Can reminders promote regular pro-environmental behavior? Experimental evidence from Peru

Pro-environmental behavior, such as recycling, often needs to be regular to be effective, and interventions to encourage behavioral change may therefore need to be repeated; yet, little evidence exists on the optimal time pattern and frequency of such repeated interventions. To fill this gap, we investigate the impact of mobile text reminders on households’ recycling behavior in urban Peru by randomly varying the exposure length and continuity of reminders. We find that reminders increase both the likelihood that households start to recycle and the frequency of recycling among households that already did so before the intervention. The effects are stronger when reminders are repeated over a longer period. Our findings suggest that both limited attention and habit formation matter for recycling behavior, and that low-cost mobile text reminders can effectively support regular pro-environmental behavior. • Mobile text reminders increase household recycling behavior in urban Peru. • The effects are stronger when reminders are repeated over a longer period. • Reminder effects emerge earlier among households that already recycled previously. • New recyclers require prolonged reminder exposure to begin recycling. • Reminders promote habits in pro-environmental behavior by mitigating limited attention.