To sort or not to sort? – Consumers’ waste behavior in public

Abstract

While waste sorting in private households is considered a social norm, we still lack knowledge about individuals’ waste sorting behavior in public, such as on the street, in parks or on public transport. Research on public spaces has primarily focused on littering, drawing the spotlight away from the valuable materials lost due to a lack of public waste sorting. Employing social practice theory, we conducted interviews with consumers and cleaners, observed practices, documented waste bins, and engaged with stakeholders to describe the role of materials, competencies, and ideas for performing waste sorting in public. Key findings include individuals’ use of cognitive maps to locate residual waste bins, revealing paradoxes of public waste bin designs, and a lack of responsibility for waste sorting (e.g., individuals arguing that machines can perform this task more efficiently). Bridging this knowledge gap is vital to develop targeted strategies that encourage responsible waste practices.