understanding why everyday recycling and reuse behaviors fall apart — and what we can do about it

In this self-initiated research project, I set out to explore the disconnect between what people want to do and what they actually do. Why do even motivated individuals disengage from systems designed to help them recycle, reuse, or reduce their waste? And what role do those systems play in reinforcing or discouraging sustainable behavior?

the everyday confusion that sparked this project

I’m intentional about making sustainable choices in my daily life. And yet, like many people, I’ve stood in front of my bin, holding some mysterious plastic packaging, wondering: Is this recyclable? Will it even make a difference?

Despite growing awareness of plastic pollution and climate change, I noticed the same patterns; both in my own habits, and in the behaviors of people around me. There was effort, yes. Intention. But also confusion, overwhelm, and quiet skepticism.

I became curious about the disconnect between what people want to do and what they actually do. Why do even motivated individuals disengage from systems designed to help them recycle, reuse, or reduce their waste? And what role do those systems play in reinforcing or discouraging sustainable behavior?

the problem: good intentions, complex realities

Most people want to “do the right thing.” But when it comes to everyday actions like recycling or reuse, good intentions often meet a mix of confusing systems, invisible feedback, and human limitations — like time, energy, or attention.

Public infrastructure, product packaging, and city services are often inconsistent or unclear. But people also tune out, take shortcuts, or get discouraged when the effort outweighs the perceived impact.

I became interested in the in-between space: where systems aren’t always designed with real behavior in mind, and people aren’t always motivated to participate. What causes sustainable habits to break down? How might we design systems that align with human behavior, making sustainable choices easier, clearer, and more emotionally rewarding?

So I set out on a research project to explore how sustainable behavior is shaped by a mix of emotional, informational, and infrastructural influences.

research goals

01

Identify behavioral patterns and blockers that people experience around recycling and reuse

02

Understand how people perceive their individual impact within the bigger climate picture

03

Explore ways to visualize the emotional and systemic frictions that influence everyday decision

my method

I wanted to surface quick, directional patterns, so I decided the best way to do this was to conduct a short survey with 13 participants.

The survey questions explored:

  • Recycling and reuse habits

  • Mental models around waste and impact

  • Perceptions of personal responsibility and systemic trust

  • Emotional connection (or disconnection) to nature and climate change

While the sample was small by design, the responses revealed surprisingly rich patterns in behavior, perception, and emotional connection to sustainability. I used the findings to identify key themes, and from those themes, create a visual journey map.

what I learned: the gap between intention & action

01 Recycling is normalized, but not deeply understood

92% of survey participants reported recycling regularly. However, responses were often surface-level or vague, revealing that for many, recycling is more of a habit than a belief. 70% of respondents said they think they know what happens to their recycling, yet expressed doubts that it actually gets processed properly. There’s a disconnect between action and understanding.

03 There’s a trust and visibility gap

Participants expressed a lack of clarity about what happens once waste leaves their hands. Many weren’t sure whether the system actually works, or whether their individual actions matter at all. The lack of visible outcomes from the system, combined with inconsistent messaging in the media, erodes trust and motivation, reinforcing passive or apathetic behavior.

02 Effort and inconvenience reduce momentum

Compared to recycling, engagement in reuse or repair was significantly lower. Actions that require extra time, storage space, or planning, like remembering to bring a reusable bag or fixing a broken item, often fall away in the face of busy routines. Reuse was seen as “a good idea in theory,” but not something people build into their daily lives.

04 Climate change feels distant, abstract, or overwhelming

67% said they believe their personal actions have only a minimal impact on climate change. When asked to describe how they feel about it, people gave uncertain or emotionally muted responses: “It’s scary,” or “I don’t know enough.” Without a tangible connection to nature or the bigger picture, sustainable actions can start to feel more like empty rituals than meaningful contributions.

“There is no visibility of how our recycling bins are processed. The ABC did a report about stockpiles of glass just sitting in warehouses.”

“Apartment living really shows you that people either don’t know what to do with stuff — or they just don’t care.”

key insight: a disconnect between individual action and system impact

People recycle because it feels good and it’s a socially reinforced behavior. We’ve been told why recycling and reuse matter, at least at a surface level. But over time, this message has become diluted, easier to tune out, and sometimes, more negative. People know *something* happens when they recycle… but what, exactly? And when it comes to saving the planet, does it actually help?

Even when individuals care, the system doesn’t always follow through. Systems are often designed with good intent, but lack nuanced behavioral design. There’s too much cognitive burden on individuals to engage with some programs on a deeper level. Inconsistent infrastructure, overflowing landfills, and unclear policies chip away at motivation and trust.

Whose role is it to close this gap, to reconnect individuals with the bigger picture? Governments? NGOs? Ourselves? Maybe it’s all of the above. What’s clear is that without feedback, trust, or a sense of shared responsibility, even small frictions can turn good intentions into inaction.

This raised a question for me: where exactly does this disconnect show up in people’s everyday lives?

visualizing the problem: a small plastic moment

I struggled at first to figure out how to bring the insights to life visually. I knew I wanted to create something like a behavioral journey map; something that captured the real, often messy emotional landscape behind everyday decisions. The goal wasn’t to capture every possible scenario, but to highlight common barriers, motivations, and decision points that shape everyday actions, or inactions.

Eventually, I chose to focus on a single material: plastic. Specifically, small, hard-to-recycle items like toothpaste tubes or snack wrappers, the kinds of things most people encounter daily but aren’t sure what to do with.

This let me zoom in on a challenge that extends beyond basic recycling and highlights the drop-off in engagement when things become less convenient or clear.

who this is for: translating research into influence

The goal of this work isn’t just to generate insights; it’s to help stakeholders design better systems, services, and narratives. Here’s how these research-driven insights might inform different audiences:

city & government poliymakers

environmental NGOs

product & packaging teams

  • Identify weak points or bottlenecks in the local recycling/reuse journey.

  • Use nudges and feedback loops to reinforce trust and participation; for example, showing residents how many tonnes of waste their street diverted this month.

  • Improve communication around infrastructure changes (e.g., new soft plastics collection) to reduce confusion.

  • Help communities visualize where their waste goes; for example, “this bench was made from your recycled bottles.”

  • Co-design behavior change campaigns that balance emotional engagement with practical steps.

  • Use storytelling and mapping to make systems and impact feel more human and immediate.

  • Bring a user lens to circular design strategies, from reuse models to smart sorting cues.

  • Integrate end-of-life planning into the packaging strategy from the beginning, along with a consumer communication strategy.

  • Explore ways to reduce packaging complexity that make recycling or reuse easier *and* more intuitive.

where to from here: design opportunities

From the research I conducted, I see some design opportunities I’d love to explore:

  • Conducting interviews or diary studies to understand lived experiences across different contexts (e.g. urban renters, families, students)

  • Continuing to explore reuse behavior through systems and service design lenses

  • Prototyping more intuitive packaging labels

  • Testing localized apps or reminders that help people dispose of items correctly

  • Embedding user-friendly storytelling into communication that connects people to the bigger picture

And perhaps most importantly, exploring: how do we reconnect people to the natural world, while making sustainable choices feel doable in the flow of modern life?

This might look like:

  • Cities using engaging signage near parks or waterways to show how rubbish moves through ecosystems

  • Nature-based initiatives that link waste behaviors to local impact, not just abstract climate goals

  • More visceral feedback loops that remind people why small decisions matter, and how they connect to a larger story

There’s no single fix — but there is opportunity to design with people, not just around them.

final reflections: what I learned from this project

One of the biggest lessons I’m taking from this project is how much nuance exists in climate behavior.

When I started, I thought the problem was mostly a systems one; that if reuse or circular programs weren’t catching on, it was likely because organizations hadn’t cracked how to get people involved. I expected to find apathy, confusion, or lack of awareness among the people I surveyed. And I did — but it wasn’t the full story.

The more I dug in, the more I saw that people’s behaviors are shaped by a complex tangle of infrastructure, habit, social norms, emotional connection, and personal capacity. Even well-intentioned people tune out when they feel uncertain, unsupported, or just plain caught up in the challenges of everyday life. Even good systems fail when they don’t align with how people actually live.

This kind of nuance keeps showing up in sustainability work; and embracing it, I think, is part of what makes design so valuable in this space. It’s not just about fixing broken systems or educating individuals. Human-centered sustainability design also means designing for real life. It’s about understanding what really drives behavior, and designing with that reality in mind.

This project reminded me that sustainable behavior is messy, emotional, and deeply human. And if we want to protect the wild spaces we love, we have to stay open, curious, and keep human nuance at the center.

I hope this small slice of research helps spark deeper conversations about how we design not just for what people do, but for why they do it, and how we can help them do it better.

want to connect?

If you’re working on circular systems, climate behavior change, or sustainable design — I’d love to hear from you.