Designing for a sustainable attitude : The role of informal education in changing students' attitude towards recycling

Abstract: An essential part on the way to a sustainable society is each individual’s perspective on handling consumption. To develop a sustainable attitude towards one step in the consumption process, such as recycling, is a way to prevent environmental problems. This project aims to design through informal education and social innovation a solution for increasing the rate of waste separation among students in Sweden. In order to do so, it focuses on students at Linnaeus University in Växjö as an example and it responds to the local needs. It supposes collaborations with student associations, Linnaeus University, recycling companies and Växjö municipality. The solution proposes an innovative framework formulated to develop the habit of separating waste. Through informal education, it intends to deliver the knowledge and create the social space for practice and connection necessary in developing the proposed habit. The theoretical perspectives include design for learning in the context of waste separation, while gamification and learning by doing are tools for development. Several methods are used throughout the innovation process. Among these, conducting a workshop is the main one for defining the design project.  The project can be considered a social innovation because it responds to the students’ needs of connection and self-worth, addressed through knowledge about recycling, awareness and interaction, and to the needs of the Swedish society of a higher rate of waste reparation.