Oskamp, Stuart, Lynnte Zelezny, P. Wesley Schultz, Sharrilyn Hurin, and Rachel Burkhardt. 1996. Commingled Versus Separated Curbside Recycling: Does Sorting Matter?. Environment and Behavior 28, no. 1 (January 1): 73 -91. doi:10.1177/0013916596281004.
The primary research question of this study is which form of recycling is the most effective. This study focuses on commingled curbside and separated curbside recycling. The purpose is to supply policy makers and researchers with information they might find useful in creating effective recycling programs.
This study is only one of a handful of studies up to that point that had tried to examine the effectiveness of recycling methods in the United States. The statistics cited in the introduction point out the large difference in the recycling rates between the United States and other Western countries.
The sample consisted of two middle class California towns. Three areas were chosen in each town. Each area consisted of two hundred contiguous houses. The socioeconomic status of each area was well represented. One town was given a large receptacle for recyclables, and the other was given several crates, one each for newspaper, glass, No. 1 & 2 plastic and tin and aluminum cans. The larger comingled receptacle accepted a much wider variety if recyclables.
In a nutshell, the town with the large comingled receptacle had a 90% participation rate whereas the town with the separate bins for each type of recyclable had a 77% participation rate. The difference in gallons of waste recycled was some 6:1 in favor of the comingled recyclables.
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