A diagnostic approach to increase reusable dinnerware selection in a cafeteria.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Sustainability Studies

Background:

• Cafeterias often generate significant waste from single-use dinnerware.
• Patron behavior significantly contributes to waste generation.
• Intervention strategies are needed to promote sustainable practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a diagnostic approach for selecting interventions to increase reusable dinnerware selection.
• To identify primary causes of wasteful behavior in a cafeteria setting.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different intervention components.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an assessment survey with 43 patrons to identify causes of waste.
• Employed a reversal design to demonstrate the functional relation between environmental arrangement and reusable product selection.
• Implemented a multicomponent intervention including environmental arrangement, employee involvement, and motivational prompts.

Main Results:

• Identified environmental arrangement and competing motivational variables as primary causes of wasteful behavior.
• Demonstrated a functional relation between environmental arrangement and increased reusable dinnerware selection.
• Found that a multicomponent intervention yielded the largest effect on promoting reusable dinnerware use.

Conclusions:

• Informant assessments are valuable tools for designing effective community-based interventions.
• Environmental and motivational factors play crucial roles in shaping patron choices towards sustainability.
• Multicomponent interventions combining environmental changes and behavioral prompts are highly effective.