IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nas/journl/v122y2025pe2414578122.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Using pledges to improve the effectiveness of environmental information campaigns: The case of biowaste recycling

Author

Listed:
  • Eduard Alonso-Paulí

    (a Department of Business Economics , Universitat de les Illes Balears , Palma 07122 , Spain)

  • Pau Balart

    (a Department of Business Economics , Universitat de les Illes Balears , Palma 07122 , Spain)

  • Lara Ezquerra

    (a Department of Business Economics , Universitat de les Illes Balears , Palma 07122 , Spain)

  • Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz

    (c Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics (INARBE) , Universidad Pública de Navarra , Pamplona/Iruña 31006 , Spain)

Abstract

Through a field study (N = 1,519) that uses a technology to record real-time data on waste sorting, we find that offering the opportunity to sign a pledge increases the effectiveness of an environmental campaign. With a timespan of over four years, the pledge increased waste sorting participation by 4.55 to 5.10 percentage points (SD = 0.1997). The effect is greater immediately after the campaign (around 9 to 10 pp during the first 15 wk), but it remains sizable and statistically significant 150 to 210 wk after signing (3.11 to 4.45 pp).

Suggested Citation

  • Eduard Alonso-Paulí & Pau Balart & Lara Ezquerra & Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz, 2025. "Using pledges to improve the effectiveness of environmental information campaigns: The case of biowaste recycling," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 122(18), pages 2414578122-, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:122:y:2025:p:e2414578122
    DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2414578122
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2414578122
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1073/pnas.2414578122?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    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:nas:journl:v:122:y:2025:p:e2414578122. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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: PNAS Product Team (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.pnas.org/ .

    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.