Are Incentives Enough?

摘要

We all get the circular economy and zero waste now, right? It's absolutely clear that washing an average 20 cloth nappies rather than manufacturing between 4 500 and 7 000 single-use nappies and sending them to disposal is a bad idea. But how do we get people to buy reusable nappies? And how do we ensure those people who buy them go on to use them successfully and spread good "word of mouth" (WOM)? Research shows that 90 percent of consumers believe peer recommendations. So, how do we help make this happen? The Waste Minimisation Act passed in 1998 allowed local authorities to spend money on preventing waste. Surrey was an example of a council that introduced a cash-back reward for residents who used a nappy laundry service. Other boroughs followed, but the results were disappointing.