{"id":701,"date":"2025-09-02T13:35:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T13:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/?p=701"},"modified":"2025-09-02T15:59:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T15:59:42","slug":"clean-culture-why-do-countries-have-different-attitudes-to-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/02\/clean-culture-why-do-countries-have-different-attitudes-to-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"Clean culture: Why do countries have different attitudes to waste?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0<\/div>\n

\"Global<\/h4>\n

Attitudes to the responsible disposal of waste vary hugely around the world. Circular\u2019s Peter Taylor Whiffen asks why do some countries get this so right and others so wrong?<\/h4>\n

When Japan\u2019s footballers beat Germany in the 2022 FIFA men\u2019s World Cup, their fans stayed in the stadium long after the final whistle: singing, cheering, and tidying up.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a one-off either, or even because their surprise victory had put them in a good mood. One of the most arresting sights throughout that 2022 tournament was Japan\u2019s supporters sticking around after a match \u2013 win, lose or draw \u2013 to put their rubbish into blue bags they had brought with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Japanese people, this is just the normal thing\u00a0to do,\u201d said team coach Hajime Moriyasu. \u201cWhen you\u00a0leave, you have to leave a place cleaner than\u00a0it\u00a0was before. That\u2019s the education we have been taught.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not quite such a normal thing in the UK. In the spring of 2021, Britain was basking in an unseasonably warm weekend and, with Covid lockdown restrictions temporarily eased, millions descended on the country\u2019s public parks.<\/p>\n

Despite the threat of spreading the disease, in open spaces across the country \u2013 including Leeds, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham and beauty spots in the Lake District, the Peak District and Devon \u2013 they left behind mountains of rubbish so great that council teams had to be specially deployed the next day to clean it all up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an absolute disgrace,\u201d said one jogger at Nottingham\u2019s Forest Recreation Ground. \u201cIt\u2019s a real blight on our city caused by selfish people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the British are not the untidiest people in the world \u2013 the Philippines, Indonesia and India are regularly cited as having the most littered streets<\/a>. Nor is Japan the only nation whose people instinctively pick up after themselves \u2013 Scandinavian cities are famously clean, tidy places.<\/p>\n

But if we in Britain are to tackle the fundamental problem of waste, reduce the amount of rubbish we throw away and achieve a circular economy, we arguably need to shift, as a culture, how we approach the challenge.<\/p>\n

While other nationalities appear to have an instinctive sense of collective social responsibility, British culture means we\u2019re rather more reluctant. So, how might we change that mindset, make people more proud and engender a culture of circularity?<\/p>\n

Creating a circular culture<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cPrompting a national change in behaviour is easier in some countries than others,\u201d says behavioural scientist Marc Atherton.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want people to act in a different way, it\u2019s easier to achieve in, say, Japan or Switzerland, or Scandinavia, because the culture of those places means their people are\u00a0already predisposed to behave in\u00a0response to an appropriately crafted prompt.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when it comes to Britain or the US, where culture is more individualistic \u2013 \u2018I have a right to do what I think is right\u2019 \u2013 the kind of behavioural intervention that would be effective in a collaborative culture is not likely to work here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, the resources sector and others championing a circular economy have long used behavioural science to persuade the public to join their journey.<\/p>\n

The United Nations (UN) has a dedicated Behavioural Science Group. In the UK, the Whitehall-based Behavioural Insights Team, set up by then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010, continues to use psychological understanding and techniques such as \u2018nudge theory\u2019 to sway, rather than compel, the public to act in a certain way.<\/p>\n

But while nudging may change people\u2019s behaviour, this is often a short-term fix at best and, at worst, completely ineffective, believes Atherton \u2013 because it doesn\u2019t take into account the cultural reasons for people to behave as they do.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople have latched onto behavioural economics and science,\u201d adds Atherton, who is managing partner at behavioural science corporate consultants Allaxa.<\/p>\n

\u201cOrganisations, politicians, nations have looked to nudging and said, \u2018if we do enough of this, people will change\u2019. But behaviour is quite sticky, and those adopting nudging often miss the point by treating absolutely everyone the same, with the same values, attitudes and beliefs \u2013 and, of course, we\u2019re not.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo change people\u2019s natural instincts permanently, by exploiting their biases, you have to understand those biases and why their culture drives them to behave in a particular way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which means those trying to make the UK embrace and hasten a circular economy need to understand the uniquely British idiosyncratic beliefs and values that make us tick.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason there are jokes about national stereotypes is that they reflect an understanding that there are centres of gravity around culture that affect our views.\u201d says Atherton.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese have developed over years \u2013 you can\u2019t wish them away; you have to work with them. So the British model of nudging should be tailor-made for us, recognising that we\u2019re not as individually minded as, say, the Americans or as collectively minded as the Japanese.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, what are those stereotypical British values \u2013 and how can we use\u00a0them to persuade people towards circularity?<\/p>\n

Appealing to people\u2019s desire for fairness<\/h2>\n
\"\"
That message of personal gain and social responsibility is a key reason recycling rates have improved so much over the past 25 years, according to Friends of the Earth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOur concept of fair play is one,\u201d says Atherton, \u201cand the belief that\u00a0\u2013 despite what Margaret Thatcher said all those years ago \u2013 there is still such a thing as society.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t a collective society; we are quite individualistic, but we do have a concept of social fairness, which is embodied in the way we interact with people \u2013 for instance, in the way we queue up while everyone else barges past.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the messaging should be that [when it comes to responsible waste management] we would save money, say \u2013 but we\u2019d also be helping our friends and society would benefit from our actions.\u201d<\/p>\n

That message of personal gain and social responsibility is a key reason recycling rates have improved so much over the past 25 years, according to Friends of the Earth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Its campaign, in the early 2000s, for a recycling bill that would give every UK household a kerbside recycling collection was built around persuading Brits that, as well as helping the environment, recycling \u2018creates jobs, saves energy and reduces the pollution from waste disposal\u2019.<\/p>\n

Atherton cites how similarly tapping into British values and beliefs informed a client project he did with a US-based global company about educating people on how to use less electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome nudging aspects worked in America because the core of it was all about individual financial gain \u2013 if you do this, you will be better off,\u201d Atherton said. \u201cBut that motivation alone did not work in the UK, and we realised it was because British people reacted more positively to balancing financial gain with social good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another lever to push Brits towards a circular economy, he says, is our tendency for self-effacement.<\/p>\n

In the same electricity project, one of the most effective actions in the US was making information on how much power each household was using publicly available, which worked because a lot of people consuming less power delighted in pointing this out to their more profligate neighbours. In Britain, however, the company used the fact that, although we\u2019re proud to use less power, we\u2019re more discreet about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe British don\u2019t like to shout about it,\u201d says Atherton, \u201cso instead of making the information publicly available, they got a private reward \u2013 a badge on their bill telling them they were in the top 10% of households for efficient energy use.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt tapped into that unique British combination of individual pride and social justice \u2013 they were benefiting financially, but their actions were also helping broader society.\u201d<\/p>\n

Such private, discreet awards can help instil British pride in keeping us moving towards circularity, he adds: \u201cWe are proud of our achievements, and we like to be recognised for what we have done, but we\u2019re not generally people to laud our own achievements loudly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe internalise them \u2013 but having our efforts to, say, circularity recognised with a discreet thank you that says we are seen and appreciated is a great driver for us, as it taps into our sense of British identity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some demographic groups will need a more specific message than others, however. Impact\u2019s Great Green Sustainability Study<\/a> found that Britain\u2019s 18 to 34-year-olds \u2013 despite growing up with the concept of recycling and having the most pro-environmental attitudes of any age group \u2013 actually recycle less than their elders. There were, the study revealed, key reasons for this: education and, mainly, motivation.<\/p>\n

First, and somewhat incongruously, this group claimed to have the least knowledge about recycling processes. In addition, 45% said the environment was a low priority compared with other things in their lives (10% higher than other age groups), and young\u00a0people were much more likely than older respondents to be influenced by their peers.<\/p>\n

Nearly half (43%) of 18 to 34-year-olds claimed it was \u2018not worth doing things to help the environment if others don\u2019t do the same\u2019. All of which means that young people \u2013 arguably the demographic most crucial in taking cultural change forward to successive generations \u2013 need their own set of messages, nudges and other behavioural prompts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cCampaigns should encourage mass involvement,\u201d concluded Impact\u2019s study, \u201cbut the actions they promote must be convenient\u2026 compatible with young people\u2019s daily lives\u2026 and not detract from other things they find important. Unless this is achieved, this age group simply won\u2019t dedicate themselves to the cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s vital, says Atherton, that messaging and campaigning to shift us to a circular economy is designed to resonate with its audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s simply messaging that corporate marketers have done for decades \u2013 know your customer,\u201d he says. \u201cYet we don\u2019t seem to grasp it when it comes to getting society to shift. Even the UN doesn\u2019t seem to make the link between culture and individual behaviour, and appears to think the way to change mindset is a one-size-fits-all solution.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the messaging from central government and from independent centres of excellence is that we need to understand not just who we\u2019re talking to, but, crucially, how they hear the message \u2013 because\u00a0how we hear and interpret is framed by our world view.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a saying in psychology that there are only three things that will make people change \u2013 desperation, boredom or the realisation that they\u00a0can. Tapping into that last one is the most important \u2013 and to do that, you have to connect with people where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Clean culture: Why do countries have different attitudes to waste?<\/a> appeared first on Circular Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Attitudes to the responsible disposal of waste vary hugely around the world. Circular\u2019s Peter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":703,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":702,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions\/702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}