Application of Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) to Increase Recycling Behavior (RB) in Primary Schools

Background: Recycling and waste separation is one of the most important policies for the management of municipal solid waste, and notwithstanding the importance of recycling especially at the school age, little research have been conducted in this field. Focus of the Article: In this quasi-experimental study, five steps of community-based social marketing (CBSM) were used for changing of the recycling behavior (RB). Research Question: Do CBSM strategies increase use of recycling containers versus the sole availability of containers? Program Design/Approach: The intervention was implemented in five steps and through seven CBSM strategies that include communication, social diffusion, convenience, incentives, social norms, commitment, and prompts. Importance to the Social Marketing Field: Since the RB will be influenced by environmental context, it cannot be assumed that application of CBSM theory is effective in school field. Therefore, the findings of this study are used to determine the effectiveness of environmental changes based on CBSM theory in the school field. Method: One thousand four hundred fifty-three male and female students from fourth to sixth grade in Bushehr, Iran, were evaluated in intervention and control groups from December 2018 to May 2019. In intervention group, CBSM steps were implemented, and in the control group, only blue bins and containers for recyclable materials were provided. To assess behavior change, a questionnaire consisting of three sections of demographic information, knowledge, and barrier questions was used. RB was evaluated by daily weighing waste and recyclable materials (separated) in two groups from 10 days before to 4 months after intervention. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Version 16.0). Results: Results reveal that CBSM based strategies increased knowledge in the intervention group versus the control group. Also, CBSM strategies significantly increased the amount of recycling and reduced the waste in the intervention group. The results of this study showed that the sole availability of containers does not increase RB and reduce waste; applying CBSM based strategies is very useful and effective in removing barriers and increasing RB in schools. Recommendation for Research: It is recommended to compare the effectiveness of the application of only some CBSM strategies such as social norms, incentives, and diffusion versus all CBSM strategies for changing of RB in school setting. Limitation: A limitations of this study is that the number of students in the two groups is not the same due to the random selection of schools. Additionally, we could not control for students’ textbook content on recycling.