Traffic light label for instant packaging information

Problem: Most consumer goods are unnecessarily wrapped in too much packaging, which produces much waste and aggravates climate change.

Solution: In Ecuador, a “traffic light” system stating simple health indicators was introduced in 2013. These stickers were very successful in changing consumer behavior and thus industry processes. We propose to use this simple, instant method to create a similar consumption change, only in terms of packaging: Indicators for amount of packaging, recyclability or compostability and how (un)necessary the packaging is will help consumers to make better decisions.

Impact: This system will raise awareness amongst consumers and change consumer behavior. Through different consumption patterns, companies will be forced to change their packaging if they want to stay competitive. Much unnecessary packaging can be avoided and more environmentally friendly types of packaging will be promoted and will thus spread more widely and become more common, helping the environment immensely.

Worldwide, more than 2 million tons of waste are produced, of which a big percentage is not recycled, a part is not recyclable and much of it is not biodegradable or compostable. Ecuador produces around 73.000 tons of waste per year, of which less than 5% is recycled and over 60% are not processed in a responsible way, meaning they are dumped in rivers, forests or open areas, thus contaminating soil, water and air.

People affected: All 17 million Ecuadorians are affected by this contamination, but potentially, since pollution does not know country boundaries, one could say that all 8 billion inhabitants of earth are affected by the problems caused by the incredible amount of waste created worldwide.

Contributing factors: The Ecuadorian government already successfully implemented one traffic light system. The Ministry of Public Health managed to plan and implement the process by obligating large and medium-sized companies to add the sticker to their product. There is no reason why the Ministry of Environment would not be able to pull off a similar feat. Additionally, Ecuadorian citizens are already used to the system, support it and should adapt to it very easily.

I would like to pair the proposed traffic light system with a structured behavior change campaign using the “Ranas” system. This model based on psychological applied research first examines the target group, seeking to understand knowledge, attitude, perceived personal risk, social influences and norms, self-efficacy and self-regulations factors. Once these factors are understood, the resulting interventions and behavior change message are adapted to the target group for maximum impact. Every step of the way, the particular needs, opinions and characteristics are taken into account.

To avoid further climate change and environmental pollution is a need for every citizen of earth, and should be one of our foremost priorities. Without unpolluted soil, air and water, humans will not be able to survive. Companies should finally be obliged to do their share to ensure that we will all have an earth to live on in the future.

This solution will primarily serve Ecuadorians, however, scaling up of an exemplary project to any other country will be easy, thus potentially serving every citizen of earth.

Problem: Consumer goods are mostly unnecessarily wrapped in too much packaging. The amount of plastic that is used in packaging aggravates climate change and adds to our already dire problem of too much unrecycled waste (over 2 million tons are produced worldwide, and over 90% of all plastic waste is not recycled!). Consumers are often just used to grabbing the same items as always, not thinking about the environmental impact of the item, nor of its packaging.

Solution: The impact of the nutritional traffic light label that the Ecuadorian government introduced in 2013 was immense. The traffic lights indicate, using the colors red, yellow and green in bubbles with the respective wording, whether the product is high, low or medium in salt, fat and sugar. This simple technique has lead to such a change in consumer behavior, that even big corporations like coca-cola decided to bring less sugar-intense products on the market in Ecuador. We propose to use this simple, instant method to create a similar consumption change, only in terms of packaging: One bubble indicates how much packaging in terms of layers and weight is used (depending on the number of layers and the weight of the packaging compared to the type and weight of product, e.g. when noodles are wrapped in a plastic bag and then in another carton or different plastic wrap); one bubble states whether it is non-recyclable (red), recyclable (yellow) or compostable (green) and the third bubble shows whether the packaging was completely unnecessary (red, e.g. when a pineapple has been sliced and packed in plastic or a coconut is wrapped in plastic), relatively unnecessary (e.g. several apples together in one bag) or necessary (e.g. canned tuna).

Impact: The traffic light system for packaging will raise awareness amongst consumers and change consumer behavior. Through different consumption patterns, companies will be forced to change their packaging if they want to stay competitive. Much unnecessary packaging can be avoided and more environmentally friendly types of packaging will be promoted, will thus spread more widely and become more common. Environmentally, this is a valuable and big positive impact.

Product: A simple sticker which every company will be obliged to add to their product.

Technology: The content of the sticker is decided with a simple evaluation process. Randomized trials will identify whether the companies are using the correct descriptions and colors.

The traffic light system already exists successfully in Ecuador, but applied to health information. The innovative part of the approach is its application to packaging, that is, an environmental aspect to inform consumer behavior. Another innovative aspect is the pairing of the traffic light approach with a structured behavior change strategy, ensuring maximum possible impact on consumption and its adaptation to the respective target group. The more consumer behavior changes, the more will companies see themselves forced to change their packaging.

2013, the traffic light system for nutritional health of food items has been introduced. At a glance, consumers can make informed decisions which has had a big impact on consumption patterns: For example, soft drink consumption decreased from 50 to 40 liters per person per year, prompting Coca-Cola to change the types of products on the local market to sugar-free (for more information, see here). Acceptance of the system has been widespread (see here), making the system a quick and easy but highly influential method to create behavior change. Once consumer behavior changes, companies offering those products have little chance but to change what they offer in order to stay competitive. 

Environmental behavior change may have less of an initial personal risk awareness than health issues. Therefore, a supplemental behavior change campaign is proposed. The model "Ranas" has been proven to induce behavior change of up to 80% changed behavior in more than 70 international publications (see here). It has so far been used in more than 30 countries worldwide and will ensure maximum impact of the proposed traffic light label for environmental packaging. 

The current active traffic light system is not implemented by me. The Ministry of Public Health is serving with this system everyone buying any items from supermarkets and shops, thus the great majority of Ecuadorian citizens.

Once this system could be set up for packaging, it will equally be serving the majority of the 17 million Ecuadorians.

In the long run, the example can be easily implemented in any country worldwide, potentially influencing consumers and industry alike, worldwide.

Impact is easy to measure, since sales and statistics of sold products in supermarkets and shops is quite easily available. Whether the industry changes packaging is also a direct and available measure showing the environmental impact (in tons of material saved per year in comparison to anterior years). 

The social impact is the created additional awareness, change in attitude and perception, through the provided information directly on the label and through the behavior change campaign. This can be measured through online questionnaires.

Economical impact will be created through the search of the affected industry for more environmental packaging, providing opportunities for environmental businesses. Growth in this industry should be trackable via economic statistics and simply through new environmental products appearing on the market.

I would like to see the solution running in all of Ecuador within one year, in all of Latin America within five years and worldwide within ten years.

First of all, I need to approach the Ministry of Environment to convince them of the idea. This would be easier with the weight of an organization or a competition behind me, so that the idea does not just come from an individual consultant.

Furthermore, I am convinced that the Ministry would love the idea but would say that they do not have the money to implement something like this. If there were money to create a team or to pay an individual employee, that would for sure move things along.

With the help of the Ministry, the respective policies and regulations will need to be created. This should be easy, simply taking the 2013 feat of the Ministry of Public Health as a guiding example.

This will need to be communicated with the industry, which are then actually the ones responsible of implementing the labels.

Getting recognition from this competition would certainly help things. Other than that, funding has to be found.

The nutritional traffic light labels are already being implemented very successfully in Ecuador, by the Ministry of Public Health. The industry is obliged to meet the respective policies and regulations. Hoewever, the current traffic light labels are purely for health and nutrition purposes, the expansion would be to environmental topics.

I am an individual consultant and work in the field of behavior change. I am also the CEO and one of five founders of Ranas ltd., a swiss-based, internationally active company that provides consultancy services in behavior change for environmental and humanitarian projects.

The main person to move this project forward is me. However, I am supported by a large network, which I would include wherever necessary or beneficial. For example, I have free access to the services of IST research in Ecuador, I receive support from several NGOs working in environmental topics in Ecuador and I know many experts in the field.

My expertise in behavior change and my passion for environmental topics makes me the best person to realize this project. Having had the idea to begin with and being able to lean on an extensive network of experts in the field also works to my advantage.

Ranas ltd. consists of 5 founding members and a network of behavior change experts. Everyone in my company will support me in this project.

It will be essential to work with the Ministry of Environment in Ecuador, because their power to simply oblige the industry to meet the label regulations will make it possible to realize this idea.

Since this is not in itself a business, there is no business model. I would like to help bring this project on its way, and ideally, it runs by itself once it is set up. Through the changes the traffic light system will cause, opportunities for green and innovative businesses will be created.

Kick-off financial aid is needed to convince and enable the Ministry to start the project. Once it runs, there are only minimal costs associated with it. The industries will have to provide labels for their products. Even taxes for environmentally damaging and unnecessary packaging could be iniciated.

I have a real passion for sustainability and environmental solutions. Since starting to work in the field in 2006, I regularly have ideas that could help increase sustainability and whenever I see the opportunity to realize them, I try to achieve that. I think that this particular challenge by MIT could help bring this idea under way, by giving the project credibility, weight and funding. The impact that can be created through this project is potentially really big, in terms of awareness raising and by measurable behavior and consumption pattern changes.

I would mainly like to partner with the Ministry of Environment in Ecuador. They would be the ones with the appropriate power to implement these kinds of regulations and we would be able to access the experience of the Ministry of Public Health more easily. I would like to help initiate the project, support and consult as well as to implement the accompanying behavior change campaign.

For the long-term international implementation, it could be great to get in touch with other official agencies and environmental ministries.