Writing down when, where and how to recycle cut old bin habits at work

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   109 office workers at a telecom company in the Netherlands, all with admin jobs. The paper does not give their ages or sex.

2. 02

   What they did

   Some groups wrote down, on a computer, when, where and how they would use central boxes for paper and cups. Another group got a personal paper box by their desk. Groups with no plan or box only had their bins checked.

3. 03

   What happened

   Bins in the planning groups fell by roughly 75% for cups and 80% for paper, and the drop lasted two months. Groups with no plan or box stayed about the same. The paper box did as well as planning for paper, but did not change cups.

What the study found

1. HelpedGoals

   Writing down when, where and how to recycle cut the paper and cups people put in their bins.

   • Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested
   • Rule: Write down when and wheretested

   Randomised trial of 109 office workers at a Dutch telecom company · vs groups that only had their bins checked · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people

2. MixedGoals

   A personal paper box by each desk cut old paper in bins, as planning did, but did not cut cups.

   • Rule: Put a visible cue where you'll do ittested

   Randomised trial of 109 office workers at a Dutch telecom company · vs groups that only had their bins checked · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people

3. HelpedHabits

   Writing down when, where and how to recycle broke the link between how much people recycled before and after.

   • Action: Make an if-then plan for your obstacletested
   • Rule: Write down when and wheretested

   Randomised trial of 109 office workers at a Dutch telecom company · vs groups that only had their bins checked · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ whole groups were assigned, not people

Source