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Sustainable awareness in the university:
analysis of Reciclos program at
Complutense University of Madrid
Sensibilización sostenible en la universidad: análisis
del programa Reciclos en la Universidad Complutense
de Madrid
Eva Citlali Martínez Estrella
*
Abstract
Currently, the dimensions of sustainability should be ingrained in the
DNA of universities (Tilbury, 2010). Universities should promote an
increase in awareness of sustainability. This article evaluates student
participation in the "Reciclos" recycling program at UCM and their
level of awareness of sustainable development. Additionally, the
relationship between sustainability and the application of storydoing
is presented to motivate users to move from theory to action (Luque
de Marcos and Baraybar, 2018; Schiller, 2018). A content analysis
is conducted on TikTok, and a survey is administered (N=150). The
results highlight key factors for achieving sustainable
communication. It is found that young people prefer useful content
such as hacks, and although they have a high level of ecological
consciousness, they are unaware of the dimensions of sustainable
development.
Keywords: sustainable development, university, environmental
sensibility, urban youth
* Investigadora y experta en
comunicación. Se especializa en
desarrollo sostenible, Universidad
Complutense de Madrid. Facultad de
Comercio y Turismo, evacmart@ucm.es,
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6599-1050
Article
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Resumen
Actualmente, las dimensiones de la sostenibilidad deberían formar
parte del ADN de las Universidades (Tilbury, 2010). Las
universidades deben impulsar el aumento de una conciencia sobre la
sostenibilidad. Este artículo evalúa la participación de los
estudiantes en el programa de reciclaje “Reciclos” en la UCM y su
nivel de concienciación sobre desarrollo sostenible. Asimismo, se
presenta la relación entre la sostenibilidad y la aplicación de un
storydoing para motivar que el usuario pase de la teoría a la acción
(Luque de Marcos and Baraybar, 2018; Schiller, 2018). Se realiza un
análisis de contenido en TikTok y se aplica una encuesta (N=150).
Como resultado se muestran las claves para realizar una
comunicación sostenible. Se encuentra que los jóvenes prefieren
contenidos útiles como hacks y aunque tienen un alto nivel de
conciencia ecológica, desconocen las dimensiones del desarrollo
sostenible.
Palabras clave: desarrollo sostenible, universidad, sensibilización
ambiental, joven urbano.
Introduction
Spain has become the third EU country that has increased its plastic
packaging waste recycling rate the most in the last decade. In 2019,
each Spanish citizen recycled 13.2 kg of plastic packaging from the
household, which is almost 1 kg more per capita than the previous
year and ten times more than in 2000 (Ministry for Ecological
Transition and the Demographic Challenge, 2020). Then, in 2022,
708,596 plastic packaging, 666,344 pieces of paper, 243,360 pieces
of metal; 112,431 briks; 9,012 wooden objects were recycled in
Spain. In total, 1,627,313 tons of recycled products were recycled
(Ecoembes, 2022).
The recycling data in Spain shows people are more aware of the
issue, but there are still problems in waste management and the
inadequate Infrastructure in the country. Another problem is the
contamination of recyclable waste. The incorrect sorting of different
materials, such as mixing plastic, paper, and glass, can lead to
contamination, reducing the quality and value of recyclables. This
can make the recycling process less efficient (Greenpeace, 2019).
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The reality is the need to improve and promote recycling actions in
Spain, because in addition to having more containers in the streets,
it is also necessary to achieve greater understanding of the issue
among the population. To achieve a change in behavior, joint actions
are needed between the government, companies, schools and
citizens. In this context, the university represents a potential agent of
change to achieve social transformation, because it has the capacity
to directly or indirectly influence the values and attitudes of
individuals.
The theory establishes that the university should have the interest to
solve its own environmental impacts, making its practice coherent
with its principles. Therefore, it should provide students with
knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that allow them to be trained
with respect to the environment within the schemes of sustainable
development. To achieve social change requires educational
participation. Universities are instrumental in educating and
equipping the next generation of leaders, professionals, and scholars
with the knowledge and skills needed to address sustainability
challenges. They can engage with local stakeholders, including
businesses, government bodies, community organizations, and
citizens, to address sustainability challenges collectively.
Consequently, universities can support local sustainability goals,
participate in regional development plans, and drive positive change
beyond their campus boundaries (Wals, 2014 and Tilbury, 2010).
Nowadays, the sustainability values should be part of the
institutional purposes of the university and part of their DNA
(Tilbury, 2010). Additionally, universities can engage in advocacy
efforts to raise awareness about sustainability challenges and
promote sustainable practices among their stakeholders and society
at large.
The objective of this paper is to analyze the students' participation in
“Reciclos” program created by Ecoembes, a non-profit organization
in Spain, who is dedicated to the promotion and coordination of
recycling and the eco-efficient management of packaging waste. The
case of study is focused on the implementation that Reciclos had at
the Complutense University of Madrid (CUM), a public education
institution in Spain. Furthermore, this study analyzes the profile of
Ecoembes on TikTok, because that is one of the social media most
used by college students. Also, the research shows the relation
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between storydoing and sustainability; adding some keys for making
a sustainable communication.
This essay uses as a starting point the theoretical review of three
thematic axes: sustainable communication, storytelling & storydoing
and Z Generation characteristics. Also, it should be noted that the
“Reciclos” activity promotes two SDGs and contributes to the 2030
Agenda goals. These are SDG 13- Climate action, and SDG 17-
Partnerships to achieve the goals.
Ecoembes bases its activity on public-private collaboration to
coordinate a collective response to an increasingly strong social
demand: to advance the circularity of packaging. To this end, it
generates alliances between civil society and organizations such as
companies and schools. Ecoembes described that they provide
several advantages for the environment:
● Packaging waste recycling: one of the primary advantages of
Ecoembes is its contribution to packaging waste recycling.
● Circular economy promotion: The organization encourages the
design of sustainable packaging and supports the
implementation of eco-design principles by companies. This
helps to minimize waste generation and promote a more
sustainable and resource-efficient economy.
● Environmental education and awareness: The organization
develops initiatives to inform and engage citizens, schools, and
businesses about the importance of recycling, waste reduction,
and sustainable consumption. By raising awareness and
promoting responsible behaviors, Ecoembes helps to foster a
culture of environmental stewardship and encourage individuals
and organizations to take action for the environment. This is the
activity that the organization started at the Complutense
University of Madrid.
● Collaboration and partnerships: They facilitate cooperation and
knowledge sharing, fostering innovation and best practices in
waste management and recycling.
● Environmental impact reduction: Through its recycling efforts,
the organization helps to reduce the environmental impact
associated with the extraction and production of virgin materials
used in packaging. These actions are aligned to the principles of
sustainable development and support Spain's efforts to mitigate
climate change and preserve biodiversity.
(Ecoembes, 2023).
Overall, Ecoembes has several advantages for the environment in
Spain, including increased recycling rates, promotion of the circular
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economy, environmental education, collaboration with stakeholders,
and a reduced environmental impact. The organization activities
contribute to a more sustainable approach to packaging waste
management, supporting Spain's transition towards a greener and
more resource-efficient society.
1.1. The relationship between universities and sustainable
development
First, sustainable development is briefly conceptualized. According
to the United Nations (UN), sustainable development is "meeting the
needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs" (2020). It consists of
three dimensions and in a balanced manner seeks to achieve:
economic development, social development and environmental
protection (UN, 2020).
The definition proposed by the UN is the dominant one, because it
integrates the word sustain from three approaches: social, economic
and ecological, considering that when something is sustainable, it
means that from the three points of view it proposes mechanisms to
raise the quality of life of the population; to conserving and restoring
natural resources, maintaining ecological processes, taking care of
biological diversity, gender, race and creed equity and pursuing the
responsible distribution of resources. The idea of sustainable
development is to improve the quality of life of society (UN, 2020).
Sustainable communication's main objective is to support,
encourage, activate and promote sustainable forms of human
development for sustainable societies. It enhances the values of
sustainability, dialogue, people's identity, transparency, legitimacy,
governance; it creates community and increases the sustainability of
the system as a whole (Belz, Peattie & Galí, 2013; Gili, 2017). A
sustainable communication must have the power to transcend
between public and scientific opinion.
Regarding the participation of sustainable communication in the
university system, it helps to raise awareness among students,
faculty, staff, and the wider university community about
sustainability challenges, opportunities, and solutions. Educational
institutions have the power to contribute to shaping public opinion,
influencing policies, and driving positive change beyond their
campus boundaries, because they have the potential to be leaders in
the transition to a sustainable society.
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On the other hand, Wals (2014) shows that there is a lot of
enthusiasm and interest within universities in relation to their
involvement in initiatives towards sustainable development. This
involvement has led to the emergence of competitiveness in terms of
their environmental performance through evaluation and recognition
systems (Grindsted, 2011).
Since 2017, Complutense University of Madrid (CUM) has
promoted environmental programs, projects and services with the
aim of reducing energy and water consumption, reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable mobility and
recycling. In addition, the Complutense University of Madrid has
once again been evaluated in the world ranking of Green Universities
and the result revalidates the Complutense as the first Spanish
University to be sustainable, and has the 31st place worldwide,
among the 1,050 universities in 85 countries that have participated
in this new edition of the ranking. This fact recognizes the effort
made by CUM to reduce its carbon footprint in order to contribute
to the fight against global climate change.
1.2. Storytelling and storydoing faced sustainable
communication
Currently, there is an evolution in communication platforms and
consequently the way of transmitting the message changes, both in
the form of the content and in the communication channels used. In
recent years, digital networks are considered the main platforms to
get information to reach young people and have greater reach
(Hansen, 2017).
Therefore, social media platforms offer powerful tools for
sustainable communication because organizations can leverage
visual media, such as images, videos, and animations, have the
opportunity to raise awareness about sustainability issues and engage
with audiences. Campaigns can encourage user-generated content,
such as sharing eco-friendly practices or participating in
sustainability challenges. Also, digitalization avoids the unnecessary
generation of waste.
An efficient way to transmit a message is through storytelling
(Castelló, 2019). It is necessary to create creative content to have the
audience's attention. This approach allows for a more comprehensive
exploration of sustainability issues by leveraging different media,
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such as films, websites, social networks, games and interactive
experiences.
The relationship between sustainability and storytelling is
multifaceted and interconnected, because it offers a powerful
framework for communicating sustainability by enabling the
diffusion of information, promoting engagement, and fostering a
deeper understanding of complex sustainability issues (Leal &
Consorte-McCrea, 2018).
The use of this narrative allows exploring the application of
storydoing, a narrative technique that through the visualization of
actions or experiences, manages to provide social meaning and
increase the credibility of the organization. Storydoing refers to the
practice of organizations actively embodying and living out their
values and narratives through meaningful actions. The purpose of
storydoing is to create an experience that is easily remembered by
the user and at the same time communicates the values and purposes
of the organization executing the campaign (Luque de Marcos and
Baraybar, 2018).
The concept of storydoing can help to overcome cognitive barriers
associated with sustainability. Hahn et al. (2014) highlight that
managers often face paradoxical cognitive frames when addressing
sustainability issues, such as the tension between environmental
protection and economic performance. Storydoing can provide a
cognitive frame that integrates these seemingly contradictory aspects
by reframing sustainability as a strategic opportunity. Through
storydoing sustainable actions can be promoted and organizations
can reconcile these tensions and develop a more holistic
understanding of sustainability.
1.3. Overview of the Spanish youth: Gen Z
Generation Z, also known as the millennial generation, refers to
those individuals born approximately between 1995 and 2010. In this
case it is a range of young people who are college students, because
they are between 18 and 23 years of age. This generation has grown
up in a world marked by environmental and social challenges, which
has influenced their attitudes and behaviors towards sustainability.
Some studies (Deloitte, 2022; Atrevia and Deusto, 2017; Injuve,
2016) argue that the relationship between Generation Z and
sustainability is close, as this demographic cohort shows a greater
awareness and commitment to environmental protection and the
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search for a sustainable future (Salvatore, 2018). In addition, the
younger Spanish people have a very high recycling rate and show
that they are very aware. In fact, 71% o f them say that it is a source
of pride to recycle packaging correctly and contribute to reducing
the footprint and the impact we leave in our wake (INE, 2023).
The Centennials are "children of technology, of virtual learning"
(Vilanova & Ortega, 2017, p. 1), so their relationship with
technology has changed the paradigm in the communicative
ecosystem. Centennials claim that their information consumption is
focused on social networks and web portals, since traditional media,
such as television, radio and newspapers, do not broadcast the news
they are interested in.
Generation Z has grown up at a time when climate change,
environmental degradation and social inequality have been
prominent issues in the media and society at large. This constant
exposure to global issues has awakened a sense of urgency and
responsibility in Generation Z to address these challenges. A study
by the Nielsen Institute found that 73% of Generation Z consumers
are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services
(Nielsen, 2019). This finding suggests that this generation values
sustainability and considers it important to support companies and
brands that have an ethical and environmentally responsible
approach.
In addition, Generation Z has used social networks and other digital
platforms to voice their concerns and promote sustainability. They
are known for their online activism and their ability to mobilize large
groups of people around social and environmental causes. For
example, the Fridays for Future movement, led by climate activist
Greta Thunberg, has been largely driven by young people from
Generation Z who are demanding concrete action against climate
change.
In Spain, there are more than 8 million young people and 51% of the
centennials consider themselves mobile-dependent and almost 40%
spend between six and ten hours connected (Injuve, 2016). For them,
the phone is the center of their universe, they socialize on the
Internet. However, one of the main disadvantages of the network is
that it forces them to be multitasking or multitasking and this makes
it difficult to pay attention. Although some authors specify that they
are a less mobile-dependent generation, and only identify with
certain social networks, as is the case of Instagram, TikTok and
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Twitch (García-Rivero, Martínez-Estrella and Bonales-Daimiel,
2022).
Materials and methods
This research was developed based on a descriptive non-
experimental methodological design. A documentary review of the
theory on the role of universities in the formation of awareness and
participation in sustainable actions is carried out, specifically at the
Complutense University of Madrid (Spain). This type of review is
used to conduct a descriptive study that aims to collect information
independently of academic concepts (Hernández, 2010).
This information serves to contextualize the participation of the
CUM in the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, the participation
of the Complutense University of Madrid in the Reciclos initiative,
proposed by Ecoembes and dedicated to the recycling of plastic
packaging and cans, is analyzed. With this, the level of participation
of students in the campaign is known and the elements that were used
to have a sustainable communication are also evaluated.
Finally, an exploratory survey was conducted with 150 students,
who were asked how often they recycle, whether or not they
participate in the "Reciclos" program and how they learned about
this activity. Through the survey we can study the behavior of a
sample (Sampieri et al., 2006). It also evaluates their degree of
knowledge about the values that these students have about
sustainable development. The questionnaire was distributed online
through email and institutional profiles on social networks and it was
open from May 18 to 26, 2023, this survey showed that the social
network most used by students is TikTok; therefore, the study
analyzed Ecoembes profile on TikTok.
Based on the work of Stewart & Arnold (2017) for the review of
TikTok 6 qualitative and quantitative attributes were considered,
description of the storytelling, message intent, call to action, reach,
number of views and interaction. The videos chosen correspond to
the use and promotion of the Reciclos machine and those are
compared with the more “famous” videos on that profile. This is with
the intention of knowing the characteristics those have.
Results and Discussion
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3.1. Case study: Reciclos at the Complutense University of
Madrid.
The Complutense University is the first university to install
automated machines in its faculties to collect cans and plastic bottles
for recycling. CUM has thus joined the Reciclos initiative, a Return
and Reward System (RDS) developed by the Ecoembes Association.
To make use of this system, all you have to do is download the free
app Reciclos and scan the barcode on the plastic can or bottle you
want to recycle before throwing it in the bin.
This system means that every time someone recycles their cans and
plastic bottles, they advance awareness of recycling and responsible
consumption, and contribute to social causes. In exchange for
depositing the containers in the machines, students, teachers and
administrative and service staff who register with Reciclos receive
points that can be donated to social and environmental projects such
as Banco de Alimentos (food bank) or Aldeas Infantiles
(entertainment spaces for kids).
Figure 1. Reciclos`s website.
Source: Ecoembes, 2023.
They can also use the points they generate to participate in raffles for
backpacks, electric skates, bicycles, phone accessories, and water
flasks, among other uniquely sustainable products. In this way,
Ecoembes motivates and rewards environmental responsibility.
The collection from the machines is carried out by Ecoembes' partner
companies and thus begins the journey to be recycled and
reintroduced into the consumer chain. The collection trucks do not
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mix waste (a widespread myth), but there are places where the same
trucks and drivers take different routes depending on the day and the
type of waste. They decide which products to transform these
recycled containers into (My Science, 2023).
These recycling actions are addressed in two SDGs. In the case of
SDG 13, the aim is to improve education for citizenship, carrying
out this activity at the university and generating awareness of the
reality and effects of climate change. With SDG 17, the goal is to
promote the development of technologies for the diffusion of
sustainable development, as is the case of the app that is being built
to obtain and accumulate points.
As reported by the CUM Vice Rectorate for Technology and
Sustainability, the project has been a success among students. Data
from April 2023 indicate that more than 8,500 bottles and more than
6,500 cans have already been recycled, thus contributing to the
reduction of the environmental impact of the daily consumption that
takes place on the Complutense campuses. In addition, registered
users of the app have donated 73% of the points obtained to
collective projects, with the remaining 27% going to raffles for
sustainable products (Sostenibilidad UCM, 2023).
Reciclos' activity is sustainable because in addition to caring for the
environment, it seeks to motivate the participation and awareness of
society. The interactive nature of new narratives allows audiences to
become active participants, shaping the story and influencing its
outcomes. Ecoembes contents have interactive elements, such as
online discussions, user-generated content and online contests.
Therefore, they create immersive experiences for the followers, the
keys of a storytelling are applied (Jenkins, 2009; Schiller, 2018).
This fact empowers audiences to take ownership of sustainability
issues. Especially while working with young people, it is important
that they feel empowered and become part of the processes of
change.
3.2. Students participation
On the other hand, 150 CUM students participated in the survey, 80
women and 70 men. The average age of the sample was 21 years old.
It was found that 70% of the sample assured that at the beginning of
the campaign, they used Reciclos because they wanted to win a prize.
However, when they saw that many points were needed, they
decided to donate that amount to social causes, but they were also
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demotivated, as they had the impression that it was not possible to
be able to purchase a sustainable product through the application.
Despite the fact that Ecoembes and the Complutense University of
Madrid carried out a dissemination campaign about the Reciclos
program, 90% of the students stated that they knew about the activity
because they saw the yellow container, but it was not through content
on social networks. Only 3% of the sample follows Ecoembes on
social networks. This means that the students learned about Reciclos
because they saw the machine on campus, not through
communication on social networks.
Figure 3. Reciclos awareness.
Source: Own Elaboration.
They were also asked about the social network they use the most.
Students answered that the one they use the most is TikTok (53%),
followed by Twitch (44%), Instagram (40%) and Twitter (37%). The
use of Linkedin (18%), Facebook (12%) and Youtube (15%) is
lower. Students use these platforms for three actions: 1)
communicating with their friends, 2) entertainment, 3) professional
training and university activities. Nevertheless, sixty-seven percent
of the sample does not follow the university's social networks; they
only get information through the website.
Regarding their knowledge about sustainability values, 85% of the
sample answered that sustainability is only taking care of the
environment, being recycling, hybrid mobility and water care, the
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most repeated actions. In general, students know how to contribute
to environmental care.
It is noteworthy that only 12% mentioned that sustainable
development also implies a social dimension, such as inclusion and
equality between groups. Another interesting fact is that more
women had concrete answers and showed a higher degree of
knowledge about sustainability issues. Finally, 77% affirmed that the
main problem for recycling is the location of the containers, because
it is easier to throw away the waste in the first trash can you find.
Based on the survey results, it is refuted that centennials are
irreverent and although they need to be more practical in sustainable
actions, this work corroborates that they have a wider social
conscience, as it was indicated by the reviewed authors. This is
confirmed by the fact that most students have decided to donate
Reciclos points to help a social interest (Deloitte, 2022; Atrevia and
Deusto, 2017). However, it is found that students in their personal
networks do not follow the university nor Ecoembes. They prefer to
get information through the official websites; this shows that
organizations need to have a communication system that covers
several communication channels and maintain congruence in their
message as Leal & Consorte-McCrea (2018) affirmed in their
research.
Moreover, with the creation of the Reciclos program, the goal was
to get students to perform a concrete action: recycling. For this
reason, Ecoembes focused on building a storydoing, where the only
important thing is to recycle plastic containers and cans correctly; to
motivate participation, a reward system was created. Sustainability
and storydoing share a common foundation in the integration of
values and action. Storydoing goes beyond storytelling, as it
emphasizes the active engagement of organizations in aligning their
actions with their narratives. Similarly, sustainability requires
organizations transform their values into concrete actions that
address social and environmental challenges, like recycling.
The relationship between sustainability and storydoing lies in the
shared emphasis of integrating values and action, fostering
stakeholder engagement, and overcoming cognitive barriers. In this
case, the university and Ecoembes want to achieve a higher
engagement and participation from the students. Nevertheless, the
survey showed that not all the students have a sustainable lifestyle,
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most of them didn’t know which are the 3 dimensions of
sustainability.
Despite CUM is carrying out projects about sustainability, with the
specific case of Reciclos, I believe that there was a lack of joint
content between Ecoembes and the university. Also, they should
adapt the contents to the characteristics that students at CUM have;
for example, they are young people from all over Spain, most of
whom no longer live with their parents, share a student apartment,
use public transportation and have a limited income. A high
percentage of students have to study and work at the same time, so
their time spent in the university facilities is also reduced.
Therefore, the recycling of plastic bottles is limited to the studying
timetable, since no student came to the university carrying containers
brought from home. It should be noted that young people indicated
that they do not recycle because containers are not at hand. This tells
us that they prefer their convenience and that infrastructures also
need to be adjusted to have sufficient containers for recycling. To
achieve this goal, the active participation of more social actors, such
as school boards and the government, is needed.
3.3. @Ecoembes, TikTok Analysis
On the other hand, in the specific analysis of TikTok's profile, it is
found that the contents are more humorous and adopt the visual
trends of the moment, as is the case of using human faces in objects,
as shown in Figure 4. The yellow container becomes the main
character, since they give it a voice, eyes and mouth.
Figure 4. Reciclos machine
Source: Ecoembes, 2023.
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Despite being one of the networks most used by young people, there
is little interaction on Ecoembes TikTok profile. The account has 4,
980 followers and 163.3 K likes. In a follow-up of 11 months (June
2022 to May 2023), only 4 videos were about the Reciclos machine.
These videos had a low interaction rate, as they do not generate
comments among followers and are rarely shared.
Table 1. Videos of Reciclos on Ecoembes TikTok
Date
Like
Share
Views
Comments
Video 1
June/2022
18
0
268
0
Video 2
March/202
3
24
0
720
0
Video 3
March/202
3
19
1
514
1
Video 4
April/2023
23
3
684
0
Source: Own Elaboration
There is no engaging storytelling and the four Reciclos videos only
call for the same action: learning how to use the machine. However,
it does not seek to generate more interaction with users. Given that
centennials are curious people (García-Rviero et al., 2022),
Ecoembes could create videos to explain what is done with the
collected waste and motivate ecological awareness.
The Reciclos narrative consisted of explaining how to use the
machine. No specific content was designed to communicate the
benefits of its reward system, which may have been a mistake. If
they had posted these explanations, it might have been possible to
increase student participation. Mainly, the most important part of the
Reciclos campaign is to have its own container at the university,
which generates visibility about recycling and through the use of the
yellow color, reinforces the identification that this is the correct
container to deposit the containers. This makes it easier for students
to recycle at their place of study and thus get the audience to
storydoing.
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Since these types of videos did not generate interaction or have a
significant reach among users, the TikTok platform was explored to
identify videos with high engagement. The goal was to understand
the elements that made these videos different and potentially
contributed to their success on the social media platform.
Therefore, the videos with the highest interaction and outreach on
TikTok are those that show fragments of interviews made to
different professionals who recycle in their daily lives; for example,
a supermarket worker who always brings her own tuppers to buy
food and thus avoids the use of plastics. Surprisingly, those videos
have more than 800k views. The videos have a black and white
image, which evokes emotions like surprise and sadness. This video
clip invites you to watch the full interview posted on its Youtube
channel.
Figure 5. Interview video
Source: Ecoembes, 2023.
Another type of video that is very successful on TikTok is the one
that shares tips for organizing recycling at home, which means that
users are interested in the topic and want to learn more about it. This
type of publications reach more than 300K views, which means that
the message has a reach of more than 300% of the number of
followers that the account has.
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Figure 6. Ecoembes’s tips
Source: Ecoembes, 2023.
It is found that the content formula that young people like the most
is the one that provides useful data for recycling issues, such as tips
and advice, or those that share "real" stories. This situation indicates
that it is necessary to produce more creative content that is closer to
the user's reality, they like the use of emotions and local scenes.
One of the strengths of Ecoembes' content is that it is not specialized;
it is dedicated to the general public because it is easy to understand
and brief. These attributes help to generate sustainable
communication.
Ecoembes get dispersed systematically across multiple channels for
the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment and
educational experience. Their work has the intention to help the
public to participate in the contents, because they can ask questions
about the tips that are published, discuss which ones work or not,
and improve their recycling actions.
For instance, sustainable communication plays a vital role in
promoting behavior change among any user like students, professors
and administrative personnel. It can influence attitudes, values, and
actions at providing compelling information, highlighting the
benefits of sustainable practices, and showcasing positive examples,
such as the recycle campaign organized at the Complutense
University of Madrid.
Conclusion
The Complutense University had demonstrated its commitment to
sustainability through various initiatives such as Reciclos, which
seeks to minimize its environmental and social impact, while at the
same time aiming to educate students. With this, it is committed to
strengthening environmental education and also to seek a positive
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change in the environment. By implementing sustainable practices
on campus, universities demonstrate their commitment to reducing
their environmental impact and serve as role models for students,
staff, and the broader community. University actions can be
transcendent and have a real impact on students and their immediate
social circle.
The success in carrying out activities related to sustainability
depends on the involvement of the faculty and that the actions are
consistent with the values of the institution. In the case of CUM, it
seeks to collaborate with society, to be respectful and equitable. In
general, it is necessary to have greater diffusion of the concept of
sustainability at all levels, with the purpose of raising awareness and
sensitizing the entire university community. This sustainable
communication can be reinforced from the university with practical
courses on sustainability that are structured outside and within the
compulsory classes. Also, the social orientation of teaching could be
strengthened, integrating collaboration with social organizations for
the development of teaching focused on the treatment of real socio-
environmental problems.
The communication strategies analyzed have the potential to shape
attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions towards sustainability,
contributing to informed decision-making, and behavior change.
Storydoing provides a platform for organizations to involve
stakeholders by inviting them to participate in the narrative and be
part of the journey towards sustainability. By grasping storydoing,
organizations can bridge the gap between their sustainability
narratives and tangible outcomes, creating a more meaningful and
impactful approach to sustainability. It is evident that there is still a
need to generate greater interest among the general population in
order to improve recycling rates in Spain.
The key advantage of storydoing is that it creates a sense of
authenticity and credibility. Sustainability initiatives can inspire and
empower individuals to become active participants in creating a
more sustainable world. This approach moves beyond traditional
communication methods by encouraging people to do actions and
make a positive impact.
On the other hand, when you are working with centennials, it is
necessary to adapt the content to their consumption habits, such is
the case that one of the most used networks is Twitch, which can
become another channel to amplify the reach of the message. It is
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found that there is still a need for training in sustainability issues,
since most young people are not clear about the meaning of
sustainable development, limiting their interpretation to
environmental issues.
Although this research can’t confirm that Ecoembes followers are
doing recycling hacks at home, the interaction in the posts
demonstrates that storytelling has the potential to amplify the impact
of sustainability initiatives by reaching a bigger audience and
mobilizing individuals towards shared goals.
In summary, It is a reality that there is a need to promote actions on
sustainability, but not only in terms of environmental care; all
dimensions need to be considered, since the social and economic
dimensions have little recognition. In this context, universities play
a critical role in mobilizing the university community and towards a
more sustainable future nurturing a new generation of sustainability-
minded leaders. But, they need to work with other social actors, like
associations and companies. Also, this research finds that people like
to learn. Therefore the keys of a sustainable communication in social
media are: innovation, clarity, hacks and emotions. In fact, if the
organization wants the participation of the youth, they need to use
social media.
Capturing the attention of young people is not an easy task, as
Generation Z is highly demanding when it comes to the content they
consume. Therefore, it is essential to consider their needs and
interests. They take for granted that environmental care is important
and have a more sustainable lifestyle. Consequently, the content
should be more specialized, avoiding generalized information. This
provides an opportunity to truly grab their attention. It is necessary
to take into account the opinion of students and encourage them to
develop sustainable proposals so that they themselves become
empowered and have the ability to be agents of change.
Finally, one limitation of this study is that the survey data represents
an exploratory sample, and it would be beneficial to expand the
number of participants. Furthermore, as future research directions,
the acceptance level of other sustainability-related programs offered
by Complutense University could be evaluated. For instance, the
study could examine the impact of shared mobility initiatives or
inclusion workshops.
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