This document discusses strategies for increasing recycling rates. It outlines an integrated approach using behavioral science called the KAB Behavior Change System. Research showed that reducing barriers like making recycling easy and accessible was effective. Testing different bin configurations found that providing small trash bins with larger recycling bins increased correct disposal and recycling rates. A national PSA recycling campaign used five strategic territories and tracking found ads were effective at raising awareness and engagement based on neurometrics. Application of these strategies led to increased recycling rates in cities like Austin.

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Behavior Change, Education & Action:
Utilizing Proven Strategies to Increase Recycling
R3-Recycling and Organics Conference
MassRecycle
March 30, 2015

2. Who We Are
Create clean, beautiful public places
Reduce waste and increase recycling
Generate positive impact on local economy
Inspire generations of environmental stewards

3. Our Strong Network with a Shared Purpose
• 1,200 affiliates and
partners
• Partnerships with
nearly 25 regional and
state recycling
organizations
• 7 million volunteers

4. KAB Behavior Change System
Integrated Approach
 5 Step Management Process
 4 Behavior Strategies
Created by Behavior Scientists and Experts
Field-Tested

5. What Works: Different Types of Recycling
Note: Meta analysis of recycling studies, combined across three types of programs. N=41 public, N=52 curbside,
N=18 central collection. Osbaldiston & Schott (2012)

6. America Recycles Campaign
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Activation
PSA Campaign
America Recycles Day
Recycling @ Work
Recycle-Bowl
Colleges
RecycleMania
Give and Go
Infrastructure/Knowledge
Sharing
Recycling On-The-Go
Research/Sharing BMPs

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Our Goal:Increase Recycling Participation
Environmental
Behavior Change
Strategies
–Commitment
–Competition
–Removing Barriers
–Communication

8. Commitment Research and Strategies
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Literature Research
Recommendations:
Strategies:
•Norm Messaging
•Commitment
•Communication

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America Recycles Day Commitment
• Verbal or written agreements
• Short and long term change
• Be positive and specific

10. America Recycles Day Commitment Impact
• Response rate: 10%
• Report knowing more: 32%
• Report more committed to at: 34%
• Encourage others: 32%
Pledge Impact (survey conducted 2013) 10

11. Recycle-Bowl Metrics and Impact
•3% start a recycling program
•55% saw increase in
recycling participation
•10% higher recycling rate
than non-participants
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12. Removing Barriers
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KAB litter research (2009):
•12% of public spaces had recycling
bins
Based on survey results:
•41% hold indefinitely
• 37% pass 1-3 trash cans
•18% pass 4-6 trash cans
Q: How far would you hold a recyclable before
disposing of it?

13. Recycling Infrastructure Research/Best Practices
• Public Space Infrastructure Grants
– Placed over 30,000 bins
• Best Practices
– Ten Tips For Public Space Recycling
– www.americarecyclesday.org
• New Research
– bin design, decal and placement
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14. Recycling@Work Research
Objectives:
• Test the impact of recycling and trash
bin configurations on recycling in
the workplace.
•Metrics
- Increase recycling
- Reduce trash in the recycling bins
- Reduce recyclables in the trash bins

15. Partners

16. Paper Still Prevelant in Offices
Breakdown of Waste Stream in a Typical Office Building by Type*
*Great Forest average waste audit results

17. Opportunity to Make a Difference
•5.6 million commercial buildings in the U.S.
•Total over 87 billion square feet
Source: The Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), EIA

18. Participating Office Buildings
San Diego
Houston
Atlanta
Boston

19. Four Set-ups Tested
1) Little trash bin with desk
sized recycling bin
2) Equal size trash and recycling
bins
3) Recycling bin only
4) Information only

20. Common Area Bins and Signage

21. Data Collection
• 6-months in field
• 34 Offices
• 400+employees
• Pre-post survey
• 200+ waste audits

22. Conclusion: Little Trash Most Successful
– Increased correct disposals
– Decreased recyclables in the trash from 29% to
13%
–Decreased recycling bin contamination by 20%

23. Recommendations and Resources
1. Make recycling easy
2. Use effective placement
3. Be consistent
Fact sheet and other resources
http://recycling@work.org

24. National Recycling PSA
Campaign
Increase recycling
participation by creating
strong passion and reason to
believe in recycling

25. The Challenge
Unemotional brand
The recycling brand feels “old school” and
needs to be modernized
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Lack of access or inconvenience
While access has grown, many people
cite lack of access in their community and
inconvenience as barriers to consistent
recycling
Lack of awareness or understanding
Confusion around what, where, and how
to recycle
Lack of motivation
Curbside programs are offered to approx.
70% of communities, but only half
participate

26. Strategic Territories
Five creatively driven strategic territories:
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27. Key Insight - Give your garbage another life.

28. Integrated Campaign
Mobile ◦ Social ◦ Outdoor ◦ Partnership ◦ TV ◦ Online ◦ Radio
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29. Tracking Awareness and Attitudes
Baseline Survey Results conducted week of July 1, 2013
• Online survey of adults 18 – 64 years old
• Series of questions
• Top line results: 62% of recyclers are not “Avid Recyclers”
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% YES
I am an avid recycler: I recycle nearly everything and will
go out of my way to do so.
38
I am a middle-of-the-road recycler: I make an effort to
recycle, but I usually won’t go too far beyond what is
convenient.
52
I am a sometime recycler: I recycle the easy stuff, but I
don’t make too much of an effort.
10

30. Donated Media
TV
OOH
Radio
Digital
Print PR
$65.4 M
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31. Neuro Methodology
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Summary of Measures and Primary Metrics During Ad Viewing
WHOLE HEAD
EEG
SIMULTANEOUS
EYE-TRACKING
COMPOSITE SCORE:
NEUROLOGICAL
EFFECTIVENESS
ATTENTION
CAPTURE
EMOTIONAL
ENGAGEMENT
MEMORY
ACTIVATION
PRIMARY NEUROMETRICS
COMPUTED SEC-BY-SEC FROM
EEG DATA WHILE VIEWING AN AD:
+
Metrics are normed to a 10-point scale Individual Key Metrics (as estimates of the population) are significant at a
95% confidence level of +/- 0.2 (an overall difference of 0.4 between scores to conclude statistical significance).

32. Solid Topline Performance
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JOURNEY STADIUM PSA MEDIAN
OVERALL
EFFECTIVENESS
6.3 6.5 6.3
EMOTIONAL
ENGAGEMENT
6.5 6.4 6.4
MEMORY
ACTIVATION
6.2 6.9 6.2
At a topline level, the original recycling PSAs scored at or above
the median for key neurometrics for all prior PSAs tested.
Individual Key Metrics (as estimates of the population) are significant at a 95% confidence level of +/- 0.2 (an overall difference of 0.4 to conclude statistical significance).

33. From July – September 2014, the average pounds of household recycling per household were
higher compared to the same time period in 2013.
Source: City of Austin
Average pounds of recycling per household
Austin Recycling Rates

34. TV ad: Smile
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35. TV ad: Superhero
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36. Conclusions
•Behavioral strategies can make
a difference
•Proven through research,
testing and evaluation
•No silver bullet
•Identify and overcome
barriers, be positive, be
consistent

37. Resources
• America Recycles Day - http://americarecyclesday.org/
• Public Space Infrastructure BMPs
• Recycle-Bowl - http://www.recycle-bowl.org/
• Recycling @Work - http://recycle@work.org
• National PSA Campaign - www.iwanttoberecycled.org
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For more info contact:
bpulley@kab.org