Tales from the Road: Petaluma Reuseable Cup Project
The team at Catapult Insights has been hard at work understanding how people think about sustainability. Most recently, we went to Petaluma, California to explore an exciting program many of the town’s cafés and QSRs were participating in: a reusable cup program which aims to reduce waste and promote a more eco-friendly existence.
The basic premise is that various establishments around town collectively joined forces to use special, new cups that were designed to be returned, washed, and reused in place of single-use, disposable cups. Collection bins were placed in various high-traffic locations in addition to in and around the stores that opted into the program.
Not only is the program itself a refreshing attempt at waste-reduction, but it’s also a fascinating opportunity to examine the human elements that would determine program success. The Catapult Insights team spent time on the ground observing patrons and engaging directly in discussions about the program. We focused on perceptions, understanding, and behavioral elements that each played a role in if, when, and how individuals would participate.
Understanding people works best by listening and watching, because what they say doesn’t always match what they do! Like so many instances, having a research team present allowed us to parse through noise to understand the signal, which gave us the insights needed to explain the program’s participation rates and develop strategies to engrain within consumers’ routines.
In the end, our time in Petaluma was filled with insight and fun, and while the pilot program has concluded we anticipate we haven’t seen the last of this concept.
JUSTIN SUTTON
CO-FOUNDER
CATAPULT INSIGHTS