Evaluating the implementation of a packaging Deposit and Refund System in Catalonia. Two surveys on citizenship's expected behaviour

Abstract

Policies aiming to prevent environmental deterioration are gaining attention. To mitigate the detrimental effects of household waste in the form of packaging and single-use containers, diverse mechanisms to enhance recycling have been implemented in many countries. This paper studies citizenship perception and expected behaviour in the face of a potential implementation of a packaging Deposit and Refund System (DRS) in Catalonia. Based on previous qualitative research, it reports and analyses the results of two surveys: a telephone and an online survey, aimed at capturing citizens' evaluation and expected changes of behaviour under the proposed waste collection system. The evaluation of the DRS obtained in the two surveys is substantially different. The DRS features are more positively perceived in the telephone survey than in the online survey and willingness to adopt the system is also higher in the telephone survey. Factors contributing to these differential evaluations are the amount and form of the information provided by the two surveys. These results are indicative of substantial effects that the use of different means of assessment of waste collection mechanisms can have on their perceived and reported desirability by consumers. Our research contributes with a novel quantitative analysis of consumers' attitudes towards implementing a DRS and adds to the literature on factors that may cause the evaluation of waste management alternatives to generate different results. Findings are relevant for the analysis of waste collection alternatives and to develop improved communication campaigns to promote new schemes to mitigate the environmental impact of waste.

Keywords: Deposit-and-Refund System; Household survey; Recycling; Waste collection; Waste disposal.