Date of Award:

12-2011

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Sociology and Anthropology

Department name when degree awarded

Sociology

Committee Chair(s)

Douglas Jackson-Smith

Committee

Douglas Jackson-Smith

Committee

Peggy Petrzelka

Committee

Arthur Caplan

Abstract

Tons of household waste go to landfills throughout the western United States each year. Recycling has been a popular way for cities to extend the life of landfills by decreasing the amount of waste entering them. The development and implementation of recycling programs has not come without challenges. People recycle or do not recycle for different reasons. Much research has been done to understand who recycles, who does not recycle, and what recycling program characteristics elicit greater participation. This study adds to the existing body of literature by focusing on determinants of community-level recycling in the western United States. This study compares the influence of recycling programs convenience and the fee structures for curbside recycling programs on recycling outcomes. It also explores the interaction of these “structural” program attributes and a set of demographic and attitudinal characteristics (recycling friendliness) of communities in explaining patterns of curbside recycling participation and waste stream diversion rates. My hypothesis was that among cities with less convenient recycling programs and more visible fee assessments, recycling friendliness would be helpful in explaining variation in participation and diversion rates. Similarly, places with convenient programs and less visible fee structures were expected have higher rates of recycling regardless of a community’s underlying recycling friendliness. The overall findings provided modest support for my expectations.

Checksum

50838dc4a51304c37810dc0b1992ac04

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on November 21, 2011.

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