Literature Review (Topic may be decided by writer) Research Paper

Literature Review (Topic may be decided by writer) - Research Paper Example This literature review aims to explore the factors that encourage people to recycle. In order to achieve this, I will discuss the findings of a series of waste management reports including Barr et al (2001) who measured a series of reported waste management behaviours, including recycling, re-use and waste minimisation. They concluded that recycling emerged as the most popular sustainable waste management activity, due to the ease of access to recycling facilities. Ebreo and Vining (2000) also claimed that people’s behaviour can be linked to their attitudes, values and perspectives towards the environment, in which people with more positive views towards the environment would recycle more frequently. ... Figure 1 illustrates the TPB and highlights how a combination of subjective norms, attitudes towards recycling behaviour and perceived behavioural control affect social behaviour and the likelihood an individual is to engage in sustainable waste management practices. Tonglet et al (2004) have claimed that the TPB is an effective model in assessing the driving forces behind individual’s waste management behaviours. Figure 1 - The Theory Of Planned Behaviour (TPB) Attitude towards the behaviour Subjective norm Intention Behaviour Perceived behavioural control Adapted from Ajzen (1991) However, research by Barr et al (2001) has concluded that the structure of waste management behaviour is complex and they became dissatisfied with the TPB in explaining waste management behaviour. They suggest that other important factors have been neglected. It is therefore important for research to draw upon several environmental framework models that explain the interaction of different key vari ables and factors. One such framework designed by Barr et al (2005) complements the TPB and is depicted in Figure 2. It seeks to appreciate how different forms of reported environmental action can be predicted. Figure 2 – Environmental Behaviour Model Situational Variables Environmental Values Behavioural Intention Environmental Behaviour Psychological Variables Adapted from Barr et al (2001) The role of three key factors have emerged that have been shown to influence people’s level of commitment to environmental action. These are: The situational circumstances in which individuals are placed The socio-environmental values individuals hold Attitudes towards specific