In a recent episode of the “Featured Fellows” series on the Colectivo Podcast, our host, Valentina Martingell, sits down with Colectivo Fellow Eniola Falana to explore a fascinating intersection: how environmental design and behavioural science shape our daily habits.
When organisations or policymakers attempt to tackle sustainability challenges, such as plastic pollution, energy waste, or carbon reduction, their first instinct is often to launch educational campaigns. We assume that if we give people enough information, stats, and logical arguments, they will naturally alter their daily habits.
However, behavioural science reveals a significant gap between human intentions and actual actions. Eniola explains that human behaviour is not dictated solely by individual traits or moral convictions. Instead, it is heavily shaped by the physical, social, and structural context of our immediate environment.
The Power of Environment: The Queuing Equation
To illustrate this systemic reality, Eniola shares a highly practical and relatable public system example: queuing behaviours in Nigeria and abroad.
In some public transit and administrative environments, queuing breaks down entirely. Individuals push forward, cut lines, and scramble to secure their place. It is easy to look at this behaviour in isolation and make a moral judgement, blaming the individuals for a lack of civic discipline.
However, Eniola demonstrates that this behaviour is a rational response to a poorly designed environment. When a system lacks clear physical boundaries, visible processes, and consistent enforcement, individuals quickly realise that waiting patiently carries a high risk of being bypassed entirely. The environment actively rewards aggressive behaviour.
In contrast, when the physical layout of a space includes distinct pedestrian barriers, digital ticketing systems, and clear, visible signals of progress, the exact same individuals queue calmly and systematically. The human beings have not changed; the design of the environment has. The structure of the space makes order the easiest, safest, and most natural choice.
This comparison reveals a fundamental lesson for sustainability practitioners: if you want people to adopt a new, sustainable habit, you must redesign the environment so that the positive choice is easier to perform than the negative one.
Implementing the EAST Framework for Positive Change
To help organisations design effective, human-centred interventions, Eniola and Valentina discuss the application of the highly practical EAST framework. Developed by the Behavioural Insights Team, this model suggests that to encourage any positive behaviour, you must make it Easy, Attractive, Social, and Timely.
1. Make it Easy
Human beings are biologically wired to take the path of least resistance. If a sustainable action requires extra steps, complex decisions, or physical effort, participation will remain low.
How might this be considered in a business context? If your goal is to reduce single-use plastic cups in the office, do not simply ask employees to bring reusable mugs from home and wash them in a distant sink. Instead, place clean, attractive reusable cups directly next to the coffee machine, and position a convenient, visible return bin right below it. By removing friction, you make the sustainable choice the easiest default action.
2. Make it Attractive
Our attention is highly selective. To compete with established habits, sustainable alternatives must stand out visually and offer a rewarding user experience.
How might this be considered in a business context? Use clear, engaging visual design rather than long, text-heavy instructional signs. If you are introducing a new waste separation system, use bright, distinctive colour-coding and highly intuitive icons that instantly signal where items belong.
3. Make it Social
We are deeply social creatures who look to the actions of others to guide our own behaviour. If a behaviour is perceived as normal and visible within our peer group, we are significantly more likely to adopt it.
How might this be considered in a business context? Highlight and celebrate the positive habits of your internal "Green Champions." Rather than scolding employees who do not participate, publicly share stories of teams that have successfully reduced their waste footprints. Making positive habits visible turns sustainability from a top-down mandate into a shared cultural norm.
4. Make it Timely
Behavioural interventions are most effective when they occur at the exact moment a decision is being made, or during periods of natural organisational transition.
How might this be considered in a business context? Prompt employees to consider their paper usage at the exact moment they click "print" on their computers, rather than sending a monthly email reminder about office sustainability goals.
The Takeaway for Business Leaders
By analysing the context of your workflows, removing physical friction, and designing clear, attractive visual cues, you can make sustainable choices feel more natural for your teams, suppliers, and clients alike.
Are you ready to redesign your workplace environment to encourage sustainable habits? Get in touch with Colectivo today to learn how our Activate and behavioural science-led programmes can help you design physical and cultural spaces that make positive change intuitive for your workforce.
👉 Listen to Episode 3 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2t2UuQ4PtfcxrmAbWpD8Mz?si=9oIHzlB6QzKXcZnCgi4Waw
