The way trash bins are designed in urban areas can have a significant impact on people’s behavior when it comes to disposing of rubbish, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Gävle. The study, done in collaboration with the municipal association Gästrike Återvinnare, compared the use of trash cans with three different colors and designs to see how they influenced people’s tendency to throw away litter.
In the city of Gävle, trash cans are typically gray to blend in with the urban environment. However, the researchers decided to test the effects of using orange trash cans as well as bins decorated with children’s drawings that conveyed a message about the importance of protecting the environment.
“We saw a fairly strong trend where the orange increased the collection of litter over the other two,” said Noah Linder, a researcher at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and former doctoral student at the University of Gävle.
The surprising result was that the bins with children’s drawings were the least used, contrary to the researchers’ expectations. Linder suggested that the clear message on the bins may have made people obstinate and unwilling to do as they were told, leading to less use of those particular bins.
In light of their findings, the researchers advised urban planners to design public spaces in a way that clearly signals the desired behavior. They also recommended testing design changes on a small scale before implementing major changes across a city.
This study sheds light on the subtle ways in which the design of public infrastructure and amenities can influence human behavior, and the implications it can have for maintaining clean and tidy urban environments.