applying human psychology to recycling

Post on 12-May-2015

1.584 Views

Category:

Business

3 Downloads

Preview:

Click to see full reader

DESCRIPTION

This is the updated slides to the recycling section of the talk I gave at Green Drinks Singapore on 1st Jul 2010

TRANSCRIPT

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Influencing users to recycle and recycle correctly by applying Human Psychology

June 2010 Marcus Tay Guan Hock

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Contents

1. Tackling Recycling Contamination2. Recycling bin designs lessons

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Let’s Imagine

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

IMAGINE:

You are done with a fruit juice plastic cup:

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

And you see the following recycling bins:

What would you do?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Did you recycle correctly?

National Environment Agency (NEA) spokesman : throwing waste such as leftover food and drinks into the bins contaminates the recyclable materials and renders them non-recyclable.

RECYCLING CONTAMINATION

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Did you recycle correctly?

NEA URL on Brochure for recyclables: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/data/cmsresource/20100120281853527479.pdf

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

How serious is contamination of recycling bins?

• NEA: About one-fifth of all waste deposited in recycling bins could not be recycled.

Straits Times 15 Jun 09

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

KK Hospital Recycling bins in June 2009 – Plastic containers only

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

What do you think is the solution?

Singaporeans just don’t have the culture…. • Look at Japan, Germany….• Users just need to be educated …

Straits Times Discussion Board Replies to the article:

“Maybe a public campaign should be launched to educate the public on how to use the recyclable bins.….”

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

EDUCATION!EDUCATION!!EDUCATION!!!

BUT HOW TO EDUCATE?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Singapore national recycling vs. contamination?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Recycling well labelled?

“Recycling bins are clearly labelled with the materials that can be placed in them.” Singapore Environment Coucil reply to the article

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Not really…

Another Straits Times Discussion Board Reply:“… I for one, was surprised to read from the papers that cardboards that hold food cannot be recycled, cos now I am guilty of throwing my pizza box into the recycle bin.”

Need to move beyond just labeling paper, plastic into labeling types of paper and plastic accepted.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

NUS Recycling Story.

Our success and techniques

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Contamination in NUS (Before Nov 2008)

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Results in Jan/Feb 09

Level of contamination dropped drastically. Not perfect

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Vital Behaviours in tackling recycling contamination

1. Educate what can be recycled

2. Educate at the point of throwing

3. Pair Trash bin with recycling bin

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

VB1:Can it be recycled ?

Common recycling bins in Singapore only label “Paper, plastic, cans”

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Need to move beyond just labeling paper, plastic into labeling types of paper and plastic that are accepted.

VB1:Can it be recycled ?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

• Expect Error from User = Specific about what to throw– Reference:“Nudge – Improving Decisions about

Health, wealth and Happiness”

VB1:Can it be recycled ?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

VB2: Educate at point of throwing?

Email circularPresentations during lectures

Poster on Noticeboards

V.S

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Instructions right at the point of throwing

VB2: Educate at point of throwing?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

• For prompts to be effective, they need to be presented as close in time and space as possible to the targeted behaviour…– Reference: McKenzie-Mohr, D., & Smith, W. (1999).

Fostering sustainable behavior: An introduction to community-based social marketing (2nd ed.)

VB2: Educate at point of throwing?

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Jurong Bird Park doing so as well – May 2010

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

VB 3: Pair Trash bin with recycling bin

• Expect less from good human behaviour– Give people an option not to throw into the

recycling bin if it can not be recycled

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Other measures in tackling contamination

Oct 2008 – Feb 2009

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Education Campaigns

1. Email circular2. Message of the Day (MOTD)3. Presentations during lectures

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Engage the Housekeepers

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Humourous Approach by students

Youtube Link to video

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Which is the key measure?

Instructional Stickers at disposal hole

Pairing Recycling bins with Trash bin

Engaging the Housekeepers – keeping bins facing forwardRecycling Video Lecture Talk by SAVE

Mass Emails

Efforts of Oct 2008 to Feb 2009

No complaints yet from Veolia since Aug 2009?

Contamination standards is good enough for industry! And they pay us for it!

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Other lessons in bin design

Poka Yoke (Mistake Proofing) is the way to go

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Different holes for different items

The use of specialized container lids increased recycling compliance rate by 34% and reduced the amount of contaminants entering the recycling stream by 95%.

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Colour scheme of Trash bins

Green Trash Bin vs Green Bottles Recycling Bins– These 2 bins should not be placed side by side

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Solution: Different colour for trash bins• Colour scheme of Trash bins – Grey Bins

– Gradually replace current green trash bins with bluish grey ones over time

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Take the human error out of recycling bins display• Square recycling bins

– No need to remind housekeepers to have round recycling bins all facing front

V.S

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Black labels to make up for vertical wordings

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

New bins with lots of thoughts put in

• Horizontal words – Easy reading

• Instructive description: – “Non recyclables” vs

“Others” or “Trash”– “Empty cans, Clean

Paper”

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

New bins with lots of thoughts put in

• Straight sides prevent turning– Less need to

train/remind housekeepers to have bins face front

• Instructive stickers made right on top

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Posters to align bins for housekeepers• For bazaar areas where bins are always moved

– Assist housekeeping staff to get order of colours correct.

– Lend formality to the entire system

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Summary

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Recycling Bins Design Tips Summary

– Expect Error from users• Be specific about what can be recycled

– Timing of education• Educate at the point of recycling

– Expect less from good human behavior• Partner trash bins with recycling bins

Office of Estate and Development, Office of Environmental Sustainability

Recycling Bins Design Tips Summary 2

– Consistent colour coded bins• Minimise mistakes by users, impression of a system

– Designed not only for the users but also for the housekeeping staff

• Straight sided bins to prevent turning• Big Signage to indicate order of bins in areas where they

are always moved around

top related