Using pledges to improve the effectiveness of environmental information campaigns: The case of biowaste recycling

Eduard Alonso-Paulí, Pau Balart (), Lara Ezquerra and Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz
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Eduard Alonso-Paulí: a Department of Business Economics , Universitat de les Illes Balears , Palma 07122 , Spain
Pau Balart: a Department of Business Economics , Universitat de les Illes Balears , Palma 07122 , Spain
Lara Ezquerra: a Department of Business Economics , Universitat de les Illes Balears , Palma 07122 , Spain
Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz: c Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics (INARBE) , Universidad Pública de Navarra , Pamplona/Iruña 31006 , Spain

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2025, vol. 122, issue 18, e2414578122

Abstract:

Through a field study (N = 1,519) that uses a technology to record real-time data on waste sorting, we find that offering the opportunity to sign a pledge increases the effectiveness of an environmental campaign. With a timespan of over four years, the pledge increased waste sorting participation by 4.55 to 5.10 percentage points (SD = 0.1997). The effect is greater immediately after the campaign (around 9 to 10 pp during the first 15 wk), but it remains sizable and statistically significant 150 to 210 wk after signing (3.11 to 4.45 pp).

Keywords: environment; soft commitment; recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:122:y:2025:p:e2414578122

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