Bridging practice theory and behavioral science to understand and strengthen recyclable waste sorting in collective housing

Purpose Despite their environmental and economic importance, recycling rates remain low in collective housing. Public policies grounded in decontextualized psychological mechanisms show limited effectiveness in this setting. By contrast, practice-based research shifts attention to contextualized everyday routines but offers few operational pathways for intervention. This study aims to advance a more integrated perspective by examining how psychological mechanisms are activated, inhibited or reshaped by collective housing through residential elements of materiality, meanings and competences. Design/methodology/approach Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents living in collective housing in Paris and the surrounding departments. Psychological mechanisms were explored in depth through the practice elements of materiality, meanings and competences. Findings The results show that the residential context deeply shapes how individuals engage with waste sorting. Affordances and emotions elicited by shared spaces profoundly shape sorting practices. Residents actively reconstruct residential sorting norms and cooperation expectations, and experience shame, guilt and pride tied to recycling. Competences extend beyond the household, shaping how residents navigate shared spaces, communicate with neighbors and restore order within the residence. Research limitations/implications Future research should further examine how residential context shapes consumption practices within a systemic perspective. Observational methods, such as sensor data or resident-generated video, could help identify key change points in daily routines. Experimental designs could test residential mechanisms, such as how residential altruistic acts shape waste-sorting behavior. Finally, specialized tools like causal loop diagrams may support a systemic approach to the dynamics of social and consumption change. Practical implications This study offers a framework for field diagnostics and context-based interventions that target the residential environment rather than individuals, focusing on residential psychological mechanisms. Originality/value From a critical realist perspective, collective housing is not simply a constraint on change but a generative structure that shapes waste-sorting routines by activating and shaping residential psychological mechanisms.