Prediction of Depot-Based Specialty Recycling Behavior Using an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

Curbside recycling has been a very successful neighborhood-level intervention designed to maximize waste containment, but many communities have specific limitations on what products can be recycled within their community bins and must rely on depots for recycling these specialty items. The purpose of this study was to examine an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) that included both affective and instrumental attitudes and a planning construct to predict depot specialty recycling in a community sample across 1 month. Participants were 176 residents of detached homes who completed baseline measures of TPB and self-reported behavior 1 month later. Structural equation modeling identified a modest fit of the TPB, and 48% variance of depot recycling behavior was explained with the constructs of intention, planning, and perceived behavioral control, yet these constructs did not perform as well in predicting change in behavior across 4 weeks. Although proximity to the recycling depot did not relate to behavior, it significantly moderated the planning-recycling behavior relationship, whereby those who lived closer to the depot had larger planning-behavior relations than those who lived further away. Developing plans to recycle may help in addition to motivation, but these are still contingent on there being an easy commuting distance to a depot.