IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i6p2471-d1610167.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2471/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/6/2471/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    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. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Haoyi Ma & Xiaoli Yang & Yanfeng Wang, 2025. "Effects of Digital Social Support on Farmers’ Behavior of Resource Utilization of Plantation Wastes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-21, May.
    2. Jingyi Ding & Kun Song & Kuan Zhang & Xin Deng, 2025. "Impact of Farm Size on Farmers’ Recycling of Pesticide Packaging Waste: Evidence from Rural China," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-16, February.
    3. 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.
    4. Abdallah Alaoui & Moritz Hallama & Roger Bär & Ioanna Panagea & Felicitas Bachmann & Carola Pekrun & Luuk Fleskens & Ellen Kandeler & Rudi Hessel, 2022. "A New Framework to Assess Sustainability of Soil Improving Cropping Systems in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-15, May.
    5. Jingjing Wang & Jiabin Xu & Silin Chen, 2025. "Internet Use, Social Capital, and Farmers’ Green Production Behavior: Evidence from Agricultural Cooperatives in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-21, January.
    6. Jingjing Wang & Mingyue Li & Sinan Li & Kai Chen, 2022. "Understanding Consumers’ Food Waste Reduction Behavior—A Study Based on Extended Norm Activation Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-15, April.
    7. Haoyuan Liu & Zhe Chen & Suyue Wen & Jizhou Zhang & Xianli Xia, 2025. "Impact of Digital Literacy on Farmers’ Adoption Behaviors of Green Production Technologies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-23, January.
    8. 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.
    9. Ziying Chang & Nihal Ahmed & Ruxue Li & Jianjun Huai, 2025. "Social Capital, Crop Differences, and Farmers’ Climate Change Adaptation Behaviors: Evidence from Yellow River, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-34, June.
    10. Veronika Hannus & Johannes Sauer, 2021. "Understanding Farmers’ Intention to Use a Sustainability Standard: The Role of Economic Rewards, Knowledge, and Ease of Use," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-21, September.
    11. Hanna Freudenreich & Sindu W. Kebede, 2022. "Experience of shocks, household wealth and expectation formation: Evidence from smallholder farmers in Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(5), pages 756-774, September.
    12. Rudi Hessel & Guido Wyseure & Ioanna S. Panagea & Abdallah Alaoui & Mark S. Reed & Hedwig van Delden & Melanie Muro & Jane Mills & Oene Oenema & Francisco Areal & Erik van den Elsen & Simone Verzandvo, 2022. "Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-27, May.
    13. Niles, Meredith T. & Stahlmann-Brown, Philip & Wesselbaum, Dennis, 2025. "Risk tolerance and climate concerns predict transformative agricultural land use change," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    14. Legrand D. F. Saint‐Cyr, 2022. "Heterogeneous farm‐size dynamics and impacts of subsidies from agricultural policy: Evidence from France," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(3), pages 893-923, September.
    15. Aderajew, Tamirat S. & Du, Xiaoxue & Pennings, Joost M. E. & Trujillo-Barrera, Andres, 2020. "Farm-Level Risk-Balancing Behavior and the Role of Latent Heterogeneity," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 45(2), March.
    16. Chenxi Li & Qiao Liu & Zhihong Zong & Yingying Fang, 2024. "Rural Environmental Quality Evaluation Indicator System: Application in Shangluo City, Shaanxi Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-16, April.
    17. Pathak, Santosh & Wang, Hua & Adusumilli, Naveen C., 2022. "Contract Non-compliance and Moral Hazard: Evidence from Cost-share Programs in Louisiana, USA," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 322324, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    18. Xiujuan Cui & Jieyu Yang & Ziqian Fan & Yongqiang Wang, 2025. "Does the Improvement of Farmers’ Digital Literacy Restrain Their Opportunistic Behavior When They Choose Pest Control Methods in Certified Agro-Products?," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-28, July.
    19. Luo Lei & Qiao Dakuan & Tang Jin & Wang Lishuang & Liu Yuying & Fu Xinhong, 2024. "Research on the influence of education and training of farmers' professional cooperatives on the willingness of members to green production—perspectives based on time, method and content elements," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 987-1006, January.
    20. Love Offeibea Asiedu-Ayeh & Xungang Zheng & Kobina Agbodah & Bright Senyo Dogbe & Adjei Peter Darko, 2022. "Promoting the Adoption of Agricultural Green Production Technologies for Sustainable Farming: A Multi-Attribute Decision Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-21, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:6:p:2471-:d:1610167. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.