Recycling as a predictor of a "cultural greening"?

Are recycling behaviors good predictors of other green attitudes and behaviors, that are expected to emerge through the process of ecological modernization? Using a representative sample of undergraduates and faculty from a single college campus (n=590), this case study tests if familiarity with the local recycling guidelines, belief in the efficacy of the local recycling program, self-reported effort to recycle, and knowledgeable participation in the local recycling program predicts a variety of measures of "cultural greening" such as concern about personal waste generation and green consumerism. Results suggest that while self-reported efforts to recycle do predict many measures of cultural greening, more meaningful measures of participation in the recycling program are weak and inconsistent at predicting cultural greening. Findings also indicate that self-reported recycling efforts should be used cautiously in future research, particularly if the intent is to measure actual environmental impact.