What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

Our daily habits are stubborn to change, particularly when these habits are closely tied to our work schedules and the status quo.When it comes to commuting to and from work, there’s a visible perception of social norms. One such influence of norms, is ,seeing overcrowding during peak times, for example  reinforces the idea that rush hour commuting  is the most socially acceptable option (or norm).  This is especially true for public transportation goers, as there’s a subconscious opting in to “going with the flow/following the crowd.” 

However “normal” it appears, peak time travel nevertheless has several negative environmental impacts: Firstly, traffic congestion often forces buses to operate in a stop-and-go manner; leading to increased fuel consumption and emissions per mile. Secondly, overcrowding results in longer dwell times at bus and train stations, increasing energy consumption. Thirdly, peak travel times can accelerate wear and tear on public transportation infrastructure, necessitating more maintenance and repairs;which too can have environmental consequences. Lastly, the inefficiency of public transportation during heavy traffic hours may push more people to choose private cars, worsening congestion and emissions.

The Green Nudge:

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

In the U.S., the widespread practice of pre-rinsing dishes before using the dishwasher stems from ingrained beliefs and poses a significant concern for water conservation. Each pre-rinse consumes up to 20 gallons of water. When scaled nationally, this amounts to an alarming potential wastage of 150 billion gallons annually. In a country where 40 out of 50 states anticipate water shortages and half of the freshwater basins might struggle to meet monthly demands by 2071, such practices demand rethinking.

Several cognitive biases could potentially cloud people’s decision-making processes. Misinformation and a lack of knowledge often lead them to believe that dried-on food won’t come off without pre-rinsing. They can also be influenced by the “anchoring effect,” which causes undue importance to be given to initial information – such as the belief that pre-rinsing is necessary. Moreover, the “effort justification bias” might cause some to rationalise the additional work involved in pre-rinsing. Later, these beliefs are reinforced by the status-quo bias and social norms bias, leading many to adhere to the practice and follow perceived societal norms, thereby perpetuating this water-wasting routine.

The Green Nudge:

The dishwasher brand, “Finish” launched the „Skip the Rinse“ campaign to nudge people away from pre-rinsing. To maximise the reach and impact of their message, they partnered with influential organisations like National Geographic, WWF or The Nature Conservancy.

To debunk the pre-rinsing myth, Finish introduced a gamified approach: the ‚Finish 24-Hour Challenge.‘ Consumers were asked to cook a lasagne, leave it to dry for 24 hours, and then load it into the dishwasher. If their product didn’t completely remove 24-hour dried-on stains, the company committed to covering the cost of the meal. Through gamifying the process, they aimed to challenge existing misconceptions and engage consumers in a fun and interactive way.

The result: The „Skip the Rinse“ campaign has effectively driven behavioural change and aligns with Reckitt’s larger sustainability goals. From 2015, there’s been a 5% decline in their water usage per tonne of production, showing consistent movement towards their 2025 objective. Notably, although manufacturing accounts for less than 1% of their water footprint, a significant 94% comes from direct consumer use. This highlights how campaigns like „Skip The Rinse“ can play a key role in shaping consumer habits, leading to more substantial conservation outcomes.

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

Despite improved waste management infrastructure, waste is still poorly separated due to a lack of motivation and knowledge among students and staff. Common waste items such as disposable coffee cups, pizza boxes, and packets of crisps often land in the wrong bin, contaminating the bin entirely and thus sending it straight to the landfill. 

There are various barriers to waste sorting and recycling amongst university students: the physical environment around them, which includes waste infrastructure and signage; and the psychological factors, such as limited waste sorting knowledge, low environmental concerns, lack of trust in the recycling system and low perceived collective effort. To tackle these barriers and complement the current efforts to raise awareness, a cost-effective and systematic education method was needed.

The Green Nudge:

Developed as part of the Campus Living Labs Sustainability Project “The Waste Game” game was designed by The Behaviouralist in collaboration with four Irish universities, and relevant stakeholders, including MyWaste.ie, An Taisce Green Campus and Regional Waste Authorities.

The Waste Game aims to transmit waste prevention and recycling knowledge. The game is designed as a quiz and structured around the waste hierarchy framework, focusing on waste prevention followed by recycling. It includes behavioural and gamification techniques to support learning and engagement. At the end of each level, players can choose to commit to a set of actions in real life before moving down the waste hierarchy and unlocking the following level. Players can earn points throughout the game and can compete against each other with a chance to win a reward based on their performance. The game was designed in collaboration with participating universities and tailored to their local context.

Are you aware of any other nudges that use gamification to promote environmentally-friendly behaviour? Feel free to comment or get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

A NBC study published in 2018 revealed that cigarette butts are a more detrimental form of pollution compared to plastic bags. Startling statistics emerged, indicating that cigarette butts have been the most commonly collected item on beaches worldwide for 32 consecutive years. Over that period, more than 60 million cigarette butts were collected, accounting for approximately one-third of all collected objects. Further studies have shown that a single cigarette butt can pollute anywhere from 500 to 1,000 litres of water. 

People often discard cigarette butts due to a combination of convenience, habit, and a lack of awareness about the environmental impact. Many smokers just do not think about the environmental consequences leading to their careless disposal.

The Green Nudge:

In 2015, Hubbub ran a behavioural experiment to combat cigarette littering. Instead of struggling to find a disposal spot and potentially littering the street, individuals were engaged in a fun quiz through „Ballot Bins“ running on Villiers Street in London. These engaging bins posed buzzing questions like „What came first: Chicken or Egg?“ to encourage responsible disposal of cigarette butts which led to a 20% reduction in butt littering within a 6-week timeframe. Additionally, the magnetic letters on the bin could be rearranged to create new social polls, ensuring continued engagement even if the initial question loses its buzz.