2.03.2009

Georgia Recycling Survey and Focus Group Results

In the fall of 2008 the state of Georgia worked with Hill and Knowlton consultants to understand recycling behaviors in the state. Below are some findings from that study that might interest those of us in North Carolina.

- 67 percent of Georgians say the environment is the most important issue for the state.
- 84 percent of Georgia residents have recycled in the past 12 months (22 percent never recycle).
- 41 percent of residents have curbside recycling and 75 percent of those use the program.
- 55 percent of those without a curbside program agree that NOT having a curbside program is a source of frustration.
- The main recycling motivator is “to help the environment.”
- 67 percent feel they can have an impact on the environment by recycling.
- 56 percent feel bad when they throw away an item that could have been recycled.
- The main recycling barrier is “lack of recycling program in community.”
- A quarter of Georgia residents say they NEVER receive recycling information.
- Residents want information and communication about recycling to contain facts about recycling costs and benefits. *Facts and stats specific to Georgia appeared to resonate well with the general public but not all Georgians see themselves as Georgians.
- Habit appeared to be very important. How can we make recycling fit into someone’s daily routine?
- Positive peer pressure versus finger wagging is best.
- 55 percent of the population is “committed” recyclers – have curbside, know recycling benefits, feel one person can make a difference, receive information by word-of-mouth.
- 45 percent of the population is “non-committed” recyclers – need more information, say they would do it if it were easier, generally 18-35.
- The non-committed isn’t “anti-recycling” they just don’t feel strongly about it so they don’t regularly recycle. They need more information about what and how to recycle.

I hope some of this information will be useful for your campaign. We will be using it at RE3.org. Any ideas jump out?

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