Incentivizing source-sorting of domestic waste: An experiment with Cox's Bazar Municipality
A randomised intervention involving 417 households in Cox’s Bazar Municipality found that providing colour-coded bins, waste segregation information, and stronger links to collection and recycling systems significantly improved household waste segregation and recycling behaviours. The findings show that accessible infrastructure and reliable collection services are more effective than awareness campaigns alone in supporting sustainable waste management and advancing a circular economy in rapidly urbanising developing countries.
Authors
Prataoy Kabya Bhowmik
Research Associate, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC UniversityKhadija Akter Sonia
Research Associate, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC UniversityFazlur Rashid
Chief Operating Officer, Dyadic Research Impacts
Munshi Sulaiman
Director of Research, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD)Mashiyat Faiza Jahan
Research Associate, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University-
Sulaiman-Barua-Bhowmik-Sonia-Jahan-Rashid-Working-Paper-May-2026.pdf
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