The Joy of Recycling . . . or Not

If there is one thing that can be agreed upon in the debate about what and how much we should recycle to make the most of our resources and energy, it's that public participation and motivation is essential. Why do you recycle? Myself, I stare down into the bin full of tidy sorted boxes, bags, tins and other brick-a-brack, and while I don’t really feel as though the small amount of garbage I've saved is anything more than a drop in the bucket in terms of the global environmental crisis, there is a sense of duty there— I’ve done what I can and am able feel reasonably high-minded about that. A study about the motivations for participating in mandatory kerbside recycling programmes shows that I am not alone. The most common justifications for participation are simple habit as well as a sense of civic duty and lawfulness, rather than any grandiose ideas about preserving the planet for future generations. Furthermore, dissidents of these programs often cite differences in recycling regulations from one municipality to another, feeling that the laws are unfair, that they are burdened more than their neighbours. So essentially, compliant or not, there are precious few of us that are intrinsically thrilled about the act of recycling.

According to another recycling study sponsored by Defra and conducted by the Open University, people tend only to recycle what is permitted in their kerbside bins, even people who may have previously gone through the extra effort to drop off a wider array of recyclables at a collection centre. All of this begs the question: what would make the act of recycling and reusing more rewarding? If stonger motivation equals better compliance, and if most of us are not blithely sorting our rubbish dreaming of the immaculate landscape we are helping to create for future generations, then maybe we should consider redesigning the recycling process to incorperate some perks.

Novelty? What about a cell phone that when planted will biodegrade and grow into sunflower?

How about a government-funded pizza party for schools which recycle the most?

What would it take for you to recycle with zest rather than resign? Tell us.


Image: rhastings - flickr