Promoting Source Reduction Behavior

In a study of the conservation behavior of 103 grocery shoppers in Chelsea, Michigan, an information and prompting strategy was used to test various rationales for adopting source reduction behavior. The experimental intervention consisted of mailing an educational pamphlet to participants. The experimental design included four treatment groups: a control and three others. These three other treatment groups each received a pamphlet giving environmental, economic, or a combination of environmental and economic rationales to reduce waste at the source. From data collected in pre-and postintervention survey instruments, it was shown that both environmental and economic rationales for practicing source reduction led to significant increases in reported source reduction behavior. Additionally, the type of conservation behavior promoted (e.g., toxics use reduction) and the location in which it is practiced (i.e., at home, at a store) were found to have an impact on the success of the interventions. Participants were more likely to adopt home-based source reduction of nontoxics over either store-based activities or activities involving toxics use reduction.