Pro-Environmental Waste Receptacle Labeling Can Increase Recycling Contamination

• In Event: 9.6 Understanding the Determinants and Consequences of Product Disposal Methods

Short Abstract

Labeling garbage bins with pro-environmental terms (e.g., “landfill”) is presumably to increase recycling rates. However, we find evidence that this type of interventions unintendedly increases the rate of recycling contamination - placement of unrecyclable items in recycling bins. And the effect may be dampened through educational materials improving disposal accuracy.

Authors

• Jesse R. Catlin, California State University, Sacramento

• Yitong Wang, University of Technology Sydney

• Rommel J. Manuel, California State University, Sacramento