Recycling attitudes and behaviors toward single-use plastics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Authors

Jadyn Chasek

Date of this Version

5-2023

Document Type

Article

Citation

Environmental Studies Undergraduate Student Thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023

Comments

Copyright 2023, Jadyn Chasek

Abstract

Today, single-use plastics pose an issue in the world with pollution from improper disposal as well as from the manufacturing of single-use plastic products. There is a need for change, plastic products have begun to consume the planet and harm life on Earth. Many people look to college universities for an opportunity to change issues such as the overconsumption of single-use plastics. A college campus is the perfect environment to study what changes can be made to fix an issue as well as how to implement those changes. This study was conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where the undergraduate student population was the target audience. This study was conducted through an empirical mixed methods survey which asked both open and closed-ended questions to collect data. Once the data was collected, it was then analyzed using a convergent mixed methods design. The results of this study indicate that there are both challenges and motivations to recycle on the individual level. Also found from the results, environmental behaviors fall on a spectrum from being very active to not very active. The findings from this study offer implications for the future at the individual and university level and also possibly beyond that. This study provides ample opportunities for future research on this topic beyond what has already been found.