Enhancing waste segregation through non-financial interventions: insights from a randomized controlled trial in a campus setting

Made Adi Widyatmika (), Pratik Badgujar, Sisir Debnath, Ankush Agrawal and Nomesh Bhojkumar Bolia
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Made Adi Widyatmika: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Pratik Badgujar: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Sisir Debnath: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Ankush Agrawal: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Nomesh Bhojkumar Bolia: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

Environment Systems and Decisions, 2025, vol. 45, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of non-financial incentives-nudges, in improving household solid waste segregation behavior at the source. We employ a Randomized Controlled Trial to evaluate two distinct nudges—a pamphlet and a comparison scorecard. A total of 303 households residing on the campus of an academic institute in India participated in the study. The households were divided into one control and two intervention groups. The control group did not receive any intervention. One of the intervention groups periodically received a pamphlet highlighting the advantages and/or the negative consequences of mixed waste. The second intervention group was provided with scorecard reports on their waste segregation performance compared to their peers. We measure waste segregation performance using a three-point categories scale and use ordinal regression models to compare the baseline and endline scores across the three groups. The results indicate that both pamphlets and scorecards significantly improved solid waste segregation among intervention groups compared to the control group, with the scorecard group having a more substantial effect. Occupation type also affects waste segregation behavior; staff and faculty members performed better than PhD students. When combined, nudges and occupation explained a significant share of the variance in waste segregation. Our results suggest that non-financial incentives—especially performance feedback through scorecards—can promote sustainable waste management behavior, particularly if tailored across different occupational groups.

Keywords: Ordinal regression; Non-financial intervention; Pamphlet; RCT; Scorecard; Waste segregation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10669-025-10021-6

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