Nudging is not enough?

Recent research by UK government department DEFRA suggests that ‘nudging’ -trying to persuade citizens to change behaviour- may be less effective than forcing the changes by altering services. The government statistics for recycling show that most of the 10 councils with the biggest increase in recycling in the past year were the ones that had reduced the waste collection from weekly to fortnightly. So general waste, as well as separate recycled food and waste, was removed every two weeks instead of every week. Although this is an unpopular measure, it is one that is likely to be introduced by more local authorities as budget cuts hit deeper. And perhaps, having less room to put rubbish in the bin, forces people to recycle more. Food for thought for policymakers trying to alter mindsets to encourage more resource efficient, and carbon reducing behaviours.