Consumers Less Likely to Recycle Distorted but otherwise Recyclable Items

While a dented aluminum can or a pile of torn up paper can be recycled all the same as an unblemished can or intact paper, consumers are less likely to recycle "distorted" goods, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Researchers from Boston University and the University of Alberta examining consumers' recycling habits observed that when a recyclable product is altered from its original, pre-consumptioin shape, it is less likely to be recycled.

"Results from a field study and four laboratory studies demonstrate that a consumer's decision to recycle a product or throw it in the trash can be determined by the extent to which the product has been distorted during the consumption process," the researchers wrote in the paper's abstract. "Specifically, if the consumption process distorts a product sufficiently from its original form (i.e., changes in size or form), consumers perceive it as less useful and in turn are more likely to throw it in the garbage (as opposed to recycle it). These findings point to important outcomes of the consumption process that have largely been ignored and provide initial insight into the psychological processes influencing recycling behavior."

In one test, subjects were asked to evaluate a pair of scissors and given blank pieces of typing paper to try out the scissors by cutting the paper into one or two smaller pieces. Another group was asked to evaluate the scissors without making cuts to the paper. Near the exit of the testing room were two identical bins, one for recycling and one for garbage. The subjects were asked to dispose of their paper on the way out of the room. Regardless of the total amount of paper they were disposing of, the subjects recycled the whole sheet of paper more often than they did the scraps of paper.

The find has particular implications in the United States, a nation which the study authors say generates more garbage than any other country.

"These findings point to important outcomes of the post-consumption process that have been largely ignored and provide initial insight into the psychological processes influencing recycling behavior," the authors, Remi Trudel of Boston University and Jennifer J. Argo of University of Alberta, wrote in a press release.

Trudel and Argo suggest that a better understanding of why consumers throw recyclable products into the garbage instead of recycling them could help companies and public policy makers find novel ways to encourage consumers to step up their recycling efforts.