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Understanding Motivations for Sustainable Behaviour : Exploring Influences and Effective Communication Strategies for Reusable Cup Use

University of British Columbia. AMS Sustainability; University of British Columbia. Campus and Community Planning

Introduction There is limited understanding of the motivation and thoughts that drive pro-environmental behaviour, and how these choices can be influenced or changed is just as poorly understood. The current study analyzes individuals’ motivations for adopting the use of reusable cups across five motivational categories: financial, environmental, peer use, social desirability, and convenience. Further, it analyzes which format of the infographic is most effective in conveying information; text-oriented (i.e., primarily composed of text) or imagery-oriented (i.e., primarily composed of images). Research Questions The study comprised two research questions to account for both concepts. First, what is the key factor that most strongly influences motivation among individuals to use reusable cups? Second, which type of infographic, text-oriented or imagery-oriented, enhances an individual’s motivation to use reusable cups the most? Methods A Qualtrics survey was administered to individuals in the Vancouver area to analyze their motivations for reusable cup use, as well as their responses to the infographic format. Results The study found that imagery-oriented infographics improved the motivation towards reusable cups. Text-oriented infographics did not change motivation significantly beyond baseline control values. Furthermore, the study found that financial and convenience motivators were the most effective targets when promoting reusable cup use. Recommendations When creating infographics aimed at promoting the usage of reusable cups, prioritizing visual elements for conveying information is recommended to enhance attention-grabbing potential and motivation for adoption. Conversely, textual content should be minimized. Finally, a promotional strategy emphasizing reusable cups' financial and convenience advantages will likely generate a significant surge in motivation toward reusable cups. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”

Report

eng

2024-07-30

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88774

Unreviewed

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/