Exploring the Effect of Individual and Group Level Factors on the Level of Rural Residents’ Domestic Waste Sorting: Evidence from Shaanxi, China

Jihong Zeng, Yongliang Mao, Minyue Xu, Bei Jian and Mei Qu ()
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Jihong Zeng: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No.3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Yongliang Mao: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No.3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Minyue Xu: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No.3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Bei Jian: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No.3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Mei Qu: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, No.3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: Rural residents are the main agents of rural domestic waste-sorting; their level of sorting directly relates to the improvement of their rural living environment and the construction of “beautiful countryside”. Considering the data of 943 rural residents in Shaanxi Province, China, this study incorporates the factors at the individual and group levels and explores how personal norms and mianzi , which is the individual’s reputation and social status, at the individual level and social capital at the group level impact the level of rural residents’ domestic waste-sorting through an Ordered Probit model. The results show that personal norms and mianzi at the individual level play an important role in improving the level of rural residents’ domestic waste-sorting. Meanwhile, social capital (i.e., social networking, social trust, social participation, and social norms) at the group level has significant positive impacts on the level of rural residents’ domestic waste-sorting. Furthermore, mianzi plays a moderating role between personal norms, social capital, and the level of rural residents’ domestic waste-sorting, respectively. These findings are useful for the Chinese government to formulate a policy about enhancing the level of rural residents’ domestic waste-sorting to ease the rural environmental problem.

Keywords: personal norms; social capital; mianzi; domestic waste-sorting; rural China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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