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The Impact of Digital Literacy on Farmers’ Pesticide Packaging Waste Recycling Behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Haixin Tao

    (School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Liming Fang

    (School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Jiaying Lu

    (School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100020, China)

  • Xuezhu Shi

    (School of Insurance and Economics, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing 100020, China)

Abstract

The increasingly severe issue of pesticide packaging waste (PPW) pollution poses a significant threat to human health and sustainable agricultural development. Encouraging farmers to recycle PPW is critical to addressing the “tragedy of the commons” problem in rural areas. Using data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), this paper examines the impact of digital literacy on farmers’ PPW recycling behavior. The results indicate that (1) a one-unit increase in digital literacy raises the likelihood of farmers recycling PPW by 20.1%. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that subjective cognition, information transmission, and social network are the key channels through which digital literacy affects farmers’ PPW recycling behavior. (3) After conducting multiple robustness tests—including Propensity Score Matching (PSM), instrumental variable methods, alternative weighting approaches for digital literacy, and different model specifications and samples—the findings remain robust. Based on these results, we propose the following policy recommendations: improve digital infrastructure in rural areas; enhance farmers’ digital literacy; establish incentive mechanisms; encourage village self-governance; and reinforce social oversight.

Suggested Citation

  • Haixin Tao & Liming Fang & Jiaying Lu & Xuezhu Shi, 2025. "The Impact of Digital Literacy on Farmers’ Pesticide Packaging Waste Recycling Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2471-:d:1610167
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andres Trujillo-Barrera & Joost M. E. Pennings & Dianne Hofenk, 2016. "Understanding producers' motives for adopting sustainable practices: the role of expected rewards, risk perception and risk tolerance," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 43(3), pages 359-382.
    2. Mingyue Li & Jingjing Wang & Kai Chen & Lianbei Wu, 2020. "Willingness and Behaviors of Farmers’ Green Disposal of Pesticide Packaging Waste in Henan, China: A Perceived Value Formation Mechanism Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Yuhan Zhang & Mengling Zhang & Zhenlin Weng & Xueping Gao & Wenmei Liao, 2023. "The Influence of Social Norms and Environmental Regulations on Rural Households’ Pesticide Packaging Waste Disposal Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-18, November.
    4. Hao Dong & Yang Zhang & Tianqing Chen, 2023. "A Study on Farmers’ Participation in Environmental Protection in the Context of Rural Revitalization: The Moderating Role of Policy Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Xiao Liu & Zhenyu Wang & Xiaoyan Han, 2024. "The Impact of Digital Literacy on Farmers’ Green Production Behavior: Mediating Effects Based on Ecological Cognition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-20, August.
    6. Siyu Gong & Ziye Sun & Bo Wang & Zhigang Yu, 2024. "Could Digital Literacy Contribute to the Improvement of Green Production Efficiency in Agriculture?," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(1), pages 21582440241, March.
    7. Shengnan Huang & Ehsan Elahi, 2022. "Farmers’ Preferences for Recycling Pesticide Packaging Waste: An Implication of a Discrete Choice Experiment Method," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-13, October.
    8. Nadja Stadlinger & Aviti Mmochi & Sonja Dobo & Emma Gyllbäck & Linda Kumblad, 2011. "Pesticide use among smallholder rice farmers in Tanzania," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 641-656, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qinghua Xin & Baijun Wu & Yaru Shi, 2025. "The Impact of Farmers’ Digital Participation on Cultivated Land Ecological Protection," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-20, July.

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