Psychology may explain recycling reluctance, survey finds

According to an article in The Huffington Post, a 2011 survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, Washington, found only half of adults in the U.S. recycle daily, and the reasons may be psychological.

“Recycling is a behavior,” Brian Iacoviello, an assistant psychiatry professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, says in the article. “Much like exercising or eating healthily, people often engage in this behavior less than they should.” 

Of the adults interviewed in the survey, 25 percent stated they do not recycle because there are no convenient or accessible locations in their areas, while 10 percent said the process is too time-consuming.

The article suggests the lack of immediacy for potential rewards or consequences of recycling makes it difficult for people to integrate it into their daily habits. Additionally, a lack of readily available information from reliable sources about the effectiveness of recycling makes people reluctant to prioritize the long term over the immediate. 

“It’s that true paradox,” Jessica Nolan, associate psychology professor at the University of Scranton, told The Huffington Post. “Individual behavior is both essential and inconsequential.”