Nudging to Sustainability: Circular Economy

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What does the topic mean?

The circular economy is a model of production and consumption in which materials and products are reused, repaired, and recycled for as long as possible to extend their life cycle.

Goal of the nudge

With our Nudge, developers are encouraged to use insulation material recycled from PET plastic in roof insulation. This can be reused after a building is demolished, creating a perfect cycle.

    Needs analysis

    • Energy demand
      40% of the energy demand in houses can be saved by insulation materials.
    • Plastic waste
      At 6.7%, plastic represents the third-largest share of household waste, after hygiene waste and biowaste.
    • Construction industry
      The construction industry is Germany’s largest producer of waste.

    Cause analysis

    • Recognition heuristic

      Contractors mostly choose insulation materials known to them.

    • The maximization of the expected benefit

      Contractors select the lowest-cost product they expect to get the most value from.

    • Availability heuristic

      Information about previously used materials is easier to retrieve.

Target Group

In Germany, most buildings are commissioned by private households and implemented by construction companies. Our Nudge starts with the building contractor, since he primarily deals with the building materials.

Added value of the nudge

  • Plastic recycling

    Recycling plastic to save energy.

  • Energy Savings

    Up to 40% more energy savings through insulation.

  • Reuseability

    Reusability of recycled materials in multiple construction projects.

How you can contact us:

  • Kilian Lang

    kilian.lang@stud.hshl.de

  • Lea Diekhans

    lea.diekhans@stud.hshl.de