Learning from tracking waste: How transparent trash networks affect sustainable attitudes and behavior

Building on top of an experiment in tracking the movement of trash, we tested whether viewing this sensor data would change peoples' sustainability attitudes and behaviors. We showed subjects real-time maps of trash tagged with networked GPS sensors, and surveyed them before and after seeing this information. Our results show that subjects did not significantly change their behavior in the long run, but they reported better understanding of where their trash went and how tracking technologies worked. Those who participated in deploying sensors reacted differently on some questions from those who had not volunteered. This study illustrates both limits and new opportunities for the Internet of Things to improve sustainability outreach and action at the grassroots level.