This study aims to investigate the changes in recycling attitudes and behaviours of mainland Chinese international students in Australia, as well as the social-psychological and experiential factors that may have been functional in resulting in these changes. Based on a questionnaire survey involving 136 respondents, the study reveals that approximately half of the respondents report more positive recycling attitudes and increased recycling behaviours since their arrival in Australia, with social norms playing a significant role in these changes. Importantly, they are more likely to exhibit more positive recycling attitudes and behaviours when they believe that those around them are actively involved in recycling. Furthermore, it is discovered that their recycling attitudes and behaviours are markedly influenced by environmental education they have received and their frequent exposure to nature, while acculturation is found not to have played an equally significant role. The research findings offer empirical support for the creation of more focused recycling initiatives, particularly when it comes to using social norms as an incentive to encourage recycling among international Chinese students.
References
[1]
Agarwal, P., Werner, T. T., Lane, R., & Lamborn, J. (2020). Municipal Recycling Performance in Victoria, Australia: Results from a Survey of Local Government Authorities. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 27, 294-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2020.1765423
[2]
Aparcana, S., & Salhofer, S. (2013). Application of a Methodology for the Social Life Cycle Assessment of Recycling Systems in Low Income Countries: Three Peruvian Case Studies. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 18, 1116-1128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-013-0559-3
[3]
Ardoin, N. M., Wheaton, M., Bowers, A. W., Hunt, C. A., & Durham, W. H. (2015). Nature-based Tourism’s Impact on Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior: A Review and Analysis of the Literature and Potential Future Research. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 23, 838-858. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2015.1024258
[4]
Bamberg, S., & Möser, G. (2007). Twenty Years after Hines, Hungerford, and Tomera: A New Meta-Analysis of Psycho-Social Determinants of Pro-Environmental Behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 27, 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.12.002
[5]
Berry, J. W. (1980). Acculturation as Varieties of Adaptation. In A. M. Padilla (Ed.), Acculturation: Theory, Models and Some New Findings (pp. 9-25). Westview Press.
[6]
Best, H., & Mayerl, J. (2013). Values, Beliefs, Attitudes: An Empirical Study on the Structure of Environmental Concern and Recycling Participation. Social Science Quarterly, 94, 691-714. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12010
[7]
Cáceres Ruiz, A. M., & Zaman, A. (2022). The Current State, Challenges, and Opportunities of Recycling Plastics in Western Australia. Recycling, 7, Article No. 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling7050064
[8]
Cerqueira, P. A., Soukiazis, E., & Proença, S. (2020). Assessing the Linkages between Recycling, Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development: Evidence from the OECD Countries. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23, 9766-9791. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00780-4
[9]
Cialdini, R. B., Reno, R. R., & Kallgren, C. A. (1990). A Focus Theory of Normative Conduct: Recycling the Concept of Norms to Reduce Littering in Public Places. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 1015-1026. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.6.1015
[10]
Culiberg, B., & Elgaaied‐Gambier, L. (2015). Going Green to Fit in—Understanding the Impact of Social Norms on Pro‐Environmental Behaviour, a Cross‐Cultural Approach. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 40, 179-185. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12241
[11]
Debrah, J. K., Vidal, D. G., & Dinis, M. A. P. (2021). Raising Awareness on Solid Waste Management through Formal Education for Sustainability: A Developing Countries Evidence Review. Recycling, 6, Article No. 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling6010006
[12]
Duerden, M. D., & Witt, P. A. (2010). The Impact of Direct and Indirect Experiences on the Development of Environmental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30, 379-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.03.007
[13]
Ewert, A., Place, G., & Sibthorp, J. (2005). Early-Life Outdoor Experiences and an Individual’s Environmental Attitudes. Leisure Sciences, 27, 225-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490400590930853
[14]
Farrow, K., Grolleau, G., & Ibanez, L. (2017). Social Norms and Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Review of the Evidence. Ecological Economics, 140, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.04.017
[15]
Fornara, F., Carrus, G., Passafaro, P., & Bonnes, M. (2011). Distinguishing the Sources of Normative Influence on Proenvironmental Behaviors. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 14, 623-635. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430211408149
[16]
Gifford, R., & Nilsson, A. (2014). Personal and Social Factors That Influence Pro-Environmental Concern and Behaviour: A Review. International Journal of Psychology, 49, 141-157. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12034
[17]
Halisçelik, E., & Soytas, M. A. (2019). Sustainable Development from Millennium 2015 to Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Sustainable Development, 27, 545-572. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1921
[18]
Izagirre‐Olaizola, J., Fernández‐Sainz, A., & Vicente‐Molina, M. A. (2014). Internal Determinants of Recycling Behaviour by University Students: A Cross‐Country Comparative Analysis. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39, 25-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12147
[19]
Jackson, L., Pang, M. F., Brown, E., Cain, S., Dingle, C., & Bonebrake, T. (2016). Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors among Secondary Students in Hong Kong. International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, 18, 70-80. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijced-10-2015-0004
[20]
Klöckner, C. A. (2013). A Comprehensive Model of the Psychology of Environmental Behaviour—A Meta-Analysis. Global Environmental Change, 23, 1028-1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.05.014
[21]
Kollmuss, A., & Agyeman, J. (2002). Mind the Gap: Why Do People Act Environmentally and What Are the Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behavior? Environmental Education Research, 8, 239-260. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620220145401
[22]
Leal Filho, W., Tripathi, S. K., Andrade Guerra, J. B. S. O. D., Giné-Garriga, R., Orlovic Lovren, V., & Willats, J. (2018). Using the Sustainable Development Goals towards a Better Understanding of Sustainability Challenges. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 26, 179-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2018.1505674
[23]
Martin, L., White, M. P., Hunt, A., Richardson, M., Pahl, S., & Burt, J. (2020). Nature Contact, Nature Connectedness and Associations with Health, Wellbeing and Pro-Environmental Behaviours. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 68, Article ID: 101389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101389
[24]
Nigbur, D., Lyons, E., & Uzzell, D. (2010). Attitudes, Norms, Identity and Environmental Behaviour: Using an Expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour to Predict Participation in a Kerbside Recycling Programme. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 259-284. https://doi.org/10.1348/014466609x449395
[25]
Oh, R. R. Y., Fielding, K. S., Nghiem, L. T. P., Chang, C. C., Carrasco, L. R., & Fuller, R. A. (2021). Connection to Nature Is Predicted by Family Values, Social Norms and Personal Experiences of Nature. Global Ecology and Conservation, 28, e01632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01632
[26]
Oliveira, C. R. d., Bernardes, A. M., & Gerbase, A. E. (2012). Collection and Recycling of Electronic Scrap: A Worldwide Overview and Comparison with the Brazilian Situation. Waste Management, 32, 1592-1610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2012.04.003
[27]
Park, J., & Ha, S. (2014). Understanding Consumer Recycling Behavior: Combining the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 42, 278-291. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcsr.12061
[28]
Perry, G. L. W., Richardson, S. J., Harré, N., Hodges, D., Lyver, P. O., Maseyk, F. J. F. et al. (2021). Evaluating the Role of Social Norms in Fostering Pro-Environmental Behaviors. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, Article ID: 620125. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.620125
[29]
Peterson, R. A. (1994). A Meta-Analysis of Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha. Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 381-391. https://doi.org/10.1086/209405
[30]
Picuno, C., Van Eygen, E., Brouwer, M. T., Kuchta, K., & Thoden van Velzen, E. U. (2021). Factors Shaping the Recycling Systems for Plastic Packaging Waste—A Comparison between Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. Sustainability, 13, Article No. 6772. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126772
[31]
Ramayah, T., Lee, J. W. C., & Lim, S. (2012). Sustaining the Environment through Recycling: An Empirical Study. Journal of Environmental Management, 102, 141-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.02.025
[32]
Rosa, C. D., Profice, C. C., & Collado, S. (2018). Nature Experiences and Adults’ Self-Reported Pro-Environmental Behaviors: The Role of Connectedness to Nature and Childhood Nature Experiences. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article No. 1055. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01055
[33]
Schultz, P. W., Unipan, J. B., & Gamba, R. J. (2000). Acculturation and Ecological Worldview among Latino Americans. The Journal of Environmental Education, 31, 22-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00958960009598635
[34]
Schwartz, S. J., Unger, J. B., Zamboanga, B. L., & Szapocznik, J. (2010). Rethinking the Concept of Acculturation: Implications for Theory and Research. American Psychologist, 65, 237-251. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019330
[35]
Shan, X., Ang, W. L., & Yang, E. H. (2020). Mobile App-Aided Risks, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities and Self-Regulation (RANAS) Approach for Recycling Behavioral Change in Singapore. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 162, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105049
[36]
Stoeva, K., & Alriksson, S. (2017). Influence of Recycling Programmes on Waste Separation Behaviour. Waste Management, 68, 732-741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.06.005
[37]
Tamar, M., Wirawan, H., Arfah, T., & Putri, R. P. S. (2020). Predicting Pro-Environmental Behaviours: The Role of Environmental Values, Attitudes and Knowledge. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 32, 328-343. https://doi.org/10.1108/meq-12-2019-0264
[38]
Thomas, C., & Sharp, V. (2013). Understanding the Normalisation of Recycling Behaviour and Its Implications for Other Pro-Environmental Behaviours: A Review of Social Norms and Recycling. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 79, 11-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2013.04.010
[39]
Tonglet, M., Phillips, P. S., & Read, A. D. (2004). Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Investigate the Determinants of Recycling Behaviour: A Case Study from Brixworth, Uk. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 41, 191-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2003.11.001
[40]
Ward, C., & Kennedy, A. (1999). The Measurement of Sociocultural Adaptation. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 23, 659-677. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0147-1767(99)00014-0
[41]
Whitburn, J., Linklater, W., & Abrahamse, W. (2019). Meta‐Analysis of Human Connection to Nature and Proenvironmental Behavior. Conservation Biology, 34, 180-193. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13381
[42]
Wu, L., Zhu, Y., & Zhai, J. (2022). Understanding Waste Management Behavior among University Students in China: Environmental Knowledge, Personal Norms, and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article ID: 771723. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.771723
[43]
Wynveen, C. J., Kyle, G. T., & Tarrant, M. A. (2011). Study Abroad Experiences and Global Citizenship. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16, 334-352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315311426782
[44]
Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Acculturation and Psychosocial Adjustment of Chinese International Students: Examining Mediation and Moderation Effects. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, 614-627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.11.004
