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Facts and data on pictograms Literature

Litter Disposal

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Litter Receptacle, Litter Bin, Litter Container, Dustbin, Rubbish Bin, Trash Box, Trash Dumpster, Wastebasket, Dispose, Garbage, Litter, Rubbish, Trash, Waste, Waste Disposal

Category

Public Facilities, Regulations

Message / Function

To indicate a receptacle for the acceptance of trash or litter or rubbish being thrown away
Note: Messages concerning recycling and sorting of specific recyclable materials are not included

 

Source Description
ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 79: Waste ÖNORM A 3011 Human figure dropping four objects into litter receptacle
AIGA Symbol Sign No 50: Litter Disposal4) AIGA Human figure dropping three objects into litter receptacle
Parks Canada Pictogram No 6-1-024 - Waste Disposal Parks Canada Human figure dropping objects into litter receptacle
UIC 413 Pictogram B.12.1 - Rubbish Bin UIC 413 Human figure dropping object into litter receptacle
ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI PF 027: Trash box or litter bin or rubbish bin ISO 7001 Human figure dropping four objects into litter receptacle
BSI 8501 Public Information Symbol No 6021: Litter Receptacle BS 8501:2002 Human figure dropping four objects into litter receptacle
Icon: Keep Park Tidy (Vienna) from Handbuch wien.gv.at Handbuch wien.gv.at Human figure in outline, throwing three objects into litter receptacle
Eco-Mo Foundation Pictogram A37: Trash Box Eco-Mo
Foundation
Human figure dropping three objects into litter receptacle
Hora page 38: Highway Sign Litter Container MUTCD Human figure throwing three objects into litter receptacle
Abdullah & Hübner page 159, Zurich Airport: Pictogram Litter Zurich Airport Human figure throwing object into litter receptacle
Logo: Keep Britain Tidy (Tidyman) from 19731) Tidyman 1973 Human figure dropping object into litter receptacle
Hora page 330: UK Map Symbol Litter UKFC Human figure dropping object into litter receptacle
ÖBB Pictogram Rubbish (from 2007) ÖBB 2007 Human figure dropping object into litter receptacle
Icograda Testdesign 20 09 01 Dispose Icograda Human figure dropping object into litter receptacle
Hora page 79: SEGD Pictogram Trash Dumpster SEGD Human figure dropping object into trash dumpster
DB Pictogram A365: Litter DB Upper part of human figure dropping apple core into litter receptacle
Previous ÖBB Pictogram for Rubbish2) ÖBB H Hand above litter receptacle with bottle and banana peel
Dreyfuss page 35, pictogram Trash5) Dreyfuss Hand dropping bottle and banana peel into litter receptacle
Dreyfuss page 35, pictogram Used Towels Dreyfuss Hand dropping towel into receptacle
Dreyfuss page 35, pictogram Trash Dreyfuss Hand dropping banana peel into litter receptacle
Icograda Testdesign 20 02 05 Dispose Icograda Hand throwing crumpled paper into litter receptacle indicated by bar
Abdullah & Hübner page 94: Pictogram Litter by Kapitzki Kapitzki Bottle, hand behind
Modley & Myers page 115, Swedish Standard Recreation Symbols (SSRS): Pictogram  Waste, solid3) SSRS Side view of trash box with fish skeleton below lifted cover
Finnish Pictogram: Waste SFS Side view of trash box with fish skeleton below lifted cover
Icograda Testdesign 20 20 01: Dispose Icograda Side view of full trash box with cover lifted
Summer Olympics Mexico 1968, Pictogram Litter Disposal O'68 Side view of trash box with rubbish below lifted cover
Dreyfuss page 35, pictogram Trash Dreyfuss Side view of trash box, crumpled paper above
BWB Pictogram Litter Disposal BWB Side view of trash box with cover
BTA 1989 Page 3.19: Map Symbol Refuse Disposal BTA 1989 Side view of trash box with cover
BTA 1989 Page 7.02: Map Symbol Chemical Disposal Unit BTA 1989 Side view of bucket with cover and handle
Experience Japan Pictograms: Trash Box EJP Side view of trash can with cover
Icograda Testdesign 20 11 07: Dispose Icograda Side view of trash can with cover
Summer Olympics Munich 1972: Pictogram Litter Disposal O'72 Ellipsis with downwards pointing arrow above
Erco Pictogram No 001: Litter Erco Square, partially open at top, line ending in arrow pointing downwards

Discussion

The examples shown above are only a small selection from the wide range of pictograms and symbols used to indicate a receptacle for the acceptance of trash or litter or rubbish being thrown away. This set of symbols already indicates that possibly no single visual stereotype exists concerning this message, but variants that appeared since publication of the DOT / AIGA Symbol Signs study mostly follow the example offered by AIGA.

A few studies present research covering many pictogram variants for this referent. These papers offer some useful information:

Kraft (1976) studied 15 pictogram variants for Trash Box in an Appropriateness Ranking Test. In this set, which did not include any renderings with human figures, the humorous Swedish pictogram labeled as SSRS in the table above was judged as most appropriate. In a follow up Comprehension Test conducted in Austria (Brugger, 1978) the three pictograms marked with 1) to 3) were examined: While the variants marked 1) and 2) elicited 90.8 % and 87.3 % correct responses, variant 3) reached 42.6 % correct responses only. The bottle in the pictogram marked as 3) elicited a rather wide range of responses related to milk, poison, medicine, laboratory, and more.

In Appropriateness Ranking Tests conducted in the context of the Icograda student project (Frascara) and the ISO test series 1979/80 (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 a) more than 40 pictogram variants of the referent Dispose were tested. Especially the variants displaying a human figure dropping objects into a litter receptacle were considered as most appropriate. Of the three pictogram variants then tested for comprehensibility in six countries (marked with 3) to 5), Easterby & Graydon 1981 b), the pictograms from the USA and Sweden were understood well with more than 80 % responses that could be classified as correct. The banana peel and the bottle shown in the Dreyfuss variant marked as 5) again were reason for many wrong responses. Results of both Comprehension Tests mentioned before indicate that showing objects related to specific types of garbage tend to induce incorrect interpretations.

In a later Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation reached an excellent comprehension score of 97.1, an almost perfect value (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).

Recommendations

Litter

Based on the test results detailed above we recommend the use of a design similar to pictogram A37 of the Eco-Mo Foundation to indicate a receptacle for the acceptance of trash or litter or rubbish being thrown away.

Tests of pictograms of referent Litter Disposal

Brugger, Ch. (1978): Bericht über die Auswertung des Erkennungstests von November/Dezember 1977. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 6. 3. 1978, Vienna.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981 a): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO Test: 1979/80 Series. Part I: Appropriateness Ranking Tests. AP Report 99, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981 b): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO 1979/80 Test Series. Part II: Comprehension/Recognition Tests. AP Report 100, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Kraft, E. (1976): Ranking-Test. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 09/76, Vienna.

See also

Bibliography: Information Design for Labels compiled by Karel van der Waarde offers lots of information concerning many aspects regarding labels, also including disposal related to various kinds of materials.

 

Updated 2024-12-05 by Ch.Brugger