“Nudging for Environmental Sustainability: Reducing Food Waste, One Surprise Bag at a Time”

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This project’s conception and development have been greatly enhanced by the guidance of Prof. Matthew Robb in the dynamic area where behavioral economics and design collide. His insights, which he presented during the class have illuminated fresh viewpoints and shaped the very foundation of our research thesis.

This kind of undertaking requires teamwork, thus recognition must be given to our co-authors, Dinky Asrani and Ria Jain. Their knowledge, commitment, and creativity were crucial in developing the arguments that serve as the foundation of our work.

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The recent release of the IPCC AR6 report has brought the substantial issue of climate change to the forefront of global discussions. As we work to find effective ways to mitigate the effects of climate change, one aspect frequently overlooked is the significant contribution of food waste, which has far-reaching environmental and economic consequences. “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all. “The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years.”

Fig. 1: The key facts about food waste worldwide

According to the UN, over one-third of all global food is lost or wasted yearly, nearly 1.3 billion tons. Not only does this waste contribute to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere during manufacturing, transportation, and disposal, but it also wastes essential natural resources such as land, water, and energy. These contribute towards sizable economic effects, with an estimated $940 billion lost yearly due to food waste and accompanying expenditures, while one in nine people remain undernourished. The environmental impacts of food waste are staggering, contributing to an estimated 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the reality of these impacts and their effects are poorly understood. Moreover, the opportunities offered by reducing food waste are mainly untapped markets and underutilized economic resources.

To tackle climate change, societal-level behavior change is necessary. According to the International Energy Agency, most global future emissions reductions will depend on lowering our demand for high-carbon activities and materials and adopting innovative low-carbon technology and strategies. Altering what we purchase and eat requires many individuals to adopt green behaviors and sustainable goods. People’s behaviors are shaped by their skills, opportunities, and motivations, while cognitive biases and mental shortcuts influence their decisions. Our physical and social environments profoundly influence our behavior, from what is available on the grocery shelves to what we eat at restaurants. Put another way, individual behaviors are ingrained in and restricted by our environment. This places an enormous responsibility on companies to cut their emissions and be careful and purposeful in curating the physical, social, and digital worlds in which the rest of us live.

Various community-led initiatives and other apps can assist in reducing food waste by connecting users with surplus food from restaurants, grocery stores, and other sources that would otherwise go to waste. Too Good To Go is an app that allows people to buy surplus food at a reduced price from partners in local restaurants and retailers, reducing food waste while supporting a circular economy. In this context, it is crucial to critically analyze the use of nudges inside applications and develop alternative ways to promote social welfare and environmental justice over individual benefit. This could include employing nudges to inspire collaborative action toward a wider goal or implementing broader systemic improvements into the app’s design to address the core causes of food waste.

Introduction to the Too Good To Go app works and helps to reduce food waste:

The Too Good To Go app is an excellent example of how technology can encourage behavior change and persuade people to make decisions that are both self-benefit and beneficial for the environment. Businesses use this platform to sell “surprise bags” of surplus food offered to the users at a discounted price, typically at the end of the day or before closing time. The goods included in the surprise bags vary depending on items left unsold. They usually include a range of entirely edible products but may have minor imperfections or are getting close to their sell-by date. In addition, users can save money on food while reducing food waste and supporting local businesses by purchasing these surprise bags.

Defining nudges and how they can help encourage behavior change:

To fully understand what “nudges” the Too Good To Go mobile app uses, let us talk about what a nudge is. Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein’s book “Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness,” defines any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behavior predictably without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives. Nudges are designed to help individuals make better choices without restricting their freedom of choice, relying on insights from behavioral economics to influence people’s behavior positively.

To facilitate behavioral changes, nudges can provide an effective tool to influence people’s decision-making process and steer them towards more desirable choices. There are many ways in which nudges can help make an impact. Some include:

Highlighting desired behaviors: Nudges draw people’s attention to desired behaviors by making them more prominent or salient. They can be used to drive traction by emphasizing specific options or actions that increase the likelihood of individuals engaging in those behaviors. For example, companies could offer creative recipe ideas involving ingredients closer to their expiration date to curb food waste.

Simplifying complex decisions: We make many complex choices in our daily life. It can be exhaustive and lead to decision fatigue. Nudges can simplify the process using different forms such as defaults, framing options, etc. Choice architects typically attempt to reduce decision-making complexity to guide an individual to make a choice that aligns with the desired outcome.

Harnessing social influence: Humans are social creatures often influenced by the actions and choices of those around us. Nudges provide a possibility of leveraging social influence and norms to shape people’s behaviors. For example, nudges are used to encourage appropriate portion control and discourage overconsumption. This involves smaller plates that indicate the appropriate portion size, reminding people to take what they require and can finish while shaming those who do not.

Reminders and feedback: Nudges can be highly effective in providing constant feedback and reminders for individuals to keep them in check with their choices or the ones they miss. It could be as simple as providing timely information on progress or motivating individuals to steer toward change. Feedback can be a valuable tool for accurately understanding how a behavior change will affect the individual and whether it will be helpful to them.

Creating incentives and rewards: Nudges can help establish good incentives and push people to obtain rewards to inspire behavioral change. They accomplish this by compensating people for recycling products, accomplishing certain chores, or reducing waste in general. All of these behaviors steer people in the right way toward a desired result.

Nudges can have far-reaching effects beyond individual choice and welfare.

We have seen the power of nudges and how they can be used to influence people’s behavior. We have studied the effects of nudges on individuals and their well-being, but they can also be utilized to address systemic issues and encourage broader societal change. For example, in a paper called “Social Nudges for Behavior Change” by Eytan Adar, Alessandro Acquisti, Daphne Chang, and Erin Krupka mention how ‘The recognition that different types of nudges might be more effective for different individuals has led to an increased interest in personalized nudges, where nudges are chosen specifically for an individual.’ Still, it does not have to be like that anymore. On the other hand, nudges can have a far-reaching impact beyond individual choices and welfare that can benefit not just the individual but the world.

To understand this more, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a new publication, “The Little Book of Green Nudges,” which aims to inspire up to 200 million students around the globe to adopt environmentally friendly habits and greener lifestyles. These nudges help people make decisions whose benefits will impact the welfare of a future society, but not necessarily the individual making the active choice.

Environmental issues and degradation, such as climate change, air pollution, energy shortage, and improper waste management, have caused global concern and debate (Osbaldiston and Schott, 2012; Kharat et al., 2017). Since environmental issues are mainly rooted in human behavior, facilitating change amongst people toward pro-environmental behavior is necessary to protect the environment (Staats, 2004; Reddy et al., 2017). Pro-environmental behavior is behavior that yields little or no harm to the environment and which also benefits the environment (Steg and Vlek, 2009). A paper by Siaw-Chui Wee, Weng-Wai Choong, and Sheau-Ting Low called “Can “Nudging” Play a Role to Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviour?” experimented with revealing that 37.84% of the nudging studies focused on the pro-environmental context. The adoption of nudging approaches in a pro-environmental context covered waste reduction, waste recycling, energy conservation, sustainable consumption, water conservation, and sustainable travel.

Fig. 2. The adoption of the nudging approach in the pro-environmental and non-pro-environmental context

Establishing that pro-environmental nudges exist, many companies, including Too Good to Go, are nudging people to do more than personal gain. This paper aims to critically evaluate the use of nudges within the Too Good to Go app and consider alternative approaches that prioritize social welfare over individual benefit.

Analyzing nudges used within the apps

1. The Too Good to Go app uses social nudges to encourage users to reduce food waste, including showing users the number of people on the platform, the amount of food saved through the app, and what other users are buying.

The book “Nudge: The Final Edition” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein discusses the concept of social nudges and how they can be used to influence behavior change. He mentions, “Social influences come in two basic categories. The first involves information. If many people do something or think of something, their actions, and thoughts convey information about what is best for them to do or think. The second involves peer pressure. If we care about what other people think about us (perhaps in the mistaken belief that they are paying some attention to what we are doing), we might go along with the crowd to avoid their wrath or curry their favor.” The Too Good to Go app’s use of social nudges is consistent with this concept, as it shows users what other people are doing to reduce waste and encourages them to follow suit.

The book discusses how social nudges can be used to encourage prosocial behavior. The app’s use of social nudges is aligned with this idea, as it encourages users to contribute to a larger social goal of reducing food waste. By showing users the amount of food saved through the app, the app creates a sense of collective action and contribution towards a larger social good.

“Nudge: The Final Edition” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein also emphasizes providing feedback and reinforcement to sustain behavior change. The app’s social nudges align with this idea by providing users with real-time feedback about the impact of their actions on reducing food waste each time they purchase surprise bags.

2. “But wait, there’s more” chapter from Nudge: the Final Edition: emphasis on “As we have mentioned, some people have a simple philosophy: just maximize choices. “That’s not always a bad idea, but it can be problematic without sophisticated choice architecture tools.”

The Too Good to Go app’s use of a curated list of restaurants available around the user is an example of choice architecture at work. By presenting users with a curated list of restaurants in their close vicinity, the app can guide users toward making a decision that aligns with their goal of reducing food waste by making it easily accessible. This is in contrast to a scenario where users are presented with an overwhelming number of options, which can lead to decision paralysis or a decision that does not align with the user’s goals.

However, on the other hand, the app’s use of restaurants tied throughout the city also builds a nudge for the user to make an easy selection. By expanding the options for the user to reduce food waste, the app increases the likelihood that the user will find a restaurant that meets their needs, likes and encourages them to use the app for future food purchases.

3. The Too Good to Go app provides economic incentives for users to reduce food waste through “cap and trade.”

The app enables consumers to participate in a market-based system by purchasing surplus food from businesses that have generated less waste and thus have surplus credits to sell. In addition, they inform users about “meals of the day and deals of the day.” By buying/saving this surplus food, consumers directly contribute to reducing food waste and are incentivized to continue doing so through the economic benefits.

This approach aligns with the concepts highlighted in the book “Nudge: The Final Edition,” which emphasizes the importance of using economic incentives to promote behavior change. The authors argue that incentives can effectively promote behavior change because they tap into individuals’ self-interest and can be designed to align with social goals. The Too Good to Go app’s use of economic incentives through the cap and trade system exemplifies this approach. The Too Good to Go app uses the cap and trade system and economic incentives to promote behavior change, nudging consumers towards choices that align with social goals.

4. The Too Good To Go app uses green defaults like surprise bags. Users save a surprise bag of surplus food from a restaurant without having any idea what they will receive. This pre-set option decreases the number of choices consumers must make and encourages them to be open to tasting new meals, potentially resulting in less food waste.

Choice Architects can take responsibility for designing Environment Benefitting Nudges.

Choice architects arrange and construct choice flows for others to influence individual decision-making in specific directions. They are crucial in creating nudges to influence people toward positive actions and outcomes. It is vital to guarantee that the nudges are successful while remaining ethical and not exploiting people’s biases. Nudges should be designed to be transparent, optional, and consistent with cultural norms and people’s preferences. They can help shape the design of choice settings so that they have the most significant impact on decision-making. This can include testing multiple nudge versions to see which is most effective and examining the potential unintended consequences of nudges to ensure that they are ethical and do not hurt individuals or society.

According to studies and research, people have a strong tendency to be interested in things that the majority of people do and are interested in because they are strongly influenced by their surroundings and the “social proof” bias. Knowing this, we aim to employ these conceptual understandings to nudge people to be change agents for environmental benefits while considering potential long-term effects on subsequent generations. By doing so, we hope to encourage change without directly benefiting individuals by prodding them in the present because the advantages may not be felt immediately.

A well-known study in this field supports this notion by encouraging individuals to reuse towels in hotels. Professor Cialdini of Arizona State University conducted this experiment, in which initially controlled communications described environmental benefits and resulted in a 35% increase in this behavior. Based on the results, the message was framed using social proof, simply stating that most individuals reused their towels; a slight modification in the framing caused a more significant behavioral change and shifted the effectiveness of the nudge. There is an underlying environmental benefit to reducing water consumption.

This example demonstrates that nudges can have long-term effects. Choice architects can be held accountable for bringing about these changes by carefully tapping into people’s biases and influencing a shift in people’s mindsets to be more environmentally conscious while working towards collective social action.

Collective action can make a difference.

As cliché as the title sounds, continuous improvement toward a specific goal can make a huge difference. Too Good To Go app uses many environmental nudges to help people contribute more towards sustainable decisions. On the outside, it might seem like a small change on an individual level, but this begs the question, what makes people continue to do something like this?

James Clear, the author of “Atomic Habits,” sheds light on a crucial topic of ‘Continous Improvement .’He talks about how improvising 1% is not always noticeable but can be highly significant in the long run. If we can become 1% better every day for one year, we will end up approximately 37 times better than at the beginning. On the other hand, if we become 1% worse every day, we will hit rock bottom and end up at ~0 by the end of the year. Applying this concept to the initiatives like Too Good To Go, users may not see the immediate effects of environmental change or food waste. However, each person’s little effort can incrementally account for a long-lasting change when seen collectively. James Clear presents his analogy of progress through the example of an ice cube. If we place an ice cube in a room at -15 degrees, we slowly increase the temperature of the room degree by degree. From -15° to -14°, the ice cube does not move and remains intact. From -2 to -1, the ice cube still does not melt and remains intact. In contrast, from 0° to 1°, the ice cube begins to melt. A difference of 1 degree has triggered a considerable change, whereas previously, this increase seemed insignificant.

This analogy is exactly like our habits. Sometimes, for changes to take effect requires quite a long time. Sometimes change requires persistent effort. Nonetheless, we must trust that we will eventually see the hard work paying off in both situations. In this case, with just a little effort from companies like “Too Good to Go,” we can make the world a better place.

Counter Arguments

Some critics argue that the Too Good To Go app’s use of nudges and choice architecture, which effectively encourages individual behavior change and reduces food waste, is insufficient to achieve more significant social change. For example, the focus on individual actions may overshadow the significance of tackling systemic problems in the food business, such as overproduction and distribution inefficiencies, which lead to food waste on a broader scale, according to one critique of the app’s methodology. According to critics, the social proof bias and the app’s reliance on social nudges may not necessarily result in meaningful behavioral change. As a result, users may adhere to what they believe others expect of them rather than internalizing a personal commitment.

The use of choice architecture by the app, while beneficial in streamlining complicated selections, may unintentionally limit users’ exposure to a greater variety of sustainable practices or solutions, according to one counterargument. The software can unintentionally limit users’ understanding of other ecologically friendly options by selecting a list of eateries and food choices. However, critics believe there may be better strategies than the app’s emphasis on financial incentives and rewards for encouraging long-term behavior change. In addition, users may put short-term financial gains ahead of long-term environmental advantages.

Recommendations to do better:

The app uses control framing of messages as nudges within its framework, such as “These were popular today” or “See what others are saying.” It may be possible to scale them beyond the application by implementing newer marketing strategies with low-cost efficiency. An alternate strategy employing green defaults is using visual indicators or reminders to urge people to make more environmentally conscious decisions and adding a nudge encouraging users to try new foods or cuisines they may not have considered before. This could be done by providing information about the nutritional content of different foods or highlighting the health benefits of trying new things. This could help to diversify users’ diets and reduce food waste by encouraging them to purchase a broader range of surplus food options. For example, a meal planning tool may display photos or icons of plant-based meals to promote these options to consumers and make them more visible and desirable. The app may also provide nutritional information and recipes for these plant-based meals, making it easier for users to incorporate them into their meal plans. In addition, this intervention would create an environment where users would be more likely to make sustainable decisions without feeling compelled. A way to leverage social proof is by placing little stickers at the entrances of the partner chains stating their commitment to global sustainable impacts and their support for the program. Another possibility is placing a sign on the counter that is most visible to customers, capitalizing on people’s inclination toward social proof bias and highlighting the undertaking, support, and engagement of others as part of a collective. An additional layer may be presenting financial incentives and persuasive cost reductions by adopting sustainable behaviors. One way to tie these measures to the app would be to include a section that frames the neighborhood’s joint contributions and efforts to reduce food waste. This fosters shared responsibility for the cause as well as a sense of belonging to a community.

A potential nudge would be to create social norms for reducing food waste. The app could include features encouraging users to share their experiences with others and create a community around reducing food waste. For example, users could be encouraged to share photos of their surplus food purchases on social media, or the app could include a leaderboard that shows the top users who have contributed to reducing food waste. This could create a social norm around using the app and reducing food waste, making it more appealing and motivating for users. The app could start a “Food Waste Ambassador” program to encourage users who wish to be leaders or changemakers. Users who have been especially active and influential in minimizing food waste may be encouraged to become ambassadors and share their experiences with others. In addition, they may get access to promotional app features or added benefits, such as exclusive discounts and referral incentives. This program could give users a sense of prestige and motivation to become more engaged and active in the community.

Another way forward is that the Too Good To Go app could partner with local governments and organizations to advocate for policy changes that tackle food waste at its source, such as stricter food production and distribution regulations. Additionally, it could provide users with educational resources that raise awareness of the broader environmental issues related to food waste, encouraging them to engage in other sustainable practices beyond the app’s current scope. For example, the app might incorporate features that enable users to create unique goals for decreasing food waste and monitor their progress over time to ensure that social nudges result in actual behavior change. Instead of just following the perceived expectations of others, this would encourage users to build a feeling of personal accountability and a commitment to sustainability.

Conclusion

The Too Good To Go app can continue to impact individual behavior change by strengthening its technique and broadening its focus while contributing to a more significant societal shift toward sustainable living. By doing so, the app has the potential to spark a positive shift that extends throughout society, boosting awareness of how interconnected our actions are and our shared responsibility to safeguard the environment. The conceptual ideas stated above can be leveraged in the realm of food waste to create an ideal model framework demonstrating the use of pro-environmental nudges, as Too Good to Go does. By implementing these concepts, many platforms worldwide can seek to scale this effect and create a global movement toward a collective shift in social behavior, ultimately assisting in mitigating the devastating effects of climate change and cutting emissions internationally. This model framework of concepts can be used in various ways and is an essential step toward a more sustainable and equitable future. “It all starts with a surprise bag.” Let us work together to create a better future by being change agents and taking steps toward maximum climate action and greener earth.