameron & James (1987) econometric model to fit ordered-interval data, we estimate that the mean willingness to pay for curbside recycling is US $2.05 per month, and that 72% of the residents would willingly participate in such a programme. Furthermore, females, young people, college-educated, those currently recycling without monetary reward, those regarding recycling as beneficial to the community and nation, and those with relatively high incomes are willing to pay the most for curbside recycling.     

PLANNERS AS A PUBLIC IN WATER RESOURCES PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS1

This paper suggests a number of benefits in identifying urban and regional planners as a public in public participation programs of water resources planning studies. A perspective on public participation is presented. Recent trends and developing concepts are identified: emphasis on the need to coordinate urban and regional planning activities with water resources planning, increasing system complexity, the goals and objectives orientation of planning, planning for multi-objectives, the evaluation of a broader range of alternatives, and the consideration of water alternatives as only one set of measures to further society's aspirations. One way to assist in capitalizing on these trends is to seek out participation of those in other planning efforts who are involved in planning but on a different level. Because of their intimate knowledge of an areas history, growth and development, political climate, local perceptions of needs and desires, and major problems and issues they are able to contribute a great deal of insight in making the water resources planning effort more responsive at the local level. The paper describes one of the first major efforts at working-level public-planner contact which was carried out as part of the Susquehanna River Basin Study. A regional survey team comprised of an engineer and an economist from a federal agency and a state water resources planner met informally with planners, city managers, and local planning commissions to discuss issues related to water resources and the growth and development of local areas. This effort while only part of the overall public participation program yielded a number of benefits and if expanded and refined would be a very useful experience in other studies.