10.2190/C7MF-45UG-EH8B-963E C7MF45UGEH8B963E 1 Conservation-Wise Consumers: Recycling and Household Shopping as Ecological Behavior 109 131 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 C7MF45UGEH8B963E.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=C7MF45UGEH8B963E 2 Angela Ebreo Joanne Vining University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign This study examines environmentally-responsible consumerism, its relation to self-reported recycling behavior, and the influence of experience with solid waste management issues and of the sociopolitical environment surrounding waste management on consumers' beliefs. A mail survey of 654 randomly selected adults living in rural and urban communities in central Illinois assessed their participation in recycling programs and reactions to attributes of consumer products said to have favorable environmental consequences. Respondents rated the importance of fourteen product attributes. These ratings were then correlated with the respondents' self-reported recycling behaviors. The results showed the public does attend to the environmental consequences of its purchases. Recycling behaviors and environmentally-responsible consumerism were related, although weakly, and seem to be connected to the public's view of the conservation of natural resources. Contrary to expectations, the reactions of rural and urban residents did not differ, indicating that the recycling experiences and solid waste management policy experiences of these residents did not influence their reactions. P. C. Stern and S. Oskamp, Managing Scarce Environmental Resources, in <i>Handbook of Environmental Psychology</i>, I. Altman and D. Stokols (eds.), pp. 1044-1088, Wiley, New York, 1987. A. P. Tracy and S. Oskamp, Relationships among Ecologically Responsible Behaviors, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 13</i>, pp. 115-126, 1983-84. P. A. Ester and R. A. Winett, Toward More Effective Antecedent Strategies for Environmental Programs, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 11</i>, pp. 201-221, 1982. E. S. Geller, Applications of Behavioral Analysis for Litter Control, in <i>Behavioral Community Psychology: Progress and Prospects</i>, D. Glenwick and L. Jason (eds.), Praeger, New York, 1980. E. S. Geller, J. B. Erickson, and B. A. Buttram, Attempts to Promote Residential Water Conservation with Educational Behavioral and Engineering Strategies, <i>Population and Environment: Behavior and Social Issues, 6</i>, pp. 96-112, 1983. L. A. Heslop, L. Moran, and A. Cousineau, "Consciousness" in Energy Conservation Behavior: An Exploratory Study, <i>Journal of Consumer Research, 8</i>, pp. 299-305, 1981. R. DeYoung, Exploring the Difference between Recyclers and Non-recyclers: The Role of Information, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 18</i>, pp. 341-351, 1988-89. F. M. Lansana, Distinguishing Potential Recyclers from Non-recyclers: A Basis for Developing Recycling Strategies, <i>Journal of Environmental Education, 23</i>, pp. 16-23, 1992. D. Simmons and R. Widmar, Motivations and Barriers to Recycling: Toward a Strategy for Public Education, <i>Journal of Environmental Education, 22</i>, pp. 13-18, 1991. J. Vining and A. Ebreo, What Makes a Recycler? A Comparison of Recyclers and Non-recyclers, <i>Environment and Behavior, 22</i>, pp. 55-73, 1990. J. Vining and A. Ebreo, An Evaluation of the Public Response to a Community Recycling Education Program, <i>Society and Natural Resources, 2</i>, pp. 23-36, 1989. S. M. Burns and S. Oskamp, Increasing Community Recycling with Persuasive Communication and Public Commitment, <i>Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 16</i>, pp. 29-41, 1986. J. R. Hopper and J. M. Nielsen, Recycling as Altruistic Behavior: Normative and Behavioral Strategies to Expand Participation in a Community Recycling Program, <i>Environment and Behavior, 23</i>, pp. 195-220, 1991. J. Vining, N. Linn, and R. J. Burdge, Why Recycle? A Comparison of Recycling Motivation in Four Communities, <i>Environmental Management, 16</i>, pp. 785-797, 1992. D. Rose, National Beverage Container Deposit Legislation: A Cost-benefit Analysis, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 12</i>, pp. 71-84, 1982-83. C. H. Schwepker, Jr. and T. B. Cornwell, An Examination of Ecologically Concerned Consumers and Their Intention to Purchase Ecologically Packaged Products, <i>Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 10</i>, pp. 77-101, 1991. N. Linn, J. Vining and P. A. Feeley, Toward a Sustainable Society: Waste Minimization Through Environmentally-conscious Consuming, manuscript submitted for publication, 1993. S. Oskamp, M. J. Harrington, T. C. Edwards, D. L. Sherwood, S. M. Okuda, and D. C. Shanson, Factors Influencing Household Recycling Behavior, <i>Environment and Behavior, 22</i>, pp. 767-786, 1991.