Effects of Verbal Prompting and Block Characteristics on Participation in Curbside Newspaper Recycling

The effects of two prompting procedures to promote curbside recycling of newspapers were evaluated. Results indicated no effect on weekly percent participation after handbills alone, and modest increases after handbills plus verbal prompting. The findings also showed there were effects of block characteristics across groups. The presence of one or more recyclers prior to intervention was associated with significantly higher percentages of new participants when examining only blocks which also had block clubs. Also, the existence of a block club was associated with a significantly lower percentage of new participants after intervention, when looking only at blocks where there had been no participants prior to intervention. The implications of these findings are discussed. Psychologists with an interest in pro-environmental behavior have begun to contribute information on the relative effectiveness of various intervention strategies to promote participation in the recycling of domestic waste. Some studies have suggested that "prompt" information alone results in minimal levels of participation, whereas prompts which also include incentive offers [1], or devices that enhance convenience [2, 3] , tend to result in significantly higher participation levels. Other research has suggested that prompt effectiveness may also vary depending on how the information is presented [3, 4] . For example, in-person