Uncovering recycling behaviour in Barcelona: A UX Research Study
Uncovering recycling behaviour in Barcelona: A UX Research Study
Understanding the recycling landscape
The research began with a desk research and benchmarking analysis, with the goal of understanding the problem, exploring existing solutions in the market, and generating initial hypotheses to guide the process.
After reviewing various recycling apps and campaigns, two main trends were identified:
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One focused on helping users correctly identify waste types and the corresponding bin, reducing confusion.
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The other aimed at motivating users to recycle — especially plastics — through incentives or rewards.
Identifying interview targets
I began by mapping the recycling ecosystem using a Travis Matrix, in order to identify the most relevant and accessible user groups.
Two segments emerged:
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Primary users: environmentally aware individuals who still struggle with recycling in practice.
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Secondary users: highly committed recyclers who go beyond the basics and actively promote sustainable habits within their communities.
Based on the primary user group, I created a proto-persona to define the target profile for the interviews.
Interviews
The goal of the interviews was to identify the types of challenges users face in their daily efforts to recycle.
The interviews revealed the following insights:
- Users struggle to identify the materials that some packaging or wrappers are made of.
- Some users are unfamiliar with the symbols/icons that indicate how to recycle packaging.
- Difficulties inserting waste into containers.
- Accumulation of waste around bins makes access difficult.
- Issues related to the location and opening hours of recycling centers (Green points).
- Lack of space at home to properly sort and store recyclable waste.
- Bad odors from organic waste and the small amount generated make it less likely to be recycled correctly.
- Lack of awareness about apps or blogs focused on recycling and reuse.
It’s important to recycle to contribute to caring for the environment
Bio
Juan has been working as a teacher for eight years. His environmental awareness stems from reading and watching news stories about the problems plastics and microplastics cause for the environment and wildlife.
Motivations
- Contribute to environmental care..
- Reduce your ecological footprint..
- Reduce expenses.
Carlos
29 years old • Teacher • Barcelona
Behavior
- He throws away the trash 2-3 days a week.
- He pours cooking oil down the drain.
- He doesn’t seek information on how he can improve his recycling process.
- He collects the selective collection waste in one bin, and in another, he mixes the non-selective collection waste with organic matter.
- He separates the selective collection waste when he’s in front of the containers.
- If there’s any waste he doesn’t know which container it should go in, he throws it in the one he thinks it should go, even though it may not be the correct one.
- He shops online, so he generates a lot of cardboard-related waste.
Goals
- Generate less waste.
- Consume less.
- Recycle as much as possible.
Frustrations
- He has trouble identifying what materials some waste is made of.
- He doesn’t have enough space in his home to separate waste into glass, plastic, paper and cardboard, organic waste, and other waste.
- The recycling centers are far from his home.
- Sometimes he finds the bins full.
The challenges I need to solve
The research revealed three key challenges faced by environmentally conscious individuals:
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Limited access to recycling centers: items such as used oil or broken appliances must be taken to puntos verdes, which are often too far away or have inconvenient opening hours.
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Difficulty identifying materials: many users struggle to recognize what material certain items are made of, making it hard to know which bin to use.
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Issues with organic waste at home: since small amounts of organic waste tend to accumulate and produce bad odors, it becomes harder for users to separate and recycle them properly.
Creating Value for Users
I created a Value Proposition Canvas to ensure the product would address the users’ needs. Key insights included:
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User Job: Enable users to recycle more and care for the environment.
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User Pain: Difficulty in learning new recycling and material identification systems.
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User Gain: Ability to recycle more effectively, contribute to environmental protection, and share recycling knowledge.
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Value Map: The product provides recycling tips and a points-based reward system to make recycling engaging.
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Fit: Success is achieved when users can easily identify the correct bin, find recycling centers, and manage organic waste without odors.
Value Proposition Canvas
Reflections & Learnings
Through this project, I learned how to conduct user research and apply methodologies effectively to uncover real user problems and define meaningful requirements.
Reflecting on it, I realized that focusing on a specific neighborhood rather than the whole city could have revealed local differences in recycling challenges, allowing for a more tailored and impactful solution.
Understanding the context and environment of users is just as important as identifying their needs — small contextual differences can significantly influence the effectiveness of a design solution.