Recycling gone bad: When the option to recycle increases resource consumption |
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Authors: | Jesse R Catlin Yitong Wang |
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Institution: | 1. College of Business, Washington State University Tri‐Cities, Richland, WA 99354, USA;2. Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China |
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Abstract: | In this study, we propose that the ability to recycle may lead to increased resource usage compared to when a recycling option is not available. Supporting this hypothesis, our first experiment shows that consumers used more paper while evaluating a pair of scissors when the option to recycle was provided (vs. not provided). In a follow-up field experiment, we find that the per person restroom paper hand towel usage increased after the introduction of a recycling bin compared to when a recycling option was not available. We conclude by discussing implications for research and policy. |
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Keywords: | Sustainability Recycling Consumption Field experiment |
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