Understanding the effect of information and non-financial incentives on waste segregation behaviour

Last registered on October 06, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Understanding the effect of information and non-financial incentives on waste segregation behaviour
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014845
Initial registration date
October 05, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
October 06, 2025, 3:21 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
India
Region
Kozhikode, Kerala

Primary Investigator

Name
Debayan Pakrashi
Affiliation
Economic Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Chitwan Lalji
PI Affiliation
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
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PI Name
Saparya Suresh
PI Affiliation
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
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PI Name
Dil Rahut
PI Affiliation
Asian Development Bank Institute
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-06-01
End date
2028-12-31
Keywords
Behavior, Education, Environment & Energy, Welfare
Additional Keywords
waste management, incentives, reuse, recycle
JEL code(s)
Q52, Q53, I18, I31
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
The convergence of heightened globalization and technical progress, along with pervasive patterns of consumption, has resulted in a situation wherein a substantial volume of waste is being generated. Considering evolving circumstances, nations and governing bodies have recognized the significance of sustainable practices and are actively engaged in formulating policy frameworks to tackle diverse environmental issues. Being a developing country with a high population density, India faces a huge problem of handling the waste generated. This study aims to investigate ways to achieve sustainable environmental behaviors of segregation of waste at source (household) through knowledge dissemination and non-financial incentives.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Lalji, Chitwan et al. 2025. "Understanding the effect of information and non-financial incentives on waste segregation behaviour." AEA RCT Registry. October 06. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14845-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This study aims to investigate ways to achieve sustainable environmental behaviors of segregation of waste at source (household), particularly through knowledge dissemination and non-financial incentives. We will explore whether these interventions improve waste segregation behavior at the household level.
Intervention Start Date
2025-10-06
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Knowledge levels (to capture knowledge and awareness about waste segregation), waste segregation assessment (respondent assessed and enumerator assessed), quality of waste segregated.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Spillover effects to understand whether the intervention content was discussed with peers, level of cleanliness in the neighbourhood, other waste disposal practices.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We plan to conduct a randomized control trail. A baseline survey shall be conducted by the research team in about 2,063 households from 137 locations to understand the current level of waste management practices at household levels. The selected 137 locations (with around 15 households randomly selected from each location) shall then be randomly allocated to either of the four groups: treatment group 1 (information dissemination), treatment group 2 (information dissemination and non-financial incentive), treatment group 3 (information + another non-financial incentive) and control group (no intervention).
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization will be done on an office computer using STATA software.
Randomization Unit
Randomization will be conducted at the ward/location level.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
137 wards/locations in total.
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,063 households (with around 15 households randomly selected from 137 wards/locations)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
30 wards in each of the three treatments and 47 wards in the control group.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
IRB Approval Date
2025-06-12
IRB Approval Number
IRB/268/13062025
IRB Name
Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR)
IRB Approval Date
2025-08-07
IRB Approval Number
IFMRIRB-LEAD-0725-10
Analysis Plan