carol werner university of utah kab conference october 2011 increasing “good” recycling:...
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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! [email protected]