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Your design example doesn't apply because the end user in this case isn't directly effected by their negligence. There is clear evidence that littering is soci
by liamkinne 7y ago
Your design example doesn't apply because the end user in this case isn't directly effected by their negligence.
There is clear evidence that littering is societal. See how clean Japanese cities are despite almost everything being wrapped in plastic.
- jdietrich 7y agoYou won't even see many cigarette butts in Japan, because smokers carry a pocket ashtray.
- new299 7y agoSmoking culture in Japan appears to discourage smoking outside. In many places smoking outside is illegal. However some trains, many shopping centers and most restaurants have designated smoking areas. As such you’re somewhat less likely to see cigarette butts on the street in Japan in any case.
- TeMPOraL 7y agoYup. Also, when smoking outside, people do have a strong incentive to dump the butt ASAP, whether there's a trash can in sight or not - cigarette butts are dirty, smell really bad (even for smokers' standards), and can foil clothing.
- CydeWeys 7y agoYou know those little smoking enclosures that some airports have? Yeah, those are all over Japan outside (albeit not air-tight ones). You only see people smoking in them or in buildings where smoking is allowed, commonly bars. It's a pretty great way of controlling cigarette butt litter, actually.
- cfarm 7y agoAgree. I think you need to assume that people will litter. I think changing the material to something that can decompose would be a better approach. Maybe if the government gave some sort of subsidy to make the private companies do this?
- forgotmypw3 7y agoJapanese cities and streets may look clean, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that Japan still contributes a big chunk to the world's plastic pollution through "leaks" in the system.
- TeMPOraL 7y agoHow much street cleaning staff do Japanese employ? Anyway, the example still works. Even if littering was purely societal, on the timescale of years society is fixed. It doesn't change. You can't suddenly convince people to pretty please change social norms. Your options are either a) get a law in place that directly addresses undesired behavior, which is not free and works only to the degree you'll enforce it, or b) stop playing off the obvious failure mode of your society for your personal gains.
- CydeWeys 7y agoI'm leaving Japan right now after having spent a week here and I definitely saw a noticeable number of people cleaning up litter. The best was an old man pulling a map out of the mouth of a Nara deer that was eating it, then scolding the deer like it was a dog. So yeah, even the deer are taking care of litter, even if they shouldn't be. I also saw a bunch of them eating the paper ribbons that the deer crackers come packaged in.