Determinants of Participation in Multi‐Family Recycling Programs1

The determinants of recycling in multi‐family residences were investigated by administering a 50‐item questionnaire to 230 residents of buildings where recycling collection systems had been installed. The level of tenant participation, defined by a composite index of self‐reported usage, was positively associated with income, education, recycling motivation, and cleanliness of the recycling system. It was negatively associated with the number of different types of collection containers. At the aggregate level, participation varied considerably between the complexes. These differences were largely accounted for in terms of three system support variables, specified in terms of the “user friendliness” of the recycling system, its spatial location within the complex, and the degree to which the manager supported the program. Multiple regression analysis indicated that user friendliness and manager commitment together accounted for 85.3% of the variance in the aggregate participation index. These results suggested several experimental interventions designed to increase participation in multi‐family recycling programs.