Beyond the Carton: Rethinking Recycling Through Behavioral Change
By: Daniel of KIS
SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Life onland
I never expected a carton to change the direction of my project.
It started when I noticed that many yogurt cartons from the school deli were being thrown into the wrong recycling bins. Most students assumed they were made entirely of paper, but milk cartons actually contain layers of paper, plastic, and sometimes aluminum. Because of this, thousands of cartons each year may be recycled incorrectly.
Wanting to understand the issue better, I interviewed the director of Caesars, the company that manages our cafeteria. I discovered that Caesars already had a separate milk carton recycling system behind the scenes. My first thought was simple: if Caesars can do it, KIS should install milk carton recycling bins as well.
However, after observing recycling habits around campus, I realized a bigger problem. Students were already throwing bottles into paper bins and paper into bottle bins. Adding another bin would not automatically change behavior.
This led me to ask a different question..
Why are people recycling incorrectly in the first place?
Using root-cause analysis, I found that many students simply did not know what milk cartons were made of. To address this misconception, I collected used milk cartons and turned them into plant pots. I also conducted a lab experiment that separated the carton into its paper, plastic, and aluminum layers. By connecting the experiment to QR codes attached to the planters, students could learn what was actually inside the cartons they use every day.
While working on this project, I reached another realization. Awareness is important, but awareness alone does not always create action. People can know what is right and still choose convenience.
This shifted my project in an entirely new direction. I began researching behavioral economics and incentive systems, studying examples such as Germany's bottle deposit program and Korean recycling reward initiatives. I became interested in how rewards could encourage sustainable habits.
As a result, I designed a reward-based recycling model that would encourage consistent environmental action rather than one-time participation. To explore the idea further, I reached out to Cash Walk and proposed a recycling and plogging challenge that would reward users for environmentally responsible behavior. Although I faced multiple rejections and unanswered emails, the experience taught me that creating change requires more than a good idea. It requires persistence, communication, and the willingness to keep improving an idea even when others are not immediately convinced.
Today, my project is no longer just about milk cartons. It has become an exploration of how awareness, incentives, and human behavior can work together to create lasting environmental change. Moving forward, I hope to pilot and test incentive-based systems that make sustainable choices easier, more rewarding, and ultimately more common.
It started when I noticed that many yogurt cartons from the school deli were being thrown into the wrong recycling bins. Most students assumed they were made entirely of paper, but milk cartons actually contain layers of paper, plastic, and sometimes aluminum. Because of this, thousands of cartons each year may be recycled incorrectly.
Wanting to understand the issue better, I interviewed the director of Caesars, the company that manages our cafeteria. I discovered that Caesars already had a separate milk carton recycling system behind the scenes. My first thought was simple: if Caesars can do it, KIS should install milk carton recycling bins as well.
However, after observing recycling habits around campus, I realized a bigger problem. Students were already throwing bottles into paper bins and paper into bottle bins. Adding another bin would not automatically change behavior.
This led me to ask a different question..
Why are people recycling incorrectly in the first place?
Using root-cause analysis, I found that many students simply did not know what milk cartons were made of. To address this misconception, I collected used milk cartons and turned them into plant pots. I also conducted a lab experiment that separated the carton into its paper, plastic, and aluminum layers. By connecting the experiment to QR codes attached to the planters, students could learn what was actually inside the cartons they use every day.
While working on this project, I reached another realization. Awareness is important, but awareness alone does not always create action. People can know what is right and still choose convenience.
This shifted my project in an entirely new direction. I began researching behavioral economics and incentive systems, studying examples such as Germany's bottle deposit program and Korean recycling reward initiatives. I became interested in how rewards could encourage sustainable habits.
As a result, I designed a reward-based recycling model that would encourage consistent environmental action rather than one-time participation. To explore the idea further, I reached out to Cash Walk and proposed a recycling and plogging challenge that would reward users for environmentally responsible behavior. Although I faced multiple rejections and unanswered emails, the experience taught me that creating change requires more than a good idea. It requires persistence, communication, and the willingness to keep improving an idea even when others are not immediately convinced.
Today, my project is no longer just about milk cartons. It has become an exploration of how awareness, incentives, and human behavior can work together to create lasting environmental change. Moving forward, I hope to pilot and test incentive-based systems that make sustainable choices easier, more rewarding, and ultimately more common.