Tidy Homes Have Green Walls: Uncovering the “Tidy = Sustainable” Association

Jingshi (Joyce) Liu () and Aruna Divya Tatavarthy ()
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Jingshi (Joyce) Liu: Bayes Business School, City St. George's, University of London, Postal: Bayes Business School, 106 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8TZ, UK
Aruna Divya Tatavarthy: Dept. of Business and Management Science, Norwegian School of Economics, Postal: NHH , Department of Business and Management Science, Helleveien 30, N-5045 Bergen, Norway, https://www.nhh.no/en/employees/faculty/aruna-divya-tatavarthy/

No 2026/5, Discussion Papers from Norwegian School of Economics, Department of Business and Management Science

Abstract: In this research we uncover a tidy=sustainable association, which informs consumers’ evaluations and decisions. Across ten studies (N=2700), we find that consumers judge tidy (versus untidy) places, as well as objects within those places, to be more sustainable. We posit that consumers develop this learnt association because of the link through the multi-faceted concept of minimalism, which encompasses aspects related to aesthetics (as represented in spatial tidiness) and consumption (with impact sustainability outcomes). Supporting this mechanism, we show that spatial tidiness increases perceptions of minimalistic consumption practices—where consumers perceive tidy spaces as reflecting reduced number of possessions and mindful consumption—which in turn increases sustainability evaluations. Importantly, we show that the tidy=sustainable association operates bidirectionally, is amplified among consumers with higher minimalism values, and has downstream consequences on purchase, recommendation, and joint consumption decisions.

Keywords: Sustainability; household; minimalism; aesthetics; consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 H31 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 42 pages
Date: 2026-05-22
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