University of British Columbia
IN-2: Innovation 2

Researchers at the UBC Brain and Attention Research (BAR) Lab in the Department of Psychology have conducted a series of innovative research projects that have been used to help support the development and implementation of UBC’s Zero Waste Action Plan and have also contributed to waste reduction programs outside of UBC, including at other universities, Metro Vancouver Housing Corporation sites, and municipalities within the Metro Vancouver region.

In these projects, psychology research has been applied to pro-environmental behaviors, with the goal of not only increasing our understanding of human behavior, decision-making, and motivation, but also informing design of waste reduction and recycling plans, policies and infrastructure. Research methods including naturalistic observation, in-lab behavioural studies, Optitrak infrared technology, and real world measurement have been used to gain insight into the barriers to optimal recycling behavior and how these barriers can be overcome.

In a research collaboration with Metro Vancouver, optical technology was used to track subjects’ movements in 3D space to test responses to recycling signage. The study confirmed that simple graphic icons required the least cognitive effort, resulting in more materials being placed in the correct recycling stream and fewer test subjects placing recyclable materials in the garbage. It was found that in subjects for whom English is a second language, accuracy was lower with word signs and response time was slowest, even though subjects rated the word signs as their preference – particularly important in a city where many people may not have English as their first language. There was also evidence that “yes” messaging was more effective than “no” messaging on signs and that with “yes” messaging, icons were more effective than pictures. It was also found that there is a clear response time and efficiency benefit when the ordering of recycling bins and signs is consistent and reliable.

In another collaborative study between UBC Sustainability & Engineering and the BAR Lab, waste produced by over 1,000 student residents at UBC’s Walter Gage high-rise student residences was weighed for 10 weeks. The data clearly showed that the level of convenience, in terms of proximity of recycling stations to residential units, plays a dominant role in recycling rates. When convenience was maximized, recycling rates were increased up to 6-7 times compared to control groups. Increases in recycling were also replicated in a residential building outside of UBC.

These research studies used innovative research methods and utilized a behaviour and psychology based approach to addressing waste reduction objectives. Many elements of the studies brought together researchers with UBC planning, operations, and student housing staff, creating living laboratory projects and engaging students in real-world research. It also brought together local government and researchers to address regional waste reduction goals.

The results of these research studies played an important part in developing UBC’s campus-wide Sort It Out program communications materials and signage, which is being implemented across UBC as part of the comprehensive rollout of UBC’s Zero Waste Action Plan.

In two UBC buildings that installed the new recycling stations and signage to replace stand-alone garbage cans in the first phase of the rollout, diversion rates increased dramatically from 18 to 48 per cent in the Walter Koerner Library, and 35 to 61 per cent in the Geography building in the first two weeks. Subsequently, the new signage designs have been incorporated in over 200 multi-stream recycling stations installed across campus, and will be further rolled out to an estimated 600 total stations by fall 2015.

The results of the Walter Gage residence pilot project are also being utilized in the design of new student housing residences on campus to provide recycling facilities that are more conveniently located on each floor, such as at Orchard Commons, which will add more than 1,000 student beds and mixed use academic, office and retail space.

The results of these collaborative research projects have been shared with other universities and municipalities and in turn informed institutional and municipal recycling programs and signage. Simon Fraser University has incorporated elements of UBC’s signage design into their own campus-wide recycling station rollout. Results of the Metro Vancouver collaboration played an important role in municipal recycling program development and informed the development of signage resources which have been provided to the 21 member municipalities of the region for use in their programs and posted to the Metro Vancouver website.

In 2014, UBC completed a comprehensive Zero Waste Action Plan and began installing new multi-stream recycling stations across UBC Vancouver’s campus to enhance waste diversion and to align with the 2015 Metro Vancouver regional ban on organics from the landfill.

Innovative research conducted at UBC’s Brain and Attention Research (BAR) Lab in the Department of Psychology, in partnership with Metro Vancouver, was used to inform best practices in recycling signage to influence behaviour change.

Results of these collaborative research studies informed recycling signage across UBC’s Vancouver campus, at other institutions, and across the region. The research helped to deliver on the design and implementation of UBC’s ambitious Zero Waste Action Plan and also contributed to research on developing more effective and consistent recycling signage across the Metro Vancouver region, which includes 21 municipalities, one treaty First Nation and one electoral area.

Partners include:
UBC Sustainability/ Sustainability & Engineering: sustain.ubc.ca/sort-it-out
UBC Brain and Attention Research Lab, Department of Psychology: http://barlab.psych.ubc.ca/
Metro Vancouver: http://www.metrovancouver.org/