Smart nudging for efficient routing through networks
Abstract
In this paper, we formulate the design of efficient digitalised deposit return schemes as a control problem. We focus on the recycling of paper cups, though the proposed methodology applies more broadly to reverse logistics systems arising in circular economy R-strategies. Each item is assumed to carry a digital wallet through which monetary rewards are allocated to actors transferring the item across successive stages, incentivising completion of the recycling process. System efficiency is ensured by: (i) decentralised algorithms that avoid congestion at individual nodes; (ii) a decentralised AIMD-based algorithm that optimally splits the deposit across layers; and (iii) a feedback control loop that dynamically adjusts the deposit to achieve a desired throughput. The effectiveness of the framework is demonstrated through extensive simulations using realistic paper cup recycling data.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.18630,
title = {Smart nudging for efficient routing through networks},
author = {Pouria M. Oqaz and Emanuele Crisostomi and Elena Dieckmann and Robert Shorten},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.18630},
year = {2025}
}