Encouraging residents to recycle more (and recycle correctly) is a key goal for councils, waste providers and many other organisations. But recycling is a behaviour — and like all behaviours, it only happens when certain conditions are in place. The COM-B model is a practical tool to understand why people may not be recycling, and what to do about it.
It’s a great starting point and helps you do the initial thinking – to improve recycling services and your communications.
What is COM-B?
COM-B argues that a behaviour (B) only happens when people have:
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Capability – the knowledge and skills to do it
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Opportunity – an enabling environment that makes it possible
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Motivation – the belief and desire to do it.
If even one of these is missing, recycling behaviour will break down. The model helps us diagnose specific barriers and design interventions that address them.
Step 1. Define the Behaviour
Be specific about what you want people to do:
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“Put all recyclable materials in the recycling bin rather than the general waste bin.”
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“Rinse food containers before placing them in recycling.”
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“Recycle food waste every week using the food caddy.”
Clarity at this stage makes it easier to identify meaningful barriers.
Step 2. Identify the Barriers Using COM-B
Now put yourself in the shoes of your residents and ask: what might get in the way of them doing this behaviour?
Capability barriers
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Do residents know which items can be recycled in their area?
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Do they understand that items need to be clean and not contaminated?
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Are instructions clear and easy to follow (e.g. “remove film from trays”)?
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Do they know when the recycling collection day is?
Opportunity barriers
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Do residents have the right containers or bins at home?
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Is there enough space (particularly for flats) to store recycling?
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Are recycling services regular, convenient and easy to access?
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What are neighbours and family members doing – are they setting a positive example?
Motivation barriers
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Do residents believe recycling makes a real difference?
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Do they feel it’s worth the effort, or do they see it as “someone else’s problem”?
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Is it an embedded habit or something they have to actively remember?
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Are there any perceived downsides (e.g. “it’s messy / confusing / takes too long”)?
Step 3. Use the Insights to Design Your Campaign or Intervention
Once the key barriers are identified, you can design specific interventions to tackle them.
| Barrier | Potential Intervention |
|---|---|
| People don’t know what can be recycled (Capability) | Simple, visual bin stickers or leaflets with local rules |
| Residents don’t have enough space for recycling (Opportunity) | Provide space-saving caddies or collapsible containers |
| People think recycling is pointless (Motivation) | Share impact facts and “you helped recycle X tonnes” feedback |
| Not a habit (Motivation) | Nudges and prompts (e.g. fridge magnets, bin labels, reminders) |
| Neighbours not recycling (Opportunity) | Community-led campaigns and visible commitments (“Our street recycles”) |
Step 4. Test and Learn
After launching your campaign, track behaviour and feedback. Are contamination rates decreasing? Are people using the correct bin more often? Which interventions are having most impact? Use learning to refine and scale.
In Summary
COM-B helps move recycling campaigns from generic messaging (“recycle more”) to precise, barrier-focused interventions that actually change behaviour:
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Define the specific behaviour to change.
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Identify the barriers using Capability, Opportunity and Motivation.
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Design targeted communications and interventions.
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Test and learn, adapting based on what works.
By using COM-B, you’re not just raising awareness — you’re enabling, motivating and normalising the behaviour you want to see.