SBRI challenge: Increasing household recycling practice in NI

Funding for persuasive technologies that could increase household recycling rates

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) are running a new Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition focused on increasing household recycling practice through the novel use of persuasive technologies.

In the past two years, household recycling rates have plateaued and remain below the levels needed to deliver on future challenging NI, UK and global targets. Rates vary widely across Northern Ireland, but overall levels of waste generated are rising. 

Contamination also remains widespread, with 85% of Northern Ireland citizens putting items in the recycling that are not accepted. A step change in household recycling activity is urgently needed to:

• increase the quantity of household recycling
• increase the quality of recycling activity by reducing contamination

To achieve the step change needed in recycling rates, sophisticated behavioural change interventions will be needed.

This competition seeks to establish how persuasive technologies, such as websites, chatbots, and social media and app interventions, can be used to change attitudes and behaviours through persuasion and social influence.

This competition seeks solutions which will deliver one or more pilot initiatives in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council region, using different types of relevant persuasive technologies that can demonstrate change in the waste recycling behaviour of households.

This competition has a total budget of £125,000 (ex VAT) for SBRI Phase 1 work.

It is anticipated that at least the three highest scoring bidders will be selected, with each receiving an amount in accordance with their bid, but subject to a maximum amount per bidder of £41,666 (ex VAT).

Read the competition brief to find out more about this SBRI challenge.

First published 25 October 2023