• Human participants, their data or their tissue or
• Significant environmental impact.
Ethical approval must be obtained before research begins and before potential participants are approached.
The light touch ethical review application process is used for research where the ethical issues raised by the research are minimal and which have been adequately addressed by the researcher(s). The form may also be used to determine whether a full application for ethical approval is required.
Provide a brief summary of the research including aims and objectives and/or research questions and the proposed methodology including the methods and research participants (maximum 300 words)
Blue Planet 2 and groups like Extinction Rebellion or Greta Thunberg’s youth movement have influenced EU environmental legislation and the publishing of the 2020 UK Environment Bill. The bill addresses the individual’s obligation to use existing household recycling infrastructure to maximum effect. Current data shows recycling rates from the home have plateaued or fallen with transient communities and high-rise flats a particular issue. Xxxxx City’s Council’s (LCC) waste strategy 2019-20 identifies a project to look at these areas to improve engagement and shift positive recycling behaviours.
The research aims to investigate barriers and influences affecting positive recycling behavior change in xxx flats. The literature review identified 3 recurring themes of motivation to recycle, removal of barriers to make it easy and levels of knowledge and communications.
• To understand what motivates people to recycle
• Examine the barriers to people recycling as much as they can
• Investigate levels of existing recycling knowledge and determine which communication mediums people use to access knowledge
The research design uses electronic quantitative surveys delivered via email with a link to a secure web surveying tool called Smart Survey, a trusted and established tool used by LCC with data held within the European Union. The survey sample will be 3,200 participants who have volunteered to be part of a citizen’s research panel. The accompanying email will provide background to the project, emphasise the survey is for people who live in flats only and is optional to complete. The survey administrator holds the demographic data (gender, age and ethnicity) and personal data and will collate responses so I receive only the anonymised data set.
Five closed multiple choice questions will be asked with responses based on Likert scale, multiple-choice and ranking (see appendix A).
Section C1 – High Risk Ethical Issues Yes No
Does the study involve participants who are particularly vulnerable or unable to give ✓
informed consent (eg children, people with learning disabilities, your own students)?
Will the study require the cooperation of a gatekeeper for initial access to groups or ✓
individuals who are taking part in the study (eg students at school, members of self-help
groups, residents of a nursing home)?
Will participants be taking part in the research without their knowledge and consent (eg ✓
covert observation of people in non-public places)?
Will the study involve discussion of sensitive topics (eg sexual activity, drug use)? ✓
Are drugs, placebos or other substances (eg food substances, vitamins) going to be ✓
administered to the participants or will the study involve invasive, intrusive or potentially
harmful procedures of any kind?
Will blood or tissue samples be obtained from the participants? ✓
Is pain or more than mild discomfort likely to result from the study? ✓