1 Business Dictionary (n.d.)) 2 Kunststoff Magazin (2022) 3 Mülltrennung-wirkt (2020) 4 Ibid. Source: bower EcoNation-App About games, incentives, and responsibilities APPS USED FOR RECYCLING RecycleMich, ReplacePlastic, My Little Plastic Footprint, EcoNation, ReDo – the range of apps for raising consumer awareness spans wide. Some aim to raise awareness of their users’ own plastic footprint and encourage consumers to improve their recycling skills while others hope to give them a strong voice as advocates of greater producer responsibility. Games and rewards With easily accessible information and the use of reward or incentive systems, consumer app providers hope to support consumers in making an active contribution to an improved circular economy through their purchasing and disposal behavior. While all creators are convinced that pointing fingers will not lead to success, some of them are wagering bets on the idea of gamification, i.e., the transfer of typical game elements and processes into non-game contexts with the aim of changing behavior and increasing motivation.1 Take the Swiss EcoNation app, the Bower app from Sweden, the Reciclos app from Spain, and the RecycleMich app from Austria that not only provide information about correct waste separation, but also offer rewards. Users can scan product packaging, collect points for correctly disposed recyclable materials, and exchange or donate the points they earn for rewards. Finding the right garbage can It’s no secret that even the uncrowned world champions of waste separation and recycling in the global North still have a lot to learn when it comes to separating trash. Currently, some 30 percent of waste ends up in the wrong garbage can.2 In order to correctly use the yellow trash containers reserved for recyclable waste in Germany, you don’t necessarily need to know whether the packaging consists of bio-based plastic, PET, or a complex composite material. However, a solid basic understanding is helpful if we want a more conscious consumer behavior to lead to cleaner material flows and higher recycling rates. The results of an Omnibus survey (2020) came to the conclusion that nearly two thirds of Germans don’t know exactly how to correctly separate waste and materials.3 Young people in particular have more to learn than older generations.4 Providing digital information on people’s smartphones might be a great way to fill major gaps in their knowledge. Bower-App Source: econation 17
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