Research on the nudge effect to raise awareness about waste paper recycling on university campuses

Abstract

Regarding waste paper collection in Japan, there is room for improvement in the level of awareness and implementation of the regulations, and efforts are needed to encourage people to put them into practice. This research aims to use a method called nudge and set up posters to bring about behavioral changes that encourage people to collect waste paper. Nudge is a concept from behavioral economics that refers to a method of guiding people to make better choices without restricting or coercing them.Posters about environmental risks and simple informational purposes were placed on the Ito Campus of Kyushu University at the Faculties of Engineering and Agriculture, respectively. The study assessed the amount of waste paper and its proportion in burnable garbage, finding no significant change. Despite 57.2% of Engineering students and 40% of Agriculture students understanding the importance of waste classification, behavior did not notably improve.