Some comparative factors regarding recycling collection systems in regions of the USA and Europe

This paper analyses whether differences in selective waste collection systems used commonly in Europe and America influence people's recycling habits and their opinions about the service they are offered. We study certain characteristics of the collection systems used in two specific areas-the Principality of Asturias (Northern Spain) and El Paso county (USA)-with very different practices. It likewise considers the extent to which such differences influence the recycling habits of the public at large, as well as their perceptions of the waste collection services. In order to carry out the research and to compare the influence of the above-mentioned factors in each case, personal interviews were held in the street in the two areas under study (1066 and 1068 interviews, respectively). Asturians needed less time to dispose of waste and separate items, being one of the reasons why this group has developed the habit of selective separation to a greater degree than El Pasoans.