Invasive alien species continue to spread on municipal land in northern Sweden and Finland – often as a result of human behaviour such as improper handling of plant waste. Now, the Interreg Aurora funded project BB Alien project is starting a behavioural strategy, working together with Beteendelabbet, to make it easier to do the right thing and reduce the spread of invasive alien species.
There is a need to supplement traditional information efforts with more systematic work on behavioural change.
– We need to move from just informing to actually understanding why people do what they do – and how we can make it easier to do the right thing, says Sara Byrsten, project manager for BB Alien.
Behavioural monitoring – the first step
As a first step, a so-called Behavioural Monitoring was carried out, following the Beteendelabbet’s work process, specifically the Behaviour Journey. The aim is to map the current situation, create consensus between the actors involved, and identify the behaviours that have the greatest potential to influence the spread.
At the beginning of January 2026, a workshop was held with representatives from the municipality, gardening associations, and other local actors in Kalix County. Under the leadership of a behavioural strategist and a service designer, participants received an introduction to behavioural design and worked together to define goals, target behaviours, and context – without going directly to solutions.
– It turned out to be more difficult than you might think to distinguish between what is actually a behaviour and what is an assumption or a problem. At the same time, there was great commitment and a strong desire to contribute, says one of the participants.
Survey in-depth basis
After the workshop, a targeted questionnaire survey will be conducted to deepen the picture of how widespread the identified behaviours are. The survey focuses on knowledge, attitudes, and obstacles linked to the management of plant waste and invasive alien species.
The results from the workshop and questionnaire are compiled by Beteendelabbet in an analysis with recommendations for continued work.
Kalix – a pilot for future method
Kalix municipality and Risön serve as pilot areas for the project. The focus is on Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), an invasive alien species that is often spread when garden waste is disposed of the wrong way or at the wrong place. The goal is to develop a working method that can eventually be used by more municipalities to work more effectively with behavioural change in nature conservation and management of invasive alien species.
– This is not just about Himalayan balsam. If we succeed in changing behaviours here, the method can be scaled up and used in more areas where municipalities face major challenges, says Sara Byrsten.
The project BB Alien – Beyond Borders: Joint Efforts to Combat Invasive Alien Species, is a cross-border collaboration between Sweden and Finland with the goal of preventing the spread of invasive alien species. The project runs from 1 March 2025 to 29 February 2028 and is funded by the EU Interreg Aurora fund. Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management is co-financing the parts of the project carried out in Sweden.
Learn more about the project BB Alien
