The Global Environment Centre Foundation (GEC), in collaboration with the UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (UNEP-IETC) and supported by Lloyd's Register Foundation, has launched a new project titled Behavioural insights for better waste management. Running from February 2026 to February 2027, the initiative aims to explore the complex relationship between social behaviour and waste disposal habits. By identifying the key behavioural factors influencing people’s habits on recycling and disposal, the project seeks to develop evidence-based recommendations to help local authorities improve the effectiveness of their waste management systems.
Currently, poor waste mismanagement costs global society an estimated US$361 billion annually and contributes to nearly 1 million deaths each year in developing countries. The project intends to touch on some of the lingering issues behind this issue, and through a comparative analysis of UNEP’s Global Waste Management Outlook and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll report, A world of waste, will help stakeholders better understand the relationship between local waste management services and disposal habits.
The project is structured into two main components: comprehensive data analysis and outreach activities, where researchers will investigate whether poor infrastructure creates "lock-in effects" that discourage proper disposal habits, leading to higher management costs for municipalities. Following this analysis, the project will produce an analytical framework and tailored interventions designed to enhance community participation. These findings will be disseminated through a global launching event and knowledge-sharing activities to ensure local decision-makers have the tools to design more impactful waste strategies. Looking forward, the definition of the project scope and its main target areas is one of the upcoming next steps as implementation begins.
Contact: Felipe Dall, project officer, felipe.dallorsoletta [at] un.org (felipe[dot]dallorsoletta[at]un[dot]org)