Seductive trash cans: More dirty talk, less dirty streets

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

Littering poses a significant challenge in densely populated urban areas. The careless disposal of items such as plastic bottles and cigarette butts not only detracts from the city’s aesthetic but also inflicts harm on the environment. Moreover, the financial burden of cleanup is substantial. 

Addressing this issue necessitates educating the public on the importance of responsible waste disposal and improving access to proper trash disposal facilities. However, is relying solely on rational education or resorting to moralising and finger-pointing truly effective? An underutilised strategy leveraging humour to promote the vision of a clean, green city, can potentially offer an even more constructive and engaging approach.

The Green Nudge:

The Swedish city of Malmö has innovatively installed talking garbage cans that play suggestive audio messages when trash is deposited. Pedestrians are rewarded with flirtatiously positive feedback from a sultry female voice, offering responses like “Ooooh, right there, yes!” and “Mmm, a bit more to the left next time,” transforming litter disposal into an unexpectedly entertaining experience. 

A spokesperson said that the idea of the recorded sexy voice was „a new, humorous way to get across our message,“ which was intended to give „positive reinforcement to people who do the right thing, whilst giving them a laugh.“

Although quite effective, constructively speaking, the initiative could have been enhanced by adopting a more gender-equal approach. Opting for a female voice in Malmö’s talking trash cans might unintentionally reinforce sexist stereotypes; which detracts from Sweden’s dedication to gender neutrality and equality. Employing a gender-neutral voice would have sidestepped these concerns, more accurately and thus reflect the nation’s forward-thinking gender policies.

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