We care a lot: Formative research for a social marketing campaign to promote school-based recycling

Abstract

A city environmental services department aimed to increase recycling in city schools. This study serves as formative research to assist the ESD staff's efforts to encourage pro-recycling knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to city junior high and high school students. Using a social marketing framework, a review of the literature on antecedents to recycling behavior with a particular focus on adolescents is presented. Based on seven focus groups (total participants N = 62) conducted with adolescents attending city junior high and high school, this study presents formative research findings demonstrating adolescent knowledge, attitudes and behaviors toward recycling. Four recommendations are made: consistent and accessible recycling infrastructure must be in place, an improvement in adolescents’ knowledge of what is and what is not recyclable is important, adult advocates should consider a two-step flow approach using adolescents to promote recycling to adults rather than enhancing adolescent concern for social acceptance, and finally, adolescents may be more globally minded and future-oriented than adults may presume them to be.