#GreenNudge: How Adorable Kittens Kept Streets Gum-Free Today's nudge has come from Tasha Richardson, Senior Behavioural Intervention Designer at Behaviour Change. Behaviour Change is a not-for-profit behavioural science consultancy, working with charities, businesses and government to design creative and innovative on-the-ground interventions to encourage pro-social and pro-environmental behaviours. 👉 What unsustainable behaviour needs to change: Gum litter remains a persistent issue—sticking to pavements, clinging to shoes, and proving notoriously difficult to clean. Its non-biodegradable composition, usually a blend of synthetic rubber and plastic-like polymers, takes 20–25 years to break down, leaving microplastics that pollute soil and waterways. Additionally, cleaning gum off streets requires intensive methods that consume water, energy, and often involve chemicals. This litter also negatively impacts wildlife, as animals may ingest gum or get it stuck on their paws or fur, leading to health issues and harm to urban and natural ecosystems. In collaboration with Mars Wrigley and the gum industry, targeted interventions were developed to encourage proper disposal and reduce environmental impacts. 👉 The Green Nudge: Many people believe gum littering is caused by a small group of antisocial individuals. However, ethnographic research by Behaviour Change showed that context, rather than character, often determines littering. Most people don’t drop gum habitually, but certain situations increase the likelihood of littering. Researchers identified six of these high-risk circumstances and designed behavioural interventions accordingly. In one workshop, participants expressed concern about animals getting stuck in gum, leading to the development of the “cute kitten” intervention. Using the ‘affect heuristic,’ the design featured a kitten on signs and stickers placed strategically on bins and lampposts to leverage emotions and humour, effectively reminding people to dispose of gum properly. ➡ The result: A 9-week evaluation measured gum littering rates before and after the intervention, using highly accurate gum counts adjusted for footfall using mobile phone data. The “kitten” signage reduced gum litter by up to 61%. When paired with a preliminary gum cleanse, the combination achieved an 80% reduction in gum littering. Do you know of any other nudges that prevent gum littering? Feel free to comment or get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com
Matthias Höppner
1mo
Laura Sommer, PhD Janick Oswald Bernd Meyer Dr. Lachezar Ivanov Sébastien MERIGOUT👉✅ Selina Sinning Alastair Ray Cláudia Simão, PhD Yee Siang Chng Stefanos Stasinopoulos Nils Hartmann Melina Moleskis, PhD MBA Tobias Kollmann Federico Corradin Nicholas Mason Nicolai Shimmels Polly Graham Natalia Le Gal Boohavior Tam Hussey Sara Conklin Linda Betesh
Linda Betesh
1mo
I love the creativity here! Using kittens to nudge people toward better habits is such a clever and effective way to tap into our emotional connection with animals!
Natalia Le Gal
1mo
I looove this nudge! I already used it when teaching BeSci, because the kittens on the posters are SOOO adorable. And convincing.
Ursula Korsen
1mo
I would love that here too 😍
Matthias Höppner
1mo
Kate Brennan-Rhodes David Hall Tasha Richardson great work, guys
Behavioral Science for sustainability - behavioral design, marketing and change management for green brands and the public sector
1moI would really love to see his nudge around here! I am personally taking care of a piece of public greenery in our neighbourhood, because let's say the municipality is not doing such a great job at it... and I pulled out about 20 cigarette butts and 2 chewing gums. The chewing gums were new though... Maybe they were intended to land on the pavement and ended up in the greenery. In any case - great nudge for stupid behaviors, like tossing chewing gum (and maybe also cigarette butts, I am definitely looking for an antidote to that! Ideally for the beach. And apart from the ballot bins...).