TY - JOUR
T1 - Recycling and the domestic division of labour
T2 - Is green pink or blue?
AU - Oates, Caroline J.
AU - McDonald, Seonaidh
PY - 2006/6
Y1 - 2006/6
N2 - Domestic or household recycling has a crucial role to play in meeting EU targets for overall recycling rates. However, researchers have yet to agree on the characteristics of the domestic recycler and how recycling is actually carried out in the home. In this article, recycling is investigated within the context of domestic labour in an attempt to understand how it fits in with or overrides traditional divisions. This brings an important new perspective to the recycling debate and at the same time updates the domestic division of labour literature to include green activities. It is suggested that recycling contradicts prevailing trends towards decreasing time spent on household chores, but that, like domestic labour, it is initiated and largely sustained by women alone or together with a partner. In this sense, recycling follows a similar pattern to more established household chores.
AB - Domestic or household recycling has a crucial role to play in meeting EU targets for overall recycling rates. However, researchers have yet to agree on the characteristics of the domestic recycler and how recycling is actually carried out in the home. In this article, recycling is investigated within the context of domestic labour in an attempt to understand how it fits in with or overrides traditional divisions. This brings an important new perspective to the recycling debate and at the same time updates the domestic division of labour literature to include green activities. It is suggested that recycling contradicts prevailing trends towards decreasing time spent on household chores, but that, like domestic labour, it is initiated and largely sustained by women alone or together with a partner. In this sense, recycling follows a similar pattern to more established household chores.
KW - Domestic division of labour
KW - Gender
KW - Recycling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33744954273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33744954273&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0038038506063667
DO - 10.1177/0038038506063667
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33744954273
SN - 0038-0385
VL - 40
SP - 417
EP - 433
JO - Sociology
JF - Sociology
IS - 3
ER -