Motivating people to embrace waste management and live a more environmentally friendly way of life can be difficult, but a Slovak village has managed to achieve just that. For more than 10 years Koseca’s authorities have been trying to convince citizens of the benefits of proper waste management and separation and they finally succeeded in 2019 after introducing a landmark waste management system that has earned them the Innovation in Politics award for digitalisation.
Making people care
Perhaps the best way to motivate people to do something is to offer them an incentive – and that is exactly what Koseca’s local government did through its innovative waste management project.
In 2019, authorities implemented a new way for families and citizens of the village to keep track of their own waste collection and management efforts. Every household in Koseca is given stickers with unique QR codes that can be placed on every bag of waste that they dispose of. Meanwhile, each container in the village comes equipped with its own electronic chip that scans said QR codes.
This allows authorities and households to keep track not only of how much waste is generated in the village but also how well it is separated. In return for proper waste management, the village’s government deducts a percentage of each household’s waste collection fees based on how well they separated their waste. This type of incentive then led to many of Koseca’s citizens embracing a more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle.
And it is precisely this combination of good ideas and practices and proper motivation that leaves a lasting impression on citizens that earned the village of Koseca the Innovation in Politics award in digitalisation – a tandem that helps not only each individual household but also the entire community and the environment.
Source: TheMayor.EU
