Consumer insights through a customer journey study for Wecycle

Under the name Wecycle, the OPEN Foundation runs campaigns to encourage the collection of electrical waste in the Netherlands. Electrical waste includes all discarded electrical appliances, large and small, lighting, and batteries. In this way, the OPEN Foundation fulfills the legal producer responsibility for e-waste. There are 13,000 Wecycle collection points in the Netherlands, such as municipal recycling centers, petting zoos, and (thrift) stores.

Despite a significant increase in collection in recent years, more will be needed to achieve the legal targets and make the Netherlands more circular. This has prompted the OPEN Foundation to gain a better understanding of the various consumer life events that occur and the types of electrical waste that arise during those periods.

"The research identified specific market segments with their own target groups. This allows campaigns to be purchased much more efficiently and developed on a 'tailor-made' basis."
- Jacqueline Reinders, Marketing Coordinator, OPEN Foundation

The research was conducted using a so-called 'qualitative-quantitative' approach. First, an online community was set up to obtain qualitative insights. These results were then quantified through quantitative online research among 1,062 Dutch people aged 18 or older. The research shows that a large majority of Dutch people have mainly positive associations with a circular economy, sustainability, and environmental friendliness, despite the fact that a large majority are unfamiliar with the term e-waste. The term e-waste has therefore been replaced by electrical waste. However, the most important finding was that the life event of moving house (particularly house clearances and moves due to divorce and cohabitation) generates the most discarded appliances and lamps. Information was also obtained about, among other things, the types of collection points and the motives for returning or not returning items.

With insight into consumer life events, the goal was to ensure Wecycle had an effective presence at the right moments with the right message. In this way, the organization wants to respond even better to the awareness of consumers who are dealing with e-waste at specific moments. Research showed, among other things, that most Dutch people are positive about a national day for handing in e-waste. In addition to National Wecycle Week, which has been in existence since 2019, Wecycle has now also planned a national day for cleaning up the (home) office for 2023.

“In this study, we also focused on the main drivers and barriers that Dutch consumers have when it comes to returning their (old) electrical appliances. By identifying these insights, we were able to identify opportunities and then translate them into targeted recommendations for Stichting OPEN.”
– Tanya Sahin, Research Expert Markteffect 

After all, there is also a lot of e-waste to be found in the workplace. The majority of Dutch people have a positive view of this 'clean up your (home) office day', when all e-waste in the office or home workplace can be handed in at once. Wecylce has actively set to work with the results, and in January 2023, the always-on campaign focused on electrical waste during specific moving times will run on the platform watismijnapparaatwaard.nl.