While thousands of people from Bergen have cheered, despaired and sung at the top of their voices at Brann Stadion over the past three years, they have also been part of one of Norway’s largest behaviour experiments. With the help of, among others, ProfessorLars Jacob Tynes Pedersenfrom Norges Handelshøyskole (NHH), the stands have served as a living laboratory with one clear goal:How can football fans be encouraged to dispose of their rubbish correctly?
Competition is key
When the project “Towards Circular Football Events»When the project started in 2023, the situation was bleak. Only 36 per cent of the waste was source-sorted. So Lars Jacob and the rest of the researchers began testing different “nudges” – small prompts to change behaviour.
Everything from transparent bags to gamification, where people could vote on topical issues, was tested. But there was one measure in particular that was set to have a real impact.
By putting up a table showing which away supporters were best at sorting waste, source sorting suddenly became a team sport. The fans did not just want to win on the pitch,they would also win at the sorting station.
When considering the measures implemented in 2023 as a whole, it is clear that the League Table had the greatest impact.
Information is not enough
In the 2024 season, the researchers made a slight misstep. They thought that club logos on the cups and clear signs with pictures of the products would do the trick.
“We were absolutely certain this would work, but of course it didn’t,” says Lars Jacob Tynes Pedersen.
The solution was a lottery: supporters who brought their rubbish and sorted it correctly could win a Brann shirt. Once again, it proved that competition and rewards trumped information alone.
From Bergen to Anfield and Emirates
The results after three years are striking. By combining competition, accessibility and new circular solutions – such as recyclable PET containers – the sorting rate has increased from 36 per cent to as much as 66 per cent in 2025.
And this has not gone unnoticed internationally. The research project, which is a collaboration between NHH, SK Brann, BIR and The Norwegian Retailers' Environment Fund, has attracted attention from some of the world’s biggest football clubs. Giants such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Sociedad have all been in touch to learn from the methods developed in Bergen.
The way forward
The aim is now to achieve a sorting rate of 80–90 per cent and create an almost closed loop for plastic at the stadium. The experience gained from Brann Stadion could also be applied in other settings where large crowds gather.
