Making fun out of rubbish

A couple of weeks ago, I brought to your notice – in the form of stairs being transformed into piano keys – a new theory called The Fun Theory, which investigates how making something more enjoyable can change behaviour for the better.

Take littering, for example. How many times have you seen someone just carelessly throwing away wrappers on the ground even when there is a litter bin nearby? Is it possible to make people actually want to pick up litter just because the bin makes a sound? Can it really be that simple?

Apparently – the answer is yes.

And although the novelty might wear off in a few weeks, perhaps this could be solved by having a number of random noises coming from the bin. And, in the long run, this might be enough to change our patterns of behaviour.

I hope so – because anything else would be… well … rubbish!