Incorrect waste disposal has devastating consequences for the environment. Recycling is an environmentally friendlier way to dispose of waste, and recycling opportunities are turning up in more and more public spaces. However, at any given recycling station, lots of recyclables are not recycled. This study posed the question: “Can simple ‘nudges’ be used to increase the proportion of correctly disposed of recyclables at public recycling stations?” And through field experiments at Uppsala University this study has shown that there is a significant potential for nudges when it comes to recycling behavior in common spaces. Various signs were designed and attached to recycling stations spread out over six different campuses. Statistically significant changes were observed and the generalizability of these findings is expected to be wide, as the interventions are operating on a cognitive level.

Potable water is a relatively scarce natural resource. This scarcity is evident on a global scale. For humankind potable water is not only needed to sustain life, but also to engage in activities that maintain and enhance its own comfort and quality of life. These activities contribute to the degradation of water quality and exacerbating water scarcity. Electricity is a resource that needs to be generated, and is used significantly to also maintain and enhance human comfort, and quality of life. The generation of electricity produces a significant amount of greenhouse gases, gases that contribute to climate change. The use of both resources needs to be more ecologically sustainable to reduce the negative impact caused. Wherever possible, the use of these resources should be reduced. University residences utilise substantial amounts of water and electricity. This is because they are commonly designed to accommodate a large number of students. Implementing a behaviour change intervention in a residence therefore has the potential for greater ecological impact if the intervention is successful, due to the large number of people. There are different types of interventions aimed at changing behaviour, with some being active and others passive. Being active or passive is determined by whether or not direct interaction with the subject is required to achieve the desired change. Information provision can be a passive intervention by using posters and pamplets. It can also be active by using Q&A sessions and lectures. The study aimed to determine if the use of a passive behaviour change intervention could result in the reduction of water and electricity consumption in university residences. The passive intervention utilised was prompting in the form of posters. A quasi-experimental design with a mixed methods approach was employed. Quantitative data were meter readings for both electricity and water, while quantitative data were obtained from focus groups. 3 female residences at the University of Pretoria's Groenkloof campus were used in this study. Posters were placed at the points of decision in two of the residences. The third female residence was monitored as the control and no posters were put up in it. Monthly water and electricity meter readings were used to determine if this change had occurred. Focus groups were conducted to understand from the subjects how the intervention had affected them, if at all. Results from this study indicated that water and electricity consumption was reduced, with some reductions being statistically significant and others not. The study, however, cannot confidently predict that the intervention was successful due to various limitations. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Construction Economics / MSc / Unrestricted

Using vignette experiments, this thesis examines individuals’ decision-making in various social dilemmas. A case study of littering behavior amongst university students in Lao People's Democratic Republic is used to investigate whether individual preferences are stable across littering dilemmas and other social dilemmas. This study further investigates if a visual prompt can encourage prosocial behavior in littering situations. The results show that behavior in social dilemmas is dependent on individual preferences. Additionally, the study finds little evidence that visual prompts could be used in order to efficiently decrease littering in Laos. However, a negative relationship is found between littering behavior and knowledge regarding the consequences of littering. These findings indicate that policy makers could use knowledge increasing campaigns in order to increase prosocial decision making regarding littering. Yet, further studies are needed in order to validate the results. Lastly, we also find differences in what influence littering behavior, depending on the item being littered.