10.2190/1LM4-V08T-A60C-1VMP 1LM4V08TA60C1VMP 4 Participation in Household Solid Waste Reduction Activities: The Need for Public Education 323 330 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 1LM4V08TA60C1VMP.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=1LM4V08TA60C1VMP 4 Deborah A. Simmons Ron Widmar Northern Illinois University Humboldt Research Group With landfills quickly reaching their capacities nationwide, public attention has begun to focus on ways of reducing the amount of solid waste produced. In 1985, Somerset County, New Jersey, initiated a pilot recycling program, and made recycling of household wastes mandatory in 1986. Yet even with the power of mandates and the availability of support services such as curbside pick up of recyclables, full participation has not been achieved. A survey was sent to a random sample of Somerset County households to investigate the degree to which various household-level solid waste reduction activities have been adopted by residents. The findings suggest the need for a comprehensive public education program on recycling. L. R. Brown et al., <i>State of the World</i>, W. W. Norton and Company, New York, 1987. R. H. Wiegel, Environmental Attitudes and the Prediction of Behavior, in <i>Environmental Psychology: Directions and Perspectives</i>, N. R. Feimer and E. S. Geller (eds.), Praeger, New York, 1983. E. S. Geller, R. A. Winett, and P. B. Everett, <i>Preserving the Environment: New Strategies for Behavioral Change</i>, Pergamon Press, New York, 1982. P. C. Stern and G. T. Gardner, Psychological Research and Energy Policy, <i>American Psychologist, 4</i>, pp. 329-343, 1981. M. E. Olsen, Consumers' Attitudes Toward Energy Conservation, <i>Journal of Social Issues, 37</i>, pp. 108-131, 1981. J. Cone and S. Hayes, <i>Environmental Problems/Behavioral Solutions</i>, Brooks/Cole, Monterey, California, 1980. H. E. Jacobs and J. S. Bailey, Evaluating Participation in a Residential Recycling Program, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 12</i>, pp. 141-152, 1982-83. E. S. Geller, J. L. Chaffee, and R. E. Ingram, Promoting Paper Recycling on a University Campus, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 5</i>, pp. 39-57, 1975. P. D. Luyben and S. Cummings, Motivating Beverage Container Recycling on a College Campus, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 11</i>, pp. 235-245, 1981-82. R. D. Katzev and A. U. Pardini, The Comparative Effectiveness of Reward and Commitment Approaches in Motivating Community Recycling, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 17</i>, pp. 93-113, 1987-88. L. McClelland and R. J. Canter, Psychological Research on Energy Conservation: Context, Approaches, Methods, <i>Advances in Environmental Psychology</i>, A. Baum and J. E. Singer (eds.), Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, New Jersey, 1981. S. M. Macey and M. A. Brown, The Role of Past Experience in Repetitive Household Behavior, <i>Environment and Behavior, 15</i>, pp. 123-141, March 1983. D. A. Simmons, J. F. Talbot, and R. Kaplan, Energy in Daily Activities: Muddling Toward Conservation, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 14</i>, 1984-85. Precycle: A New Concept in Source Reduction, <i>Resource Recycling</i>, pp. 36, 72, 1987 J. Powell, The Public Wants Recycling, <i>Resource Recycling</i>, pp. 32, 42, November/December 1988. R. M. Guttentag, T. S. Pytlar, and N. A. Kutchukian, Using Public Opinion Surveys to Design Recycling Programs, <i>Resource Recycling</i>, pp. 30-31, 36, September/October 1987.