Paul White How We Might Achieve Behaviour Change Lessons from theory and practice

“I will if you will” Start from a “people” perspective Make it easier Be part of something bigger

Catalyse Is the package enough to break a habit and kick start change? Exemplify Enable Engage (Make it easier) Encourage (Give the right Signals) (Lead by example) (Get people involved) People need help to make responsible choices Influencing Behaviour Framework People need to be involved early on for them to take personal responsibility What can you do to exemplify and reinforce commitment from others? Consider the benefits and incentives Consider carefully the role of taxes and enforcement

Pro-environmental context Weak Strong APATHETIC EFFECTIVE IGNORANCE FRUSTRATED Readiness & Willingness to Adopt (INTERNAL FACTORS) Systems & Capacity (EXTERNAL FACTORS)

Waste prevention is the realm of the minority….. Invisible – Unseen and private. Performed mainly in the privacy of our own home. Personal – Misunderstood and driven by deeply held beliefs and attitudes rather than social norms.

Typical waste prevention behaviours Using a centralised composting site Using home composting bins Swap it, repaint, furniture and electrical re-use, charity shops Avoiding over packaged products, bulk buying, buying long life products, buying locally Buying experience gifts, using refillables, hiring instead of buying Joining the Mail Preference Service Reusing jars, bottles, paper etc, repairing goods Visibility SMART Shopping Reuse in the home Reduce unwanted mail Community reuse Buying services Home composting Community composting Reduce food waste Planning shopping trips, buying and cook what you need, not tempted by BOGOF, storage

Defra Waste & Resources Evidence Programme Social Dimension Theme Understanding perceptions, attitudes and responsibilities towards waste & resources management. Investigating ways to facilitate pro- environmental behaviours. Extending understanding recycling behaviour to waste prevention.

Examples of research approaches Social learning, action networks –Lifestyle-centred, ‘moments of change’ –Working with communities –Shared learning, responsibility and commitment –Peer to peer support

Action networks to change habits Objective To involve up to 800 households to measure and reduce waste Approach Uses social learning theory and a network-based approach to changing behaviour Enable Providing training, support and guidance through mentors. Designing and agreeing priorities Engage Working though volunteers, community groups, businesses, utilities and communities of interest Exemplify Shared responsibility Peer to peer support Encourage Publicity, materials

Learnings for practitioners Build evaluation in at the beginning Understand and apply social theories Invest in long term partnerships Segment your target audience Provide feedback Ensure adequate resources – admin, delivery, evaluation Take small incremental steps

Learnings for policy & strategy Strengthen the evidence to determine: –Wider social and economic benefits. –Cost effectiveness. –Long term impacts. Design “fit for purpose” evaluations. Coordinate funding approaches. Improve support, e.g. measurement toolkits, good practice guidance.

Potential evidence gaps How can we look from the inside out – rather than from the outside in? How do you make waste prevention more visible and mainstream? Are there potential opportunities for spill-over from other behaviours? How do we know if long term change is really happening?

SCP Behaviour Change Research

Strategy for success

Intervention Techniques Social marketing‘Whole community’ focus Corporate social marketing Integrating social goals Brand buildingDeveloping infrastructure Participative designViral marketing techniques Social ethnographySelf-prophesy techniques

Tremor P&G Connectors Word of mouth marketing Teen and Young mums panels Made drinking milk cool !

Fresh On Demand Multi business partner Supply chain food waste Consumer food waste New technologies Shared Responsibility

Social science of water efficiency Whole town approach Community-based social marketing Underpinned by Partnership engagement plus exemplify Participative co-design

Water Efficient Durham Behaviour challenge – reduce peak summer demand through reduced lawn watering Community based social marketing Outcome – 30% reduction in first year Cost - $19 per household, one fifth of cost of expanding water supply infrastructure

Zaragosa – The Water Saving City Behaviour goal – save 1M Litres from homes in one year through retrofits Over 150 partners City-wide community approach Shared responsibility Outcome – exceeded target by 18% Cost – 70 pesetas/1000 L saved, or 40% of cost of water supply

“Tell me and I’ll forget Show me and I’ll remember Involve me and I’ll understand” Chinese proverb