ABSTRACT
This chapter advocates for the implementation of mandated private sludge as a strategy to mitigate the frequent exercise of the right of withdrawal in distance contracts and its negative impact in the environment. This chapter shows the importance of persuasive mechanisms in the environmental public policy toolset and introduces the concept of mandated green sludge as a tool for fostering sustainable consumer behaviours. Focusing on returns, we recommend imposing a pre-cooling-off period for chronic returners by utilizing defaults and leveraging the power of inertia and the status quo bias. Our proposal underscores the collective responsibility of policymakers, businesses and consumers in actively contributing to environmental preservation.
