Consumption and Sustainability

Our global consumption has exceeded the Earth’s biocapacity for over 30 years now. A recent report published on the EPA’s website states that the Earth needs about one year and three months to regenerate what we use in one single year; we are effectively “turning resources into waste faster than nature can turn waste back into resources.” This global trend is apparent when looking at the U.S. specifically. The most conspicuous type of waste in the U.S. is the so-called “municipal solid waste” (MSW), which includes among other things bottles, corrugated boxes, food, computers, tires, or refrigerators. The EPA explains that U.S. consumers developed a preference for disposable products and convenience goods which consequently increase waste throughout the material life cycle. Therefore, we, as consumers, contribute to the problem of exhausting our Earth’s resources while simultaneously leaving behind a trail of trash. However, we, as consumers, also have the unique ability to individually contribute to the solution.

Our Contribution

Consider these numbers: Recycling one ton of office paper can save the energy equivalent of consuming 322 gallons of gasoline; recycling 10 plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for more than 25 hours. It is remarkable how valuable and worthwhile the practice of recycling is. However, in 2017 of the total MSW generated only 25% was recycled, whereas about 52% was landfilled. Why isn’t more of our waste recycled rather than just discarded and never touched again? It seems incredibly inefficient. How can a positive consumer behavior with significant economic and environmental impact be increased? The Lab42 team anticipated that further insight into the consumers' thoughts and attitudes will be conducive to answering this question. In efforts to understand the consumer’s recycling behavior, Lab42 included three short questions on the subject of recycling in a larger survey. Similarities and differences between Recyclers and Non-Recyclers became evident allowing us to understand how the practice of recycling might be encouraged more efficiently and effectively.

The Similarities

Good news first: the majority of people do try to recycle. Out of a representative sample of 755 respondents, about 80% reported recycling. However, the remaining 20% of the respondents reported not recycling. The world is not black and white, and so it is not surprising that Recyclers and Non-Recyclers have a lot in common. Demographically, there were no significant differences in age, gender or kids in the household.  In addition, overall, they report having remarkably similar values and political affiliations: in both groups, the highest percentage of respondents labeled themselves as moderate and there are no significant differences in party affiliation. However, when looking a bit more closely some differences did become palpable.

The Differences

This might seem obvious, but the amount of climate change deniers is significantly higher in Non-Recyclers compared to Recyclers. Interestingly, the chunk of people living in rural areas is significantly bigger in the Non-Recycler group compared to the Recycler group.

When it comes to political affiliations, we can observe one interesting difference. Though a similar percent identify with a specific party, the proportion of respondents stating that they do not have a political affiliation is significantly higher Non-Recyclers compared to recyclers.

Looking at the Recyclers and Non-Recyclers background, it is noteworthy that the proportion of disabled and unemployed respondents is higher in Non-Recyclers than in Recyclers. Moreover, almost three-quarters of respondents in the Non-Recycler group have a household income below $50.000, which is significantly higher than the Recycler group.

Lastly, Non-Recyclers use and like Facebook significantly more than Recyclers. Whereas Recyclers’ favorite social media platform is equally likely to be either Facebook or YouTube, for Non-Recyclers Facebook is the clear favorite.

Motivations and Barriers

One takeaway is that no single factor can explain why about one-fifth of the U.S. population does not recycle. The top four reasons Recyclers and Non-Recyclers selected for their respective behaviors were:

Motivations

Barriers

Reduce

the amount of

waste

in

landfills

(71%)

No access

to recycling (45%)

Recycling is good for the

economy

(62%)

No space

for separate bins (29%)

To protect

wildlife

(54%)

Recycling is

inconvenient

(17%)

To preserve resources for

future generations

(51%)

Belief that recycling does

not

make a

difference

(13%)

The Next Steps

Improving Infrastructure

Inconvenience and the belief that recycling does not make a difference do not seem to be the driving factors for not recycling. Instead, infrastructure appears to be a significantly larger factor. Almost half of the Non-Recyclers state that they do not recycle because they do not have access to recycling. Additionally, almost one-third of Non-Recyclers explain their behavior with a lack of space for separate bins. Making recycling as easy and convenient as possible lies in everyone’s interest; therefore, increasing the number of recycling sites as well as making them more accessible and prominent will be an important step. Promoting space and cash saving trash bins that people with limited space and resources can use would also help in increasing recycling.

Communication Channel

Facebook should be the preferred social media channel since the data showed that Non-Recyclers use and like Facebook significantly more than other social media channels. Sharing the closest recycling sites to peoples’ homes on Facebook would be an example of how recycling rates could be improved. 

Messaging Do’s and Don’t’s

Communication concerning recycling should steer clear from political messaging since many Non-Recyclers do not have a political affiliation. Furthermore, it should appeal equally to people living in urban, rural, or suburban areas. Considering that almost 70% of Non-Recyclers have a household income below $50K, emphasizing the economic benefits of recycling might be especially effective.

By focusing on the positive outcomes of recycling for the present generation, such as the reduction of waste in landfills and the positive impact on the economy, Non-Recyclers might feel compelled to start recycling. Also considering the benefits future generations will experience through the conservation and preservation of wildlife and resources might be effective in highlighting the advantages of recycling. 

Trends

Reusable materials, which are a form of recycling, are being adopted more and more. Whether it is reusable bags, coffee cups, or even the trend towards a sharing economy in general, recycling in this way is up and coming. In the past, we wrote a blog post on the renting trend which might be interesting to revisit in light of this new data; sharing instead of owning is not only beneficial to your wallet but also the environment. You can check it out here. If you are interested in learning more about sustainability practices, initiatives such as Plastic Free July can be a helpful resource.