Waste reduction semiotics: Their significance and communication for cleaner production

The waste crisis in Australia exacerbates, yet efforts to boost recycling rates remain inadequate. Practically and academically, recycling is to be enhanced by the respective recycle signs on packaging; however, the true effectiveness of signs and their levels of interpretation are yet to be fully explored. This research synthesises semiotics by employing the SOR framework (Stimulus–Organism–Response) to investigate the determinants of recycling and pro-environmental behavioural intentions. By employing the SOR model, the study shows how semiotics (icons, indexes, and symbols) as a stimulus can arouse individuals’ psychological and behavioural responses or change in behaviour. Structural Equation Modelling AMOS 29 was used to analyse a sample of 420 participants. Since we compared the three semantic structures initially, all three models were tested separately to identify the best model. The findings emphasised the importance of indexes in recyclable packaging, whose influences are enhanced by cognitive processing (moral norms). From a practical perspective, environmental protection agencies and marketing practitioners are involved in using semiotics for their product packaging.