design approach through PERSUASIVE technology

I recently moved into a new neighborhood, and is trying to adjust to the ways things are done here. One particular problem I encountered is their recycling policy. I get really confused about what to do when I first went into the trash room, as the instructions are so vague, and some are even agitating. For example, there are only two recycling bins in the trash room next to the trash chute, which is fine for most apartment buildings, except it says "bottles and glass" on one bin and "newspaper" on the other. So I was really confused: are newspapers the only type of paper recyclable in the building? Did it mean that all magazines and unwanted mails go directly in to the trash chute? What about the paper bottles like those for milk and coconut water? Do they go into "bottles and glass" instead? What's more amazing is that there are like ten large boxes lying on the floor of the trash room, not broken down, not in the recycling bins, not anything, just lying there, one on top of the other. Then, on the wall writes the biggest turn-off for my devotion to recycling: "Please breakdown cardboard boxes and take them to the ground level trash room." (See picture below)

As a result, the trash room has been a huge mess. Some people don't know where to put their waste papers, so they just stack them on the ground; most often the boxes are not broken down, let along brought down to the ground floor; once I even found a pizza box in the recycling bins.
I believe that there must be a better way than how the recycling is done in the building currently. And below are some of the measures, once taken, can make a huge difference in people's habits of recycling.

Reduction + Reminder

One of the major problems in recycling is that the rules are so unclear and complicated that the residents are never sure whether they are doing it right. By simplifying and clarifying the instructions,  the community management could make recycling easy and attractive to residents.

Below are some of the measures that can be taken:

• clarify the items that can be recycled: for instance, newspapers, magazines, printing papers, cardboards and books in one recycling bin, and cans, glass, plastic bottles in the other
  
• use pictures along with the words on the recycling bins
  
• remind the residents that "if you are not sure whether and item is recyclable, please put it into a trash bag and send it down the trash chute" (separating the unrecyclables from the recyclables is a lot of work)
  
• use an audio message to remind the residents what should or should not be  put into the particular recycling bin every time they open it
  
• remove all the instructions that adds unnecessary workloads onto residents (for example, if one is asked to break down the box and bring it down to the first floor, he may simply leave the box in the fifth floor trash room without breaking it down, as he thinks it's too much work, but if he is simply asked to break down the boxes, it is more likely he will do so)
  
• turn the written instructions into comic style storyboard that are easier to understand
  
• the entrance of the recycling bins can be redesigned (such as small round entrance for cans and bottles) so that only qualified items can go through

Simulation

Another approach I can think of is a simulation game. Recycling rules are complicated and confusing in general, and are not strictly enforced usually and varies from building to building. Sometimes people have the good intention to make the word a better place, but they are just unfamiliar with the procedure and are afraid to make mistakes. A simulated software or website can be a safe place for the residents to explore and make mistakes while they learn and avoid the consequences in the real word.


The simulation said above should contain the following features:

• provided to the residents in the welcome packages when they move in
  
• repeatable and accessible 24/7
  
• customized to precisely simulate the current recycling procedures of the building
  
• provide scaffolding to the users when they start and feedback when they make mistakes
  

Rewards + Recognition

Perhaps recycling is good to the environment. Perhaps by recycling I am making a difference in this world or saving the earth. But I can't see the results of my actions directly, therefore less likely to make this habit sustainable. Some more direct stimulation, i.e. rewards and recognition, might be helpful to fill this gap:

• residents earn redeemable points every time they recycles an item properly and correctly while not doing so can lose them points
  
• the points earned can be used to redeem merchandises such as cushions and beverages, or services such as free apartment cleaning, laundry or amenities
  
• residents can level up once they reached certain points, and each level gives residents more benefits such as store discounts and priority of reserving tennis courts
  
• the top "recyclers" (ranked by points earned in a certain period of time) should be recognized for their contribution in weekly/monthly community newsletters
  

Summary

By taking all the measures above, i.e. providing a simulated environment for residents to learn through trail and fail, simplifying the recycling procedures and rewarding those who are doing a good job, I believe that trash room situation can be resolved, and our garbage men's life can be made a lot easier.