Designing for Sustainable Recycling Behaviors
- Maryam Richards
- Oct 19, 2025
- 3 min read
When a project combines purpose and design, it hits differently.
Remali was one of those rare moments where design wasn’t just about usability — it was about shifting behavior, improving lives, and inspiring environmental action.
The goal: create a mobile app that motivates low-income communities in Cape Town to recycle more by rewarding their participation.
This is the story of how thoughtful UX, empathy, and behavioral psychology turned a small sustainability idea into a community-changing product.
Background
Remali was designed as solution to Regenize, a Zero Waste Approach to communities in Cape Town-based social enterprise already running physical recycling initiatives.
Regenize’s insight was simple yet powerful:
“People want to do good — but they need to see value in doing it.”
So we built Remali to make recycling tangible. For every bag collected, users earn points they can convert into data, airtime, or essentials.
The design challenge?Make it simple enough for first-time smartphone users, yet engaging enough to sustain habit-forming behavior.
Design Goals
Simplify onboarding and collection tracking
Motivate continuous recycling behavior through gamification
Build community trust and education into the design
Support accessibility for users with limited digital literacy
Design Strategy: Behavioral UX in Action
Our north star was cognitive and emotional simplicity — designing so users feel rewarded, not overwhelmed.
We applied behavioral design principles to each step of the journey:
Positive Reinforcement
Each time users recycled, they saw affirming messages like
“You made an impact today”instead of neutral ones like “Points added.”That single tone shift built emotional connection.
Progress Loops
The home dashboard visualized progress — not in numbers, but in growing leaves 🌱 and color gradients — creating intrinsic motivation through visual dopamine.
Social Proof
We showed stats like “Your community recycled 450kg this week” to strengthen collective accountability — turning individual action into shared pride.
Frictionless Flows
We reduced the onboarding process to three easy steps and eliminated unnecessary text.Users could register via WhatsApp or SMS code — respecting local digital habits.
Key UX Decisions
1. Gamified Dashboard
A simplified card-based layout displaying:
Today’s points
Recycling activity log
“Next pickup day” banner
A motivating daily streak
Why it worked: it turned recycling from a chore into a small daily achievement.
2. Reward Marketplace
Instead of complex navigation, rewards were grouped visually:
Essentials 🛒
Airtime & Data 📱
Community Rewards 💚
Why it worked: users instantly understood the purpose and value behind each category — no need to think, just choose.
3. Educational Nudges
Small contextual popups taught recycling do’s and don’ts (“Plastic bottles must be empty”).These micro-moments made the app both functional and educational without feeling preachy.
Why it worked: users learned by doing, not reading — building long-term habits naturally.
Design System & Visual Identity
The visual identity used green gradients, friendly illustrations, and rounded typography to convey hope, community, and growth.
Impact & Results
💚 +42% Increase in repeat recyclers within the first 3 months (tracked via community pilot)💚 +28% improvement in recycling literacy based on follow-up surveys💚 Reduced drop-offs by simplifying onboarding from 8 screens → 3💚 Increased community engagement through group leader referrals
These numbers weren’t just metrics — they were stories of people realizing that small actions add up.
My Role
UX Research & Strategy
User Journey Mapping
Wireframes & Interactive Prototypes
Usability Testing with community members
Visual & Interaction Design
Design System Documentation
Collaborated closely with the Regenize team, developers, and community leaders to ensure the design was culturally relevant and accessible.
What I Learned
Designing for sustainability taught me that behavioral change isn’t driven by information — it’s driven by emotion.
When people feel seen and rewarded, they don’t just use a product — they adopt a mission.
And that’s where UX becomes something bigger than usability. It becomes human empowerment.
Final Reflection
Remali reminded me why I love design: it’s not about pixels; it’s about purpose.
Good design doesn’t just make users click — it makes them care.And when design meets empathy, even small screens can create big change.
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