Driving Green: Waste Sorting and Circular Economy in Rural China

In today’s world, information plays a critical role in shaping individual behaviors toward the environment. Drawing on the externality theory, this study examined how information sources influence rural residents’ willingness and behaviors toward domestic waste sorting in three cities of Jiangsu Province, China. Using survey data from 1,058 rural residents in the Taihu Lake Basin, we demonstrate that information sources significantly promote waste sorting behaviors by reducing information asymmetry. This, in turn, reduces domestic waste and increases recycling and resource recovery, all of which are central to a circular economy. Moreover, we found a substitution effect between official and unofficial sources of information. Further heterogeneity analysis revealed that only authorized information from the government significantly contributes to waste sorting behaviors among rural residents, especially among those who doubt its environmental benefits. These findings underscore the importance of leveraging information tools to guide green behavior and promote a truly circular economic system.