TEAM: MIB 1-2

RE: SUSTAINABILITY AS A HABIT

Executive summary

Single-use plastic has become the norm for packaging nowadays. Plastic waste is projected to almost triple by 2060, with half of all plastic waste still being landfilled and less than a fifth recycled. (Fleck, A., 2022). The whole world is facing this problem, which keeps increasing daily. As consumer eco-consciousness grows, different options to try and tackle this issue have arisen.

The issue faced is the final consumer's need for more motivation and accountability regarding recycling. Our app appeals to users with an incentive-based reward system that encourages them to make sustainable choices in an entertainment game-like structure. The innovation behind the app is combining the appeal of the virtual reward system while convincing the users to solve a problem. The goal and projected outcome is that the users will easily integrate these sustainable habits into their daily lives. The idea behind RE is that we take the feeling of recycling being a “chore” out of the issue. We want recycling to feel like a natural habit, and the best way to do so for those who lack consideration is by introducing it as an appealing game. We plan on bringing value with our app by integrating a sustainable solution into the daily life of the final consumer. By becoming part of their daily lives, the consumer views recycling as less of a burden and more of an action they can take weekly or biweekly to get rewards and help the environment while doing it.

By partnering with different sustainable companies that offer sustainable packaging or refill options, we plan to drive the consumers towards those options in the market. Also, another key driver for our app will be the actual supermarket; we plan on partnering with the supermarket to install recycling bins outside the different stores, facilitating the process for the final consumer. By doing that, the process transforms into a one-stop shop, where the consumers can get their products while having accessibility to drop off their single-use plastic containers or bottles to be recycled. That's where the app will ask for a picture uploaded by the user to process the rewards depending on the quantity of material left to be recycled.

Even though it is hard to incentivize consumers to behave in a certain way, our solution will aid the current recycling panorama and motivate the final consumers to incorporate this into their daily lives.