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Message framing and sustainability awareness: Experimental evidence for advancing reduce, reuse, and recycle practices

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  • Aravind, Avani
  • Mishra, Sabya
  • Das, Smruti Rekha

Abstract

Promoting sustainability-oriented behavior is essential for addressing global environmental challenges, and strategic communication plays a vital role in shaping public awareness and engagement. This study investigates the effectiveness of positively framed messages in encouraging sustainable practices, focusing on the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (3R) hierarchy. A sustainability awareness index (SAI) was developed to assess respondents' initial knowledge, followed by a stated experiment with three positive message-framing treatments: Economic Gain, Behavioral Impact, and Anthropomorphic against a control group, using a randomized control trial conducted in Tennessee, US. Results show that Anthropomorphic and Behavioral Impact framings significantly increased engagement in 3R behaviors. Furthermore, higher SAI was associated with stronger 3R intentions. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions that leverage sustainability awareness to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, offering valuable insights for policymakers and sustainability practitioners seeking to design targeted and effective pro-environmental communication strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Aravind, Avani & Mishra, Sabya & Das, Smruti Rekha, 2026. "Message framing and sustainability awareness: Experimental evidence for advancing reduce, reuse, and recycle practices," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:248:y:2026:i:c:s0921800926001461
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2026.109061
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