The Spillover Influence of Household Waste Sorting on Green Consumption Behavior by Mediation of Environmental Concern: Evidence from Rural China

Huiling Wang, Ying Ma, Shaoxiong Yang, Mansoor Ahmed Koondhar and Rong Kong
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Huiling Wang: School of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Ying Ma: School of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Shaoxiong Yang: School of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Mansoor Ahmed Koondhar: School of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Rong Kong: School of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No. 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-17

Abstract: The spillover effect of environmental behavior has been of wide concern in recent years. The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of household waste sorting on green consumption (behavioral spillover) and the possible psychological mechanisms involved in such spillover of environmental concern. Though it is important, insufficient attention has been paid to exploring the relationship, and the process of its formation, between waste sorting and green consumption. To narrow this gap, survey data collected in 2018 from 688 rural households from Shaanxi Province in western China were used. The propensity score matching method was employed to measure the effect of waste sorting on rural households’ green consumption. The mediating model was employed to investigate the path of influence in the relationship between waste sorting and green consumption. The results showed that waste sorting behavior positively spilled over into green consumption, with a net effect of 0.205. Environmental concern has a mediating effect on the relationship between waste sorting and green consumption behavior, with a mediating effect of 0.3177. In summary, household waste sorting behavior has a spillover effect on green consumption behavior as a result of the mediation effect of environmental concern. The results of this article fill in our knowledge on the spillover effects of waste sorting behavior in developing countries. Policy makers and regulators should vigorously advocate and implement waste sorting behavior, increase farmers’ concern for the environment, and promote their participation in green consumption behavior, so as to maximize the spillover effect.

Keywords: waste sorting behavior (WSB); rural households’ green consumption behavior; environmental concern; propensity score matching method (PSM); mediating effect model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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