Grantee Research Project Results
1999 Progress Report: Promoting Proper Use of a Household Hazardous Waste Facility: A System Approach
EPA Grant Number: R825827Title: Promoting Proper Use of a Household Hazardous Waste Facility: A System Approach
Investigators: Werner, Carol M.
Institution: University of Utah
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 1, 1997 through December 31, 1998 (Extended to June 30, 2001)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 1998 through December 31, 1999
Project Amount: $128,211
RFA: Decision-Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy (1997) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice
Objective:
The general purpose of the project is to reduce pressure on household hazardous waste (HHW) disposal facilities by reducing the amount of HHW being discarded. This is consistent with policies developed by the Salt Lake City/County Health Department with which we are working. We are developing educational materials that encourage use of effective alternative nontoxic products, while treating toxic chemical products as a "last resort option" (used when the nontoxic products are inadequate). We are developing programs to teach residents to use "product exchanges" so that they share leftover chemical products with friends rather than disposing of them. We encourage people to share purchases, so that any products can be used up by the group rather than being stored. We are teaching proper storage practices that keep chemicals out of the reach of children and pets while maintaining their viability (e.g., storing in basement rather than garage, so that products do not freeze and lose their effectiveness). Finally, we are educating people about the HHW facility and free reuse center. We target school children and adults with our outreach programs.The purpose of this study was to determine if we could work effectively with local groups (church groups and community centers) on a household toxics reduction program. We wanted to develop a program so that it would be self-sustaining, requiring little follow-up work from the county, and would result in long-term reductions in use of toxic products (i.e., long-term behavior change). Another goal was to develop educational materials that other county health departments could use to organize their own waste-reduction groups.
Progress Summary:
In 1999, we continued the outreach program begun in 1998; however, we made several significant changes, all designed to minimize our demands on church groups (feedback from participants indicated that we had been making this a chore, rather than something routine and beneficial). For example, we are working with existing environmental groups within local churches. In addition, we are taking advantage of regularly scheduled meetings rather than suggesting new meeting times (e.g., in the LDS church, Homemaker's meetings; in community centers, providing presentations as part of regular lunch-time activities or attending "information fairs"). Finally, we give each audience member several handouts to serve as long-term resources and behavior-change motivators (these "gifts" are popular and provide an incentive for attending). The handouts include: a 2-year activity calendar (described below), a bookmark with basic "take-away" points, three stick-on labels containing the nontoxic "recipe" or instructions (for labeling nontoxic products, such as insecticidal soap), and our basic HHW handout describing nontoxic alternatives and disposal instructions for HHW. Undergraduate research assistants gave approximately 30 presentations, reaching about 300 adults.Another major change in 1999 is that we began targeting school children, giving presentations to third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. We have developed a presentation about HHW that is linked to each grade's science curriculum, especially "pollution prevention" units. We use the presentation to get children excited about protecting local wildlife in their backyards (e.g., we show them pictures of colorful native birds, butterflies, and dragonflies). Our guiding theory suggests that when people have a highly desirable, long-term goal (backyard wildlife), they will be more likely to maintain short- and long-term behavior change (reduction of HHW). We give each child an activity and coloring calendar containing more information about reducing toxics around the home and yard. The 2-year calendar is designed to gradually teach the children and their parents about HHW reduction and proper disposal. Thus, although we are only in contact with people for a brief period, the handouts help to sustain interest in the information. The research team gave almost 80 presentations, reaching approximately 2,400 children.
The outreach per se is being evaluated through simple questionnaires that provide basic feedback about the presentations. The actual effectiveness of the program is being measured more indirectly, through a laboratory experiment. In 1999, approximately 65 students participated in the laboratory experiment. An additional 60 students will be added in 2000.
Future Activities:
We are continuing the presentations to church groups and finishing up the laboratory "evaluation" of the presentations. We are trying to build local awareness about HHW through publicity releases, newspaper interviews, and word-of-mouth contacts. We sponsored a second K-12 essay/drawing contest through the local school systems, and a second adult essay contest through local media advertising. Winning essays/pictures will be published in the Earth Day issue of "Catalyst," a local magazine, and in "KOPE Chronicles," a local children's newsletter.Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 16 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
psychology of behavior change, household hazardous waste, attitude change, intrinsic motivation, behavioral self-regulation, reference groups, churches, K?12 education, pollution prevention., RFA, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Waste, State, Economics, Hazardous Waste, decision-making, Ecology and Ecosystems, Hazardous, Economics & Decision Making, Psychology, Social Science, social psychology, hazardous substance disposal, hazardous waste disposal, hazardous waste management, hazardous waste treatment, belief system, community involvement, human activities, social impact analysis, valuation, decision analysis, incentives, valuing environmental quality, Utah (UT), environmental values, preference formation, standards of value, environmental ethics, environmental policy, hazardous waste facility, psychological attitudes, source reduction, behavior change, outreach and education, hazardous waste site, benefits assessmentProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.