Abstract:

Chinese governments are vigorously promoting household waste separation， but rely mainly on awareness campaigns and economic incentives. Relatively few studies have examined the effects of nudge strategies on household waste separation. Using data from a large-scale field experiment in Q City of Zhejiang Province， China， this study evaluates the effects of social norm nudges on residents’ waste sorting behavior. Such strategies are typically designed to compare an individual’s behavioral level with that of other social members （e.g.， neighbors） and reveal the social approval of the target behavior. The results show that social norm strategies increased household participation in waste sorting， with greater influence among people with weak pro-environmental preferences or social capital. They also produced long-lasting effects after they were discontinued. Further evidence suggests that social norm nudges were more cost-effective compared with traditional policy strategies. These findings demonstrate the high efficiency of social norm strategies and contribute to a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying nudge policies.

Key words: household waste separation, behavior nudges, social norms, behavioral policy science, field experiment