Reusable

Small deed - Big effect

Our Nudge aims to increase the use of reusable options in community facilities to reduce food waste. For this purpose, posters are hung up in the canteen and in the corridors of the educational institutions, which should generate attention for the topic with the help of data on food waste and direct communication.

By directly addressing the target group, the aim is to draw their attention to an effective use of resources with which they can save time and food in their private lives. The continuous contact of the target group with the posters uses the “Mere Exposure” effect to promote a general positive attitude towards the reusable option

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What does the topic mean?

Since 01.01.2023, all catering establishments are obliged to use reusable boxes. Compared to the constant production of disposable packaging, the use of reusable boxes is more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, around 1.9 tonnes of food are wasted every year in communal establishments. On the one hand, this is due to oversupply, and on the other hand, because the necessary knowledge on how to deal with the problem of food waste is not available. The problems of food waste are generally known, but why is it difficult for consumers and gastronomers to actively do something to reduce it?

Goal of the nudge

Food waste is an ever-present topic, which despite its high conciseness shows too little willingness to take action. The awareness of this problem should be raised. Therefore, we want to establish the reusable box as a social norm and set more incentives for its use. Through our nudge, we want to increase the use of reusable options so that it contributes to reducing food waste. As an additional suggestion, it is proposed that the canteen allows students to take leftover food in reusable boxes after canteen closing to further reduce waste.

    Needs analysis

    • Low awareness of the reusable option
      A survey at HSHL showed that the existing reusable options are little or not at all known and are therefore not used.
    • Willingness to use reusable boxes exists
      However, the results also showed that there is a willingness to use a reusable box among a large part of the participants.
    • Wrong placement of posters
      Our field observation showed that the information about an existing reusable option is not perceived because the poster is located in a wrong place where it is easily overseen. Furthermore, there is a lack of quantity of information as there is only one poster.

    Cause analysis

    • Lack of information

      If people are not sufficiently informed about the impact of single-use packaging and the benefits of reusable packaging, there may be a low level of awareness of the food waste problem and how to help reduce it. They may not be aware that single-use packaging contributes significantly to environmental pollution and food waste.

    • Status Quo- Bias

      People tend to stay with their current habits and behaviours unless they are given an impulse to change them. It is not yet a typical behaviour to consume the food from the canteen in private.

    • Bias of social norms

      The norm is to consume the food in the canteen on location and therefore not in the private setting. For this reason, it leads to following the behaviour of the majority instead of looking at alternative courses of action.

Target Group

Our target group includes people who have the possibility to use a canteen. In particular, we want to address people who do not yet use the canteen, which is why the information posters should also be displayed in the corridors of the educational institution.

Added value of the nudge

  • Contribution to the environment

    By increasing the use of reusable boxes to reduce food waste.

  • More effective use of existing resources

    By using an already existing reusable option in the canteen.

  • Long life of the reusable boxes

    Due to the possibility of reusing reusable boxes.

CONTACT US

Chantal Klahold

chantal.klahold@stud.hshl.de

Rilana Wisotzki

rilana.wisotzki@stud.hshl.de

Nele Richter

nele.richter@stud.hshl.de