How Can People Be Effectively Persuaded to Conserve Water?

Water. In most modern societies, residents don't have to worry about where their supply comes from or if it may run out. But as recent extended droughts in Texas and other places have shown, we cannot afford to continue passing the buck to others when it comes to responsible water use.

But how, in a country where people are used to having what they want, when they want, as much as they want, do you make something that is as “invisible” as water become a priority in people’s minds.

Pay them.

Sao Paolo’s Banco Cyan is doing just that. Much like Recycle Bank has done with recycling, Banco Cyan treats your water usage - and lack of it - in a bank account like format. Starting a baseline average usage based on previous history, customers get points, which range from simply maintaining the current amount used, steadily increasing with reduction below that.

According to Springwise, those points are then turn into real world benefit, in the form of discounts at various partner businesses, such as Blockbuster, Americanas.com, and Submarino.

Banco Cyan is a collaboration between beverage company Ambev and water local water utility Sabesp. With companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi looking to reduce their water use and show themselves as responsible corporate citizens, perhaps they’re the one to initiate such a thing happening here?

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Paul Smith is a sustainable business innovator, the founder of GreenSmith Consulting, and has an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco. He creates interest in, conversations about, and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media marketing.