A UK university uses donation bags to encourage students to give homeware to charity rather than chucking it away.
What unsustainable behavior needs to change:
Waste management in universities can be seen as a significant issue. While the British education sector produces nearly 700,000 tons of waste each year (Sustainability Exchange), universities alone contribute about 250,000 tons (HESA).
This is also true for the University of Winchester. However, this is not solely residual waste; much of it includes homeware items that are still in good condition and could be used elsewhere. Since students often feel pressed for time and lack transportation for their items, throwing them away appears to be the quicker and easier choice compared to a laborious, time-consuming trip to the recycling station.
Thus, a simpler and faster solution was needed to help them make more sustainable waste choices.
The Green Nudge:
With their annual „Bag it up“ campaign, the University of Winchester’s Environment Team has turned this problem around. The program’s goal is to divert reusable goods from the waste stream, support homeless and vulnerable communities, savemoney and reduce their students’ carbon footprint.
To do so, the university employs an availability heuristic on their campus. By regularly providing donation bags directly to students‘ accommodations, including category stickers for sorting the items, Winchester’s students now have a more convenient opportunity to donate their items. Thus, donating homeware has become the easier and faster choice in students‘ everyday lives compared to mindlessly discarding items. The first option that comes to students‘ minds about what to do with their unwanted items (default option) has been changed by this simple nudge.
From a social psychological perspective, „Bag it up“ influences norms, group identity, and emotional resonance among students. The university’s public communication about the campaign’s success, positively reinforces prosocial behaviour – making social engagement a new normal. “Bag it up” fosters a sense of social responsibility, belonging, and a desire to contribute positively to the community by donating goods.
The result: Annually, over a ton of items: including clothing, bedding, kitchenware, and unopened non-perishable food, are donated to local charities, thus preventing them from being thrown away.
Do you know of any other nudges that prevent unnecessary waste and give unwanted goods a new purpose? Feel free to comment or get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com
From Nicole Opata Steensgaard, a business psychologist with a dual Master’s degree in Culture & Communication as well as Psychology. She has experience in behaviour design and healthy work environments while aiming to bring a multicultural perspective to every project. With her empathetic nature and analytical skills, Nicole understands and addresses the unique needs of individuals within organisations.
A behavioural science approach helped Katwijk turn scepticism into trust, fully booking energy coaches, and unlocking 100+ insulation subsidies.