1. Attitudinal Determinants of Recycling Behavior: At Home and on Vacation
Jason D. Oliver
Assistant Professor of Marketing
College of Business
East Carolina University
Stefanie K. Benjamin
Graduate Student
MS in Sustainable Tourism

2. Introduction: Recycling as a Green Behavior
A study examining post purchase behavior…Recycling
Consumers are motivated to recycle by a desire to reduce pollution, avoid waste, conserve energy and improve the future (Howenstine, 1990)
Noneconomic external incentives (actual and perceived social influence) stimulate recycling (Hornik, Cherian, Madansky & Narayana, 1995)
Tourists are expecting green practices to be included within their vacation experience (Chafe & Honey, 2005)

3. Barriers to Recycling Behavior
Consumer ignorance, misunderstanding, and confusion (Hornik, et al., 1995)
Inconvenience as main barrier
Required time and effort
Collection, washing, sorting as obstacles
(Howenstone, 1990)

4. Outer Banks (OBX), North Carolina
200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina
Environmentally sensitive vacation destination
Over 210,000 visitors come and go each week in the summer.
- Blackbeard the Pirate lived, pirated, and died on the Outer Banks
The waters off the shores of the Outer Banks are known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" where over 500 ships have gone down
Dare County is the only North Carolina county that has its own glass crusher.
Out of 100 North Carolina counties, Dare County ranked No. 1 last year for per-capita recycling. This ranking is somewhat skewed because it is based on the weight of recyclables per year-round resident and does not count seasonal population numbers.

7. Methodology
Online survey (N = 200) promoted by local visitor's center at tourist destination
Rate how often they recycle at home & on vacation
Indicate amount of waste and what they recycle
Perceptions of whether recycling is worth the effort and attitudes toward recycling
If on vacation asked
Did location have recycling bins/instructions on how to recycle?
If not recycling… why not?
Demographics
Rate how often they recycle
At home on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always)
On vacation on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always)
On vacation: where they were staying and whether the location had recycling bins and instructions on how to recycle
On vacation: whether they recycled and if not why not.

8. Summary of Results Covariates: Age, Income, Education, Gender
Dependent Variables
Predictors
Supported?
H1: Recycling Frequency at Home
a. Environmental Values No
Never - Always
b. Environmental Self-Efficacy
Yes
c. Recycling Attitudes
d. Recycling Worth Effort
H2: Items Recycled at Home
cardboard, paper, glass, cans, etc…
- always close at n = 50, 25%
- Strongly agree that tourists have a responsibility to help protect environment (71%)
Covariates: Age, Income, Education, Gender

9. Summary of Results Covariates: Age, Income, Education, Gender
Dependent Variables
Predictors
Supported?
H3: Familiarity with Policies
a. Environmental Values No
Glass crusher, plastic bags & glass bottles in the Outer Banks
b. Environmental Self-Efficacy
c. Recycling Attitudes
d. Recycling Worth Effort
H4: Attitudes toward Green Practices
Perceived importance of green practices in the Outer Banks
Yes
- always close at n = 50, 25%
- Strongly agree that tourists have a responsibility to help protect environment (71%)
Covariates: Age, Income, Education, Gender

10. Summary of Results Covariates: Age, Income, Education, Gender
Dependent Variables
Predictors
Supported?
H5: Recycling Frequency on Vacation
a. Environmental Values
Yes
Never - Always
b. Environmental Self-Efficacy No
c. Recycling Attitudes
d. Recycling Worth Effort
H6: Recycling Frequency
Home vs. Vacation
Vacation/Home
- always close at n = 50, 25%
- Strongly agree that tourists have a responsibility to help protect environment (71%)
Covariates: Age, Income, Education, Gender

11. Descriptives
71% of visitors answered that they always recycle at home, n = 144
27 % of respondents usually recycle on vacation, n = 55
Strongly agree that recycling is:
Important (79%)
Effective way to reduce waste (80%)
Conserve natural resources (72%)
Right thing to do (79%)
- always close at n = 50, 25%
- Strongly agree that tourists have a responsibility to help protect environment (71%)

12. Descriptives (continued)
43% Recycle more than half of material generated
Items Recycled Most
Plastic Bottles (88%)
Cardboard (86%)
Aluminum Cans (86%)
Glass bottles (84%)
Newspapers (80%)
43% Always Recycle during Outer Banks visit
Limitation: 68% n = 133 call OBX primary residence
27% usually recycle on vacation (never… always )

13. Why Respondent Did Not Recycle During Visit
Other
20.7%
Always Recycle
51.7%
Recycling Facilities
Not Easily Accessible
27.6%
I didn't know how/where to recycle (30%)
“Need to sort items keep them in your own personal bin then drive them to the ranger office, gets smelly when you are camping in the heat. They should have recycling containers next to all the garbage bins in Billy Mitchell Campground in Frisco makes it much more convenient.”
“A large hassle to find out the times for the drop off at the KDH facility. Some years I have, this year I just didn't have time at the end.”

14. Implications
Respondents want to recycle… as long as it is easy, convenient, and easily accessible
Vacation rental companies can provide recycle bins in homes for easier access
Opportunity for “green” rental properties
Recycling bins throughout communities
Vacation rentals must monitor recycling bins so that they don’t overflow
Can offer incentive program
If I place recycle bins in the house you will recycle?
YES!

15. Future Research Comparison of coastal communities like OBX
Key West, FL
Virginia Beach, VA
Implications of recycling behavior on green product/service adoption
Product Disposal (Post-Purchase) Under Researched
Volunteer Employed Photography Technique
- VEP Technique… have local residents of OBX take photographs (with disposable cameras) of what they like & dislike about OBX compared to tourists likes & dislikes of OBX… see whether recycling would make a difference in trying to protect the natural environment. Does recycling really make a difference with the current deterioration of the beach?

16. Special Thanks…

17. Questions?
Jay D. Oliver Stefanie Benjamin