On the economic preferences towards household recycling in China: the role of social norm nudges and long-term life goals

Gu, Jingyi (2025) On the economic preferences towards household recycling in China: the role of social norm nudges and long-term life goals. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between pro-environmental behaviour—specifically household waste recycling—and the impact of intervention policies and long-term personal goals. It investigates whether factors beyond the traditional neoclassical choice model, including external influences such as social norms and internal factors such as personal values, affect individuals' willingness to participate in community recycling programmes and their willingness to pay (WTP) for recycling.

Using a choice experiment (CE) approach, individual-level data was collected from residents in three Chinese cities: Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang, which currently implement advocative policies, and Shanghai, where recycling is mandatory. The study first investigates whether differing local policy frameworks influence stated preferences (SP) for household recycling and evaluates how effective nudges are in enhancing recycling participation. Specifically, it examines the compatibility and consistency of nudges—such as descriptive social norm communication—with existing local recycling policies. A randomised experiment was designed, varying two dimensions of social norms: the proportion of residents reportedly participating in recycling and their geographical proximity. Results show that mandatory policies significantly outperform advocative approaches in promoting recycling participation. Social norms generally enhance recycling efforts; however, excessively high normative expectations can reduce motivation. Additionally, residents from cities with advocative policies demonstrated greater responsiveness to social norms than those under mandatory policies. The influence of social norms was also found to vary according to individuals' current recycling behaviours, being stronger among those who were initially less engaged.

The second aim of this thesis is to evaluate whether the integration of goal theories can enhance the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework in the context of recycling. It examines whether life goals impact recycling preferences directly or indirectly through attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms. Employing a Hybrid Mixed Logit (HMXL) model, the study investigates the relationships among TPB components, life goals (categorised as hedonic, gain-oriented, and normative), demographic factors, and recycling decisions. Findings indicate a strong relationship between positive recycling preferences and the TPB latent variable, suggesting that individuals with more favourable attitudes, greater perceived control, and subjective social norm demonstrate increased engagement in recycling. Moreover, specific recycling and disposal preferences are linked to normative life goals, underscoring that individuals driven by altruistic motivations prioritise effective waste management. Structural equation modelling confirms that normative life goals indirectly influence recycling decisions by strengthening key TPB elements.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences; H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
• Colleges/Schools: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
• Supervisor's Name: Hanley, Professor Nicholas and Proto, Professor Eugenio
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85389
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Aug 2025 15:31
• Last Modified: 14 Aug 2025 15:33
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85389
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85389