[JMC] Unraveling Soft-Commitment: Evidence from a Natural Field Experiment on Recycling

April 15, 2021 12:00 - 13:00FINISHED

Link al seminario: https://loyola.webex.com/meet/rede3c

Taking advantage of the implementation of a novel recycling system in Palma (Spain) that allows to record individual real-time data on the usage of bio-waste containers, we run a field experiment involving 1,533 households to test the effectiveness of soft-commitments in fostering recycling. We offered to a random set of households the possibility of signing a non-binding commitment on recycling practices and found that it had a positive impact on recycling habits. Soft-commitment increases regular participation in biowaste recycling by 7 percentage points. This represents a 23-28% increase relatively to the control group of households that participated in the intervention but to whom the the soft-commitment was not offered. We also show that the effect of soft-commitment persists almost one year after having been offered. Using a two-part model, we show that soft-commitment increases the amount of household that participates in recycling (extensive margin) but, conditional on recycling, it does not affect the proportion of weeks that they recycle (intensive margin).

Keywords:
Soft-commitment, Field Experiment, Extensive Margin, Intensive Margin, Recycling.

Iñigo Hernandez-Arenaz es Licenciado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas (2009) y Licenciado en Economía (2010) por la Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA-NUP), en ambos casos con premio extraordinario al mejor expediente de fin de carrera. En junio del 2017 obtuvo el título de doctor internacional en Economía con mención Cum Laude por la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV-EHU) bajo la supervisión de la doctora Nagore Iriberri. Actualmente pertenece al departamento de Economía de la Empresa de la Universitat de les Illes Balears, donde ejerce como personal docente e investigador. Asimismo, es secretario del laboratorio “Laboratori de Ciència de la Decisió”. Su investigación se centra en la economía del comportamiento y experimental.