Positive or negative? A study on the synergistic effectiveness of policy interventions on residential waste minimization behavior in China

This study examined waste reduction and energy-saving behaviors from the perspective of waste minimization, categorizing them into conservation, green purchasing, and recycling behaviors. Based on the attitude-behavior-context theory, this paper constructed a model of factors influencing waste minimization behavior, integrating policy interventions and residential psychological factors. Survey data from 915 representative residents in eastern China show that both economic incentive and information publicity policies positively impact waste reduction behavior, but their interaction generates negative synergy. The effectiveness of information publicity policies increases with residential outcome expectations. Policy implications are provided to reduce policy conflicts and promote waste minimization behavior. • Defines waste minimization behavior via pollution–carbon reduction synergy. • Reveals negative synergy between economic and publicity policies. • Finds policy impacts differ across conservation, purchasing, and reuse. • Shows outcome expectation weaken publicity policy effects. • Provides empirical evidence on policy and psychology interactions shaping behavior.