Using pledges to improve the effectiveness of environmental information campaigns: The case of biowaste recycling
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).
Authors
- Pau Balart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9088-537X)
- Lara Ezquerra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0465-1890)
- Eduard Alonso‐Paulí (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7149-3760)
- Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5157-2787)
Institutions
- Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA) (ES)
- Fundació Universitat-Empresa de les Illes Balears (ES)
- Universitat de les Illes Balears (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2025-05-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2414578122
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Environmental Education and Sustainability
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 9.69
Funders
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Gobierno de España