Waste Bin Design Matters: Evidence From a Controlled Experiment With a Waste Separation Task

Waste separation prevents material contamination, which is key to sustainable recycling. Evidence suggests that waste bin design can influence the way people separate waste when recycling. However, this evidence comes from field studies with relatively low internal validity. We report results from a controlled experiment (N = 100) using a novel waste sorting task to isolate the effect of bin design on recycling behavior. We focused on whether participants accurately placed refundable bottles/cans in special waste bins (called "deposit collection tubes"). Results showed that a blue/experimental deposit collection tube improved sorting of refundable bottles/cans compared to a gray/conventional version. This effect was quite large (odds ratio = 2.25), remained consistent after statistical control of individual differences (e.g., recycling norms, habits), and was explained by the blue tube's superior noticeability. These results show that waste bin design really matters to recycling behavior and that an appropriate design can guide people to a desirable outcome. Design and policy implications are discussed.