By Kathryn Hammond
Interactions
Proper recycling is incredibly important to reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. However, pro-environmental labeling of recycling bins and their increasing numbers in institutions also increases overinclusive recycling, where non-recyclable items end up in those bins (Catlin et al., 2020). While municipal solid waste recycling has increased in the United States due to increased recycling program availability, campaigns, awareness posters, and proper signage, overinclusive recycling leads to over 25% of the materials put in recycling bins being unrecyclable. This contamination causes shutdowns in recycling machinery, and many recycling plants end up throwing the entire bag of recycling in the trash if it is contaminated (Catlin et al., 2020). Overinclusive recycling causes many awareness efforts to backfire, reducing the amount actually recycled compared to the amount perceived by consumers. This leads to a dilemma – consumers often don’t recycle as much as they should, but when they do, it may be overinclusive and lead to less actually being recycled overall. Increased awareness and signage is great, however without adequate education of what can and can’t be recycled, these efforts can be futile.
This labeled and sorted recycling and trash bin setup in the Johnson Center is a great example of accessible and easily understood recycling signage. Each bin is separated, and even includes visual examples of what can be put in each slot. The accessibility, size, and convenient placement of this setup helps to encourage even habitual non-recyclers to think twice (Rosenthal et al., 2021). It includes a combination of signage, instruction, and accessibility to increase both recycling rates and its sorting. Each bin is separated by recycling material type, labeled for cans, glass, and plastics, mixed paper, white paper, and trash. The cans, glass, and plastic bins being on both sides of the recycling station is a design choice that improves the accessibility of that slot if coming from either side. The trash bins both placed next to the recycling and integrated into the structure help to decrease the amount of contaminants such as used napkins and paper towels, food wrapping, plastic bags, and coffee cups found in the recycling (Andrews et al., 2013). This recycling station is placed at an intersection of three hallways on the top floor of the Johnson Center, a heavy traffic area with a nearby food court. There are a few others both in the JC and in Merten Hall (George Mason University, 2022). Both of these are prime locations for recycling bins, which is an important aspect to factor in when setting up these bins.
Resource Characteristics
Recycling and proper waste management is important to maintaining a healthy environment through reducing waste in landfills, saving energy, and decreasing pollution (Nodoushani et al., 2016). Single-use plastics are cost-efficient and easy to transport, however they do not decompose and linger in landfills for thousands of years. Plastic can be recycled and made into other products or packaging, which both reduces the amount that ends up in landfills and reduces natural resource consumption and pollution due to less raw materials and energy required for production (Nodoushani et al., 2016). Paper consumption is also a major issue, as it consumes more resources and produces more waste than plastic, even with recycling. Recycling paper conserves these natural resources, saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, decreases the amount of waste in landfills, and saves water in comparison to producing paper from virgin materials. Recycling paper thus lessens the strain on freshwater ecosystems by conserving water, and reduces deforestation through decreasing the need for lumber (Nodoushani et al., 2016). Recycling is crucial to lessening human impact on already fragile ecosystems.
Governance/User Characteristics
Many environmental organizations focus mainly on increasing recycling rates, with somewhat simplified language such as labeling trash as “Landfill” and putting up “Save the Earth” signs (Catlin et al., 2020). These recycling awareness efforts by environmental activism groups may make recycling more common, but increased recycling by consumers without understanding the recycling process leads to less being actually recycled. In some cases, up to half of what ends up in the recycling is contaminated, and public waste collectors may send even lightly contaminated items for incineration (Rosenthal et al., 2021). Many people don’t know that all recycling needs to be clean, especially food packaging. Separating recycling materials by type improves efficiency of recycling when it reaches the recycling center. Many consumers don’t connect their actions to the rest of the system, either out of carelessness or lack of education. Many people, especially on college campuses, need the most low-effort and clear ways to change their behavior.
Related Systems
Culture and society plays a large role in recycling behavior, especially in a university setting. Attitudes toward recycling, as well as social norms, have a significant impact on recycling behavior. Recycling is often perceived as requiring a considerable amount of effort on the individual’s part, as it needs to be sorted, prepared, and stored (Ramayah et al., 2012). To improve the current system, recycling must be made easier and more accessible to students, to the point of it being equally as simple as throwing something away in the trash. By having bins clearly labeled and pre-sorted, it takes much less time and effort to recycle properly. Another psychological barrier is when individuals want to recycle, but aren’t sure whether something can be (Rosenthal et al., 2020). This is why visuals and clear instructions are important, so that people can recycle with confidence.
What can we do?
These effectively labeled recycling bins in the Johnson Center are an excellent example of guiding people to appropriately sort their recycling and differentiate it from trash. Careful placement of accessible, understandable, and labeled recycling and trash bins helps to steer human behavior and raises awareness for the importance of proper solid waste management (Rosenthal et al., 2021). A combination of both declarative information, explaining why recycling is important, as well as procedural information for how to do it properly, is integral to improving the current recycling system (Rosenthal et al., 2021). These are features already effectively implemented in these recycling stations.
The current bins placed are a great start, but they are few and far between on campus, located only in Merten Hall and the Johnson Center. George Mason’s recycling program emphasizes the importance of sorting recyclables to lower contamination and maintain clean recyclable materials. GMU pledged to have a 50% recycling rate by 2018, but only reached a 16.4% recycling rate, attributed to the university’s annual growth in both enrollment and development (George Mason University, 2022). To address this shortfall, the Office of Sustainability needs to improve the recycling accessibility and education. By continuing to implement these multi-stream recycling bin stations, and by using improving design and signage choices, Mason can effectively work towards its sustainability goals.
Location of the Human-Environment interaction
References
Andrews, A., Gregoire, M., Rasmussen, H., & Witowich, G. (2013). Comparison of recycling outcomes in three types of recycling collection units. Waste Management, 33(3), 530–535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.08.018
Catlin, J. R., Leonhardt, J. M., Wang, Y., & Manuel, R. J. (2021). Landfill or recycle? Pro‐environmental receptacle labeling increases recycling contamination. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 31(4), 765–772. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1216
George Mason University. (2022). Recycling and Waste Management FAQ. Office of Sustainability. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://green.gmu.edu/recycling-and-waste-management-faq/
Nodoushani, O., Stewart, C., & Kaur, M. (2016). Recycling and Its Effects on the Environment. Competition Forum, 14(1), 65-69. http://mutex.gmu.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/recycling-effects-on-environment/docview/1837562644/se-2
Ramayah, T., Lee, J. W., & Lim, S. (2012). Sustaining the environment through recycling: An empirical study. Journal of Environmental Management, 102, 141–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.02.025
Rosenthal, S., & Linder, N. (2021). Effects of bin proximity and informational prompts on recycling and contamination. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 168, 105430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105430