We nudged Norway to use less plastic bags

For several years, nudgelab has worked to reduce Norway's plastic bag consumption. We have now rolled out measures across four different chains, and the initiatives have shown that we are approaching the goal of 40 bags per person.

Results
21%
Reduced plastic bags in four weeks
Results
17
Different interventions tested in four different grocery stores
Results
683%
Increase in sales of waste bag rolls on average.

Results

21%

Reduced plastic bags in four weeks

Results

21%

Reduced plastic bags in four weeks

Results

17

Different interventions tested in four different grocery stores

Results

17

Different interventions tested in four different grocery stores

Results

683%

Increase in sales of waste bag rolls on average.

Results

683%

Increase in sales of waste bag rolls on average.

Prosess

Based on a pilot project on Svalbard that resulted in an 87% reduction in plastic bag sales, we tested effective measures at Meny, Extra, Rema 1000, and Bunnpris across Norway. We increased the availability of waste bags on a roll to break the habit of using carrier bags for trash. At the same time, we used pricing, placement, and employee involvement to create friction around the choice of plastic bags. The key was to change customer behavior by making sustainable choices easier and poor ones more difficult. The average test period was 4 weeks.

Results

The sale of waste bags on a roll and reusable shopping bags increased significantly in all test stores, while the purchase of plastic bags was reduced.

A 314-1490% increase in the sale of waste bags on a roll

A 231-4350% increase in the sale of reusable shopping bags

A 6-21% reduction in plastic bags in grocery stores

A 314-1490% increase in the sale of waste bags on a roll

A 231-4350% increase in the sale of reusable shopping bags

A 6-21% reduction in plastic bags in grocery stores

The results indicate that the combination of interventions have contributed to more sustainable customer behavior. Since the findings are quite consistent across projects, locations, store sizes, etc., the findings can be considered reliable.

What did not work?

The wobbler signs at the self-service checkouts did not stick to the metal, which we solved by stapling them to the cardboard boxes the plastic bags were delivered in; this was changed for subsequent projects. For some of the projects, the test period included major holidays, public holidays, campaigns, etc., which had a noticeable impact on the results.

Sources