Rebuilding Neighbourhood Trust for Better Recycling
In Bilbao, Bogotá, interventions turned waste habits into civic pride– strengthening local identity and trust.
What unsustainable behaviour needs to change:
In Bogotá’s Bilbao neighbourhood, residents weren’t sorting recyclables or handing waste to official recyclers. The real problem wasn’t bins or collection routes—it was about trust.
A behavioural diagnosis from ETHOS BT revealed a shared desire for cleaner, safer streets. Yet deep mistrust blocked collective action. Residents questioned recyclers’ legitimacy, feared being the only ones participating, and doubted neighbours would follow through. Years of conflict and neglect had frayed social ties, fuelling scepticism: “Why bother if no one else will?” Trust had to be rebuilt for collective change to stick.
The Green Nudge:
The project was commissioned to ETHOS BT, funded and delivered together with Fundación Grupo Social and Fundación Corona. As part of Fundación Grupo Social’s long-term plan in Bilbao – launched in 2023 – to strengthen trust, community bonds and quality of life.
Rooted in behavioural insights, the intervention reframed recycling as a form of connection. ETHOS BT, led by Beatriz Vallejo, champions context-driven innovation from the Global South.
Game-led Learning: A former recycler taught children a sorting game. Kids influenced adults, wearing caps reading “I write Bilbao’s story.”
Dialogues for Trust: Meetings built empathy and coordination between recyclers and residents.
Sound Mural: Using recycled materials, residents co-created a mural that turned a conflict-prone wall into a symbol of community creativity.
Visual Feedback: Installations revealed the impact of waste by linking it to local landmarks.
Public Commitments: Pledge boards made promises visible, turning accountability into a social act.
Neighbourhood Gamification: Block contests rewarded teamwork with paint and lights.
Norm-Shifting Messaging: Flyers used social proof and identity cues to frame recycling as a shared achievement.
The results: In just three weeks, trust in recyclers rose by 58% (vs. 9% in the control). General trust doubled, and neighbour trust rose 24%. The recyclables collected jumped from zero to 106 kg. What began as recycling became a spark for trust and community renewal.
Have you seen other smart ways to nudge people into recycling?
Feel free to comment or get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com
From Natalia Riveros Anzola, a Bogotá-based consultant specialising in strategic communications, behavioural science, and public policy for social impact. With nearly 15 years’ experience across governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector and civil society, she designs interventions that strengthen strategy and storytelling to deliver measurable, sustainable change.
