Mandatory policies and willingness to separate waste: a construal level perspective

Zhihao Wang, Wei Li and Haijing Yu

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 2025, vol. 68, issue 12, 3013-3033

Abstract: Mandating policies about waste separation is essential for solving the urban waste crisis. To clarify the impact of mandatory policies on residents’ willingness to separate waste, based on Construal Level Theory, this study constructed a mechanism model for the impact of mandatory policies on residents’ willingness to separate waste and analyzed the role of perceived cost and perceived benefit. The model was validated using a questionnaire survey of 1,370 urban residents via hierarchical regression analysis and the bootstrap method. Results corroborate that construal level moderates the relationship between mandatory policy and willingness to separate waste. Specifically, when individuals use a high construal level, mandatory policies have a positive effect on their willingness (b = 0.481) and this relationship is mediated by perceived benefits. In contrast, when individuals use a low construal level, mandatory policies have a negative effect on their willingness (b = −0.358) and this relationship is mediated by perceived costs.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2024.2336001

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