The transition toward more sustainable cities cannot rely solely on infrastructure investment, technological innovation, or the services delivered by utilities. A critical—yet often underestimated—dimension lies in citizens’ everyday behaviors, which ultimately determine the effectiveness of ESG strategies.

It is precisely in this domain that SDA Bocconi School of Management supported Plures as scientific partner in the development of the initiative, contributing to the design of a sustainability-oriented loyalty program grounded in behavioral science. The objective was to make sustainable behaviors easier to adopt, more visible, and more rewarding—thereby fostering long-term behavioral change.

Actions such as proper waste sorting, waste reduction, and more responsible consumption patterns are widely recognized as essential, yet embedding them consistently at scale remains challenging. Evidence from behavioral research shows that information campaigns and regulatory measures alone are insufficient to generate durable change. Effective interventions must incorporate active engagement mechanisms and well-designed incentive structures.

Within this framework, Plures launched an innovative loyalty program aimed at reinforcing the role of citizens as active contributors to the environmental transition. The program is based on a clear premise: translating sustainable behaviors into measurable and recognizable value through a structured reward system. Rather than simply incentivizing isolated actions, the initiative seeks to create an enabling ecosystem in which sustainable choices become intuitive, visible, and socially reinforced—generating shared value for both the community and the utility.

The Plures loyalty system assigns points (“gems”) to specific virtuous behaviors, including the use of digital service channels and the activation of scheduled waste collection services. Accumulated points can be redeemed for vouchers of increasing value, based on predefined thresholds, and contribute to the achievement of loyalty tiers that strengthen ongoing commitment. From the outset, the program was designed with the ambition of becoming a scalable benchmark at both the national and international levels, integrating digital innovation, ESG alignment, and strong local embeddedness.

Throughout the project, SDA Bocconi School of Management provided continuous scientific support across all phases of program development. This included a comprehensive review of academic and gray literature on nudging, behavioral change, and token-based incentive systems, with the goal of identifying key effectiveness drivers in sustainability-oriented reward mechanisms. In parallel, national and international case studies in the energy, mobility, and waste management sectors—particularly those leveraging digital tokens and gamification—were analyzed to inform strategic design decisions.

A further cornerstone of the initiative was sustained engagement with Plures’ management team. Through structured interviews, thematic workshops, and ongoing working sessions, priority behaviors were identified in alignment with the company’s sustainability strategy. Measurement and scoring criteria were defined, and reward configurations were calibrated to ensure coherence with the program’s strategic objectives.

From this perspective, the loyalty program represents more than an engagement initiative. It functions as a strategic lever to enhance environmental performance, strengthen relationships with users, and test new models of shared value creation in the delivery of public services.

As Alberto Irace, CEO of Plures, states:
“With this loyalty program, Plures makes a clear strategic choice: shifting the focus of sustainability from infrastructure investment alone to citizens’ everyday behavior. The environmental transition cannot succeed without individuals who are engaged, informed, and empowered to act. With the scientific support of SDA Bocconi School of Management, we have developed a system that goes beyond rewarding individual actions. It establishes a structural partnership between the utility and the community, where the environmental value generated by citizens becomes measurable, recognized, and shared—laying the foundation for a robust and replicable model.”

Giovanni Valotti, Full Professor of Government, Health and Not for Profit at SDA Bocconi School of Management and Scientific Director of the project, emphasizes:
“The Plures experience demonstrates how loyalty programs in citizen-oriented services can evolve from promotional tools into strategic drivers of sustainability—combining technological innovation, shared objectives, and measurable policy impact.”

From a research standpoint, monitoring the program’s implementation and its impact on citizens’ behaviors will provide valuable empirical evidence on the effectiveness of loyalty-based mechanisms in advancing sustainability transitions.

SDA Bocconi School of Management