Design and Recycling

A lot of efforts are being undertaken in Denmark towards sustainability, including recycling. From the perspective of design and behavioral economics, it is important to focus on ease of action and circularity.

point

・A system that allows you to donate naturally - Use behavioral economics to make it easier to make the right choices

・Improvements from the stage before "recycling", which is the end of the value chain

・Mechanism that allows circulation and continuous use to prevent waste from being generated

・Efforts to “eliminate” options that have a negative impact on the environment

Our topic this time is recycling.

What is the deposit system?

 In Denmark, "Deposit system (Pant system)' Efforts are underway. Under this system, you can receive a partial refund of the purchase price by placing empty cans, plastic bottles, etc. into a special machine. This initiative has improved the recycling rate of beverage containers.
Most people in Denmark use deposits on a daily basis, and glass bottles in particular are recycled. There are always collection machines in supermarkets, and you can easily turn bottles and cans into money.

What is interesting is that there is a button to donate not only your own money, but also to WWF (an international NGO that protects the natural environment) even though it is not your own money yet. Therefore, the design makes it easier to donate before consumption occurs. It is important for consumers to make recycling an easy choice.


Also, many foreigners visiting Japan feel that there are no trash cans. Despite this, Japan is kept clean. I believe that behind this is the deeply rooted culture of not littering and taking your trash home with you. From a young age, it is common for children to take their trash home with them, creating a ``virtuous cycle.''

Behavioral economics and choice

Under the keyword "easy to do and natural," there are behavioral changes and behavioral economics. A growing number of systems are using psychology to naturally guide people to make good choices. For example, many people would like to donate if they have a little extra money, but some people feel that if they can't donate easily, it won't benefit them. In a system where it is difficult to donate, people often choose to buy their own coffee when they have 100 yen and have the option of ``donating to a stranger overseas'' or ``buying coffee.'' Probably.

In Japan, the donation box next to the cash register at convenience stores is an example of how easy it is to donate. There are benefits of having less coins, and it becomes easier to do things that are helpful to someone.

To prevent garbage from being “generated”

 However, "recycling" is the final stage of the value chain, and it is also important to consider the steps before that. We need to devise ways to reduce the types of garbage and ways to prevent garbage from being generated. For example, there is a system called "mymizu" where you can bring your own bottle and get water at registered stores. This eliminates the need to "generate" plastic bottle waste in the first place. Recently, an increasing number of chain stores have water stations in their stores.
Also, with the introduction of charges for plastic bags, more people are now carrying their own bags. However, I feel that many people end up buying plastic bags at +3 yen or +5 yen. In order to further reduce the use of plastic in the future, I feel that further price increases and system improvements are necessary.

Recently, efforts are underway to "eliminate" options that have a negative impact on the environment, such as New Zealand banning thin plastic bags. In Sweden, supermarkets are no longer using thin plastic bags at the exit.In Germany, more and more supermarkets are allowing customers to put nuts and cereals in their own containers. We need to design environmentally friendly options to balance comfort and convenience.

lastly

 Circular design is also attracting attention in Denmark. In order to prevent waste from being generated, it is important to have a system that allows for circulation and continuous use. ``What is the system that allows garbage to circulate, and what can we do to reduce or eliminate garbage?'' In the future, we will also cover topics related to Japan's Circularity.