Interdisciplinary, systematic review found influences on household recycling behaviour are many and multifaceted, requiring a multi-level approach

Abstract

Household recycling is a common response to problems of waste generation, particularly in high-income countries. Understanding the behavioural influences on whether and how well people at home recycle is important for optimising recycling outcomes. Human behaviour is complex, and recent literature has demonstrated that understanding it fully requires drawing on insights from many disciplines. However past reviews of recycling behaviour research revealed that the field is mostly fragmented into single discipline endeavours, and highly concentrated on psychological approaches. The objective of this paper was therefore to conduct a systematic review across a wide range of disciplines on what influences households recycling behaviour of adults in urban areas of high income, OECD countries. The resulting factors were methodically synthesised using a configurative approach to produce a comprehensive multi-level hierarchy of potentially influencing factors. Insights from the hierarchy reveal potential directions for future research to improve the field's understanding of the influences on recycling behaviour, which could ultimately increase the effectiveness of interventions that address household waste and recycling issues.