Effective Communication and Campground Recycling: Lessons Learned from Yosemite, Grand Teton, and Denali National Parks

B. Derrick Taff (), Zachary Miller, Ben Lawhon, Stephanie Freeman and Peter Newman
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B. Derrick Taff: Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
Zachary Miller: National Park Service, Intermountain Regional Office, Denver, CO 80225, USA
Ben Lawhon: Recreation Solutions Group, Lyons, CO 80540, USA
Stephanie Freeman: Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
Peter Newman: Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: Outdoor recreation continues to be persistently high in national parks across the United States, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased use. In popular frontcountry destinations such as national park campgrounds managers are challenged with new issues more familiar to urban settings. One of these challenges is waste management. The largest source of visitor-generated waste in national parks is campgrounds. This research uses a mixed-methods approach to develop and test strategic communications designed to increase recycling and minimize trash to the landfill by altering campground visitor behaviors. Intercept surveys were used to create theory-based messages, and a quasi-experimental approach was used to evaluate message effectiveness. Our results show that messages emphasizing ease concepts were two times more effective at changing campground visitor waste disposal behaviors than control conditions. The results help inform the management of visitors as national parks strive to meet sustainability goals.

Keywords: national parks; communication; visitor behavior; recycling; waste management; campgrounds; camping; Leave No Trace; Zero Landfill Initiative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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