Choice Architecture in Reducing Plastic Waste in Southeast Asia

Hello all! Here I am with another interesting BE strategy that has had a heavy impact on Southeast Asia. Today I will be talking about the use of Nudge Theory in reducing plastic waste and it’s effects on Southeast Asia.

In 2024, Indonesia led an initiative that sought to resolve a regional crisis that was 17 years in the making. The six-nation alliance (founded by Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore) made an effort to change consumer behavior and reduce plastic waste. The financial incentives it offered to eliminate plastic and its public awareness campaigns of change-to-win-the-world mentality helped reduce the use of plastic and the appearance of plastic waste by 40% in cities led by these nations in both the first and second years of the campaign.

The core of the campaign featured deposit-return systems for plastic bottles and other recyclable materials. People were encouraged to return their used plastics to designated collection points in exchange for a small financial reward. The strategy was simple, if not a little rudimentary. However, it worked. Recycling rates increased, and it was because of the people. With the deposit-return system in mind, people were incentivized to throw out their plastic bags there rather than into the wind. On top of this, there were these public awareness initiatives, which really put Southeast Asia’s growing plastic problem into sharp focus. The initiatives pointed out, over and over again, the “inconvenient truth” that was the plastic pollution crisis, without using eye-grabbers like celebrity appearances or special effects.

Additionally, the effort took advantage of modern mobile technology to bolster recycling. The mobile app “Plastic Recucling Pays” (also the motto of the campaign movement) was created so afforded users had the opportunity to discover the recycling centers nearest to them. The motivation behind this use of mobile technology was to make recycling as easy and as engaging as possible, and to help citizens bridge the intention-action gap. This app’s primary “plus” was its connection to money. “Plastic Recycling Pays” was the campaign’s drummer, a siren song that had obvious appeal.

The recycling program emphasized the whole idea of recyclables having value. The concept of immediate rewards was also crucial to the success of the program. The immediate reward was the actual deposit in the vending machine at the container, which provided an immediate, clear incentive to “do the right thing.”

On top of this, the frenzied usage of the app by loyal users gave the platform a public appeal. Within a couple of weeks, people all around Southeast Asia were using this app and throwing out as much plastic as they could carry.

The campaign worked by coaxing individuals into making statements out loud of their intentions to throw away more plastic and recycle more. These proclamations often came with some sort of public recognition or award. Of course, if you chain a dozen people making these proclamations together, you get a good video for “why to recycle”. But in the end, these campaigns need to pay off somehow in reduced plastic waste. And if you look at the payoff for this campaign, it is truly impressive.

The behavioral strategies used in this campaign could be expanded and adapted in the future to deal with other types of waste, such as electronic or food waste. The successful use of financial incentives, social norms, and commitment devices makes this “reduce, reuse, recycle” approach to solid waste management a versatile model for dealing with a range of environmental problems. It also sets a much-needed precedent for similar programs in developing countries, where infrastructure for waste management is limited.

Southeast Asia is establishing a new global benchmark for plastic waste reduction. How? By showing that behavioral economics can influence consumer choices and drive meaningful reductions in plastic waste. This was one of my favorite initiatives to write about. It’s so easy to get into helping save the world, and not only that, it incentivizes people in a nonchalant way where no one can object.

1. Asian Development Bank. (2024). Tackling plastic waste in Southeast Asia: Innovations and impacts. Retrieved from https://www.adb.org
2. World Bank. (2024). Southeast Asia’s battle against plastic waste: Behavioral economics and policy interventions. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org
3. Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Penguin Books.
4. Indonesia Ministry of Environment and Forestry. (2024). Plastic waste reduction through behavioral economics in Southeast Asia. Retrieved from https://www.menlhk.go.id