UCL MSc students win Behavioural Economics Marathon

How might we get eighteen-to-twenty-four year olds to repair, recycle or pass on their tech using behaviour change ideas? This was the brief given to students as part of the Behaviour Environmental Economics Team's 'Time after Time' Marathon, organised with Hubbub and O2/Virgin.

The final award was given by Warwick Enterprise and one of the two teams comprised of Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment MSc Students from the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources won the final prize. Hubbub briefed students about the specific task of the marathon in February 2023 and the teams honed their ideas and presentations for the big pitch day in June in Somerset House, London. 

Hubbub noted:

“We heard some amazing ideas that brought together behavioural science frameworks with creativity and flair - using students' favourite supermarkets, food takeout apps and social media platforms to make repair, recycle, and reuse the easy and attractive option. The UCL team won with a great pitch about utilising apprenticeships and social media to make repair easier, more accessible and part of the norm.

This close contest was judged by a panel with Rob McCann from Virgin Media O2, Lucas Graeff Buhl-Nielsen from student circularity platform Hazaar, Emily Emiru from VMO2's Youth Advisory Council and Eric Saldanha from Hubbub's design team. The judging panel thanked Lorenzo Lotti (UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources), Lory Barile (BEET) and Warwick Enterprise (University of Warwick), who helped support the students and put on the event. 

Links

• Learn more about the overall project to change behaviour in the use of electronics.
• Learn more about the Behavioural Economics and Game Theory for the Environment module in the Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment MSc.

Image credit: iStock.com