Investigating Implicit Disgust Attitudes Toward Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Materials: An SA-IAT and EEG Study

As environmental consciousness and resource conservation become increasingly significant, the concept of sustainable development has taken center stage, leading to the rise of “zero waste cities.”. A prime example of these sustainable initiatives is the recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) into environmentally friendly materials like recycled concrete and bricks. Despite the environmental benefits of CDW recycling materials being widely acknowledged in China, the overall recycling rate remains below 10%. A potential explanation for this discrepancy may lie in the implicit negative attitudes towards these materials. While CDW recycling materials are lauded for their eco-friendliness, such recognition has not translated into broad acceptance or use, indicating a possible underlying bias against these recycling materials. This study investigates implicit disgust attitudes towards CDW recycling materials, using college students as a proxy for the general public. Utilizing a Single Attribute Implicit Association Test (SA-IAT) and P200 component analysis in EEG experiment, implicit attitudes towards CDW recycling materials of three participants were captured. A subsequent questionnaire survey assessed explicit attitudes. The results indicate a significant implicit disgust towards CDW recycling materials, as evidenced by both a positive D-value in the SA-IAT and a larger P200 amplitude in response to CDW recycling materials words. This suggests a potential automatic attentional bias and negative emotional response triggered by these words, which may be part of a complex process leading to the observed implicit disgust attitudes towards CDW recycling materials. In contrast, the explicit questionnaire responses revealed less pronounced disgust, indicating a discrepancy between implicit and explicit attitudes. This research highlights the complexity of public attitudes towards recycled materials and underscores the value of multi-method approaches in capturing these attitudes. Furthermore, it suggests the need for strategies to counteract the implicit bias and enhance public acceptance of CDW recycling materials. The findings have implications for the promotion and sustainability of the CDW recycling industry.