The perceived decline in trust in local government and Chinese residents’ willingness to participate in household waste sorting

Abstract Household waste sorting is an environmentally friendly initiative actively promoted by the Chinese government in recent years. This study leverages survey data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) project and reveals that a decline in public trust in local governments substantially diminishes residents’ willingness to participate in household waste sorting. Further analysis of the underlying mechanisms demonstrates that reduced trust in local governments influences residents’ participation in waste classification through two primary channels: first, it weakens public endorsement of governmental public management efforts; second, it hinders the dissemination and social acceptance of central environmental policy information. Additionally, this study finds that the adverse effects of declining trust in local governments extend beyond waste sorting-related behaviors, negatively impacting residents’ engagement in other pro-environmental activities to varying degrees. China’s environmental management system exhibits a distinctive “Central-Local Decentralization” structure, wherein local governments play a pivotal role in shaping public environmental awareness and fostering pro-environmental behavior. In this context, the study underscores the importance of reinforcing the credibility of local governments to enhance residents’ motivation for participating in pro-environmental activities. Achieving this goal requires winning grassroots residents’ trust and support through measures such as transparent policy implementation, enhanced communication and interaction, and improved public service quality, thereby establishing a robust popular foundation for China’s ecological environmental protection.