The Prediction of Household Recycling of Newspapers: The Role of Attitudes, Intentions, and Situational Factors¹

Abstract

The present study was designed to examine differences between respondents who recycled during a 2‐week observation period and those who did not. Of interest was the ability of factors drawn from Ajzen and Madden's (1986) theory of planned behavior and situational factors such as perceptions of borough councils' recycling programs to predict who would recycle. It was found that, although attitudes and intentions to recycle household newspapers were significant predictors of recycling behavior, factors associated with the inconvenience of recycling and the programs provided by borough councils, as well as respondents' past recycling behavior, were also significant predictors.