27/06/2014

UIC Thesis on Environmental Communication, Best Research Project Finalist at Ecoembes R Awards

The thesis «Environmental Communication in Recycling of Aluminium Cans by Adolescents: Educational Workshops and Text Messaging», presented by Dr. Olga Roger and directed by Dr. Pilar Buil, the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Communication Sciences, and Dr. Frederic Marimon, the Vice Rector of Research, was a finalist in the category of best research project at the R Awards, organized by Ecoembes for the most innovative initiatives in recycling and sustainability.

The awards ceremony was held at the offices of the Official Association of Architects of Madrid on Tuesday, 5 June 2013, which was World Environment Day. The winner in the category of best research project, in which Dr. Roger’s project was competing, was a project presented by the National Centre for Metals Research (CNIM), which is part of the Senior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC). The runner-up was a project presented by the Research Centre on Energy, Environment and Technology (CIEMAT).

In her thesis, Dr. Roger studied the effectiveness of two communication tools in making adolescents aware of the importance of recycling aluminium cans: educational workshops and text messaging. The research concluded that the workshops achieved better results in terms of transmitting information, raising awareness and increasing participation in recycling; but these results were reinforced and widened with text messing. Text messaging was also useful in raising young people’s awareness of how mobile phones can be used as a new environmental communication tool. The thesis also received the UIC Extraordinary Doctorate Award for Social Sciences.

The R Awards recognize work carried out by centres and researchers dedicated to developing and improving approaches to recycling, dissemination and industrial applications.