We differentiate between two groups. First, we have the idealists who want to publicly visualize their recycling performance to match their dedication to environmental and resource protection, and second, we have profit-oriented people, who are enticed by the app’s prize-winning incentives. In order to reach as broad a target group range as possible, we additionally offer public education programs in recycling. Gamification in particular is a key element, for example in the form of special sweepstakes. What data is collected from app users and to what extent is it processed further? The app only collects the minimum amount of user data required to correctly recycle recyclable trash and earn points, which means that based on our privacy policy, we store a user’s e-mail address and password. Data such as home address and age are further required to participate in raffles. In addition, the scanned product codes can be used to identify which product brands from which category are purchased, scanned, and disposed of, how often, where, and when. From the data collected, we can identify trends, for example, that people collect a lot on the weekend. Data on the disposal location is a particularly important factor since it can have an impact on information about sensibly placed recycling collection containers shown in the app, which differ in color from province to province in Austria. We work very closely with cities and towns. How much plastic is recycled each year thanks to the app? In terms of the app’s overall reach, we’ve quickly achieved success. We reached our original goal of achieving 100,000 scans by the end of 2021 after just two months. On our two-year anniversary, we celebrated over one million packages scanned or correctly disposed of thanks to the app. By weighing the number of points awarded as bonus points for recycling we can set priorities for recycling certain product groups. For example, we can decide to award more bonus points for scanning partner packaging and fewer for non-partner packaging. Surveys show that app users tend to buy products for which they get more points. Since Austria will introduce a deposit system by 2025, how flexibly will the app be able to respond to changes in the future? Only 25 percent of all packaging placed on the market is covered by the deposit system, which means our app will by no means become superfluous. Our app may actually help increase participation in the deposit scheme. We can also get feedback from users through our various communication channels, and users can report new products that are not yet in the database. In addition, we can quickly make adjustments to the app’s features thanks to its simple programmability. In the future, we will also focus on providing more information in the app, maybe specifically on the recyclability of products. Working hand in hand with big business 21
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODI5MzU=