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How Does Social Capital Affect Residents’ Waste-Separation Behavior? Evidence from China

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  • Yexin Zhou

    (Center for Innovation and Development Studies, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
    School of Economics and Resource Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
    Beijing Key Lab of Study on Sci-Tech Strategy for Urban Green Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Hongke Song

    (School of Economics and Management, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China)

  • Xiaopei Huang

    (School of Economics and Resource Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Hao Chen

    (School of Economics and Resource Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
    Beijing Key Lab of Study on Sci-Tech Strategy for Urban Green Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Wei Wei

    (Management Academy of China Cooperatives, Beijing 100028, China)

Abstract

The increasing amount of waste produced has been a challenge for human health and the environment, causing a call for effective waste management measures in which household waste separation is of great significance. Although an expanding body of literature has examined the impact of social capital on individual waste-separation behavior, few studies have explicitly discussed the endogeneity problem and the influence mechanisms. Accordingly, our study investigates the effect of social capital on waste-separation behavior and corresponding mechanisms using a national survey dataset of China. The study also reveals the heterogeneity of the influence of individual characteristics on waste-separation behavior. Our results demonstrate that social capital casts a significant positive impact on waste-separation behavior, providing opportunities for individuals’ social learning and strengthening the reputation effect. The heterogeneous effects of social capital reveal that women, higher-educated individuals, and political party members present better waste-separation behavior. Besides, the impact of social capital varies between urban and rural areas and among different age groups. Our study provides empirical evidence for policy making of household waste-separation management in developing countries from the perspective of informal institutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Yexin Zhou & Hongke Song & Xiaopei Huang & Hao Chen & Wei Wei, 2022. "How Does Social Capital Affect Residents’ Waste-Separation Behavior? Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:6:p:3469-:d:771654
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Piera Cascioli & Dario D’Ingiullo & Donatella Furia & Iacopo Odoardi & Davide Quaglione, 2024. "Towards Greener Futures: Investigating the Nexus of Social, Human, and Institutional Capital in Sustainable Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Xi Ouyang & Wen’e Qi & Donghui Song & Jianjun Zhou, 2022. "Does Subjective Well-Being Promote Pro-Environmental Behaviors? Evidence from Rural Residents in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-19, May.

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