Holy Crap

Unsorted waste is a major problem. In places like Nepal, only a fraction is recycled, while most of it is burnt or dumped. It has resulted in disease among populations, a polluted environment and a huge loss of valuable materials. Pim van Baarsen has come up with ‘Holy Crap’, an incentive scheme to promote waste separation, awareness and recycling. Within Pim’s initial system, which continues to evolve and is ultimately intended for licensing, families in Kathmandu use differently coloured bags for different types of recyclables. Every bag earns them credits to purchase products or services, like credit for their phones. But as Pim and his fellow developers are finding out, the possibilities for the reward system are numerous.