Incentivizing Source-Sorting of Domestic Waste in Cox’s Bazar Municipality

Last registered on June 23, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Incentivizing Source-Sorting of Domestic Waste in Cox’s Bazar Municipality
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016244
Initial registration date
June 23, 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
June 23, 2025, 3:02 PM EDT

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

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Prataoy Kabya Bhowmik
Affiliation
BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Munshi Sulaiman
PI Affiliation
BIGD
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Proloy Barua
PI Affiliation
BIGD
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Khadija Akter Sonia
PI Affiliation
BIGD
Contact Investigator
PI Name
A M M Fazlur Rashid
PI Affiliation
DYADIC Research Impacts Pvt. Limited
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-04-26
End date
2026-05-31
Keywords
Behavior, Environment & Energy
Additional Keywords
Cox's Bazar, Waste management
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study evaluates the effectiveness of a source-sorting intervention aimed at improving household waste segregation practices in Cox's Bazar municipality. The intervention employs a cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 81 buildings, with 40 assigned to treatment and 41 to control. All clusters receive large shared bins for waste disposal, while treatment clusters additionally receive two durable, color-coded household bins for separating organic/wet and dry/recyclable waste. Waste will be collected and weighed regularly to track sorting behavior over time. The intervention leverages a waste-to-resource model, where organic waste will be processed into poultry feed, to explore whether providing simple sorting tools alone can improve waste segregation practices and support sustainable municipal waste management.
External Link(s)
Audio-visual describing the study

Registration Citation

Citation
Barua, Proloy et al. 2025. "Incentivizing Source-Sorting of Domestic Waste in Cox’s Bazar Municipality." AEA RCT Registry. June 23. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16244-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

Partner

Name
International Growth Centre
Type
none
URL
https://www.theigc.org/
Name
DYADIC Research Impacts Pvt. Limited
Type
private_company
URL
https://dyadicresearchimpacts.org/
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Interventions:
Treatment groups will receive a combination of interventions:
• Large outdoor plastic garbage bins: We will provide two different colored bins for separating dry (inorganic) and wet (organic) waste for each of the 80 clusters. A previous study by (Wadehra & Nie, 2023) found that bins are more effective than plastic bags for behavior change.
• Small indoor plastic bins: Each of the 200 treatment households will receive two small plastic bins that help to separate waste at source.
• Awareness training: Bins will be clearly labeled and accompanied by information brochures on waste sorting. Residents will receive orientation on source-sorting techniques as well as the environmental consequences of household waste and how source-sorting can benefit us by limiting such consequences.
• Economic Incentives (Treatment Only): An economic incentive – which is equivalent to a monthly garbage collection fee of 120TK – will be offered (to one person identified by the household) for six months to test their influence on waste sorting behavior.

Treatment: Large outdoor garbage bins + Small indoor bins and awareness training + financial incentive (equivalent to monthly garbage collection bill)
Control: Large outdoor garbage bins

Reference: Wadehra, S., & Nie, Z. (2023). Designing a waste management system suitable for developing countries. International Growth Centre.
Intervention Start Date
2025-07-01
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
1. To assess the level of public awareness and understanding of source-based waste sorting among residents of Cox's Bazar municipality
2. To identify the factors influencing residents' willingness to participate in source-based waste sorting initiatives.
3. To determine the economic incentives effective in motivating residents to participate in source-based waste sorting
4. To evaluate the economic viability of source-based waste sorting practices without subsidies by assessing the potential economic value generated.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This study employs a clustered randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. The target areas are mapped to create 81 clusters, with groups of 5-6 neighboring houses in each cluster, in selected wards of Cox's Bazar Municipality. Natural boundaries and landmarks are used to create these clusters so that garbage collection, transportation, and measurement can be done with proper identification for each cluster. The clusters are randomly assigned to treatment group (40 clusters) and control group (41 clusters). In the treatment groups, the household head as well as the key person who manages household waste (such as a housemaid) will be given information about the initiative, awareness about the environmental benefits of sorting, and a bin for separating dry (inorganic) vs. wet (organic) waste with financial incentives.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office using STATA.
Randomization Unit
Each buildings are considered as the unit/cluster of randomization
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
81 buildings or clusters
Sample size: planned number of observations
438 households
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Treatment: 40 buildings (clusters), 211 households (observations)
Control: 41 buildings (clusters), 227 households (observations)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University
IRB Approval Date
2025-03-13
IRB Approval Number
IRB-2025-ES-04
Analysis Plan