Avfall Sverige · Evidence tier A
National signs plus nudges that cut residual waste on site
Pair Avfall Sverige's national sign system with nudges, then weigh what changes.
Outcome
-26%
up to less residual waste across pilot rooms
A multi-city, multi-landlord waste-room study showing that national signs plus nudging can reduce residual waste when rooms are usable and cues fit the local mix. Site conditions matter as much as the creative.
Setting
National collaboration with Avfall Sverige across Stockholm and Gothenburg waste rooms, with housing partners including Familjebostäder, Bostadsbolaget, and Svenska Bostäder. Each area ran control, signs-only, and signs-plus-nudge rooms.
The challenge
Untidy rooms and weak signage left residents guessing. National standards alone do not sort the bag. Waste actors needed proof that clearer signs, and signs plus a deliberative nudge, reduce residual waste under real housing conditions.
What we activated
Avfall Sverige's national sign system in the waste room, plus a prompt that triggers deliberative thinking at the bin (for example: does this really belong here?) with concrete waste examples. Gothenburg sites used physical cues with control rooms. Stockholm also tested digital Smart Nudges Waste & Recycle alongside the physical layer.
Behavioral toolkit
- Salience
- Cognitive-load reduction
- Prompt
- Local adaptation
What changed
- Residual waste reductions across pilots ranged from about 3% to 26%, depending on local conditions.
- In Gothenburg, signs plus nudge cut daily average residual weight by about 14% in Rannebergen and about 21% in Majorna Väster (absolute), with difference-in-difference gains versus control rooms.
- Control rooms, weight-based measurement, and DiD analysis made the proof transferable for landlords and municipalities.
Good to know
Results vary by socio-economic mix, language, room quality, and pests. One Gothenburg area with severe room problems did not show the same absolute drop. Read the range (about 3% to 26%) as context-sensitive proof, not a guaranteed portfolio KPI.
Need the same weighed waste-room discipline on top of national signs or your property sorting program?