The recycling chronicles

Can fun motivate humankind to act more responsibly? That’s the question behind The Fun Theory — a viral advertising campaign/social awareness movement sponsored by Volkswagen.

The Web site features three videos, soundtracked with homemade electronica, that reward people for making socially responsible decisions with fun outcomes: the bottle bank arcade (seen above), a piano staircase (think Big meets the concrete stairs of a subway entrance) and a bottomless trash bin (that offers up the sound of an item falling a long way inside a conventional trash can).

While the theme is a bit Pavlovian, the concept is intriguing about how to effect change in people’s ingrained habits. The bottle bank feels particularly relevant in light of the recent press conference at Ripple Glass, which has ambitious plans for reworking the glass recycling system in Kansas City and is expected to begin operations on November 2. You can follow Ripple Glass on Twitter as well.