Taking the perspectives of future generations as an effective method for achieving sustainable waste management

Abstract

Abstract Solid waste management (SWM) has become a global concern with the recent rise in population growth, rapid urbanization, adoption of advanced technologies, and changing patterns of consumption. The increasing volume of waste has posed challenges to the environment and human health, and the issue is even more critical in developing countries. Therefore, in order to address this issue, we designed and conducted a deliberative field experiment to test whether taking the perspective of imaginary future generations could broaden the temporal and spatial perspectives of urban residents, and how such perspectives affect individuals’ preferences for sustainable SWM policies. A total of 290 subjects participated in the experiment in Nepal. We prepared three treatments: The subjects in Treatment 1 did not experience the perspective of future generations, also known as baseline treatment. Then, the subjects in Treatment 2 experienced the perspective of future generations only to look back at the present, and those in Treatment 3 experienced the perspective of future generations to create future visions (i.e., for 2049) and to look back at the present. The results showed that the subjects in Treatment 2 (odds ratio 2.05; 95% CI: 1.11–3.82) and Treatment 3 (odds ratio 2.23; 95% CI: 1.05–4.76) were more likely to choose the SWM policy options compared to their counterparts in the baseline Treatment 1. This implies that taking the perspective of future generations affects the preferences of individuals with regard to SWM policy options, which can be beneficial to people in the future as well as in distant locations. Overall, the finding suggests that taking the perspective of future generations could have an impact on individuals’ thinking and preferences for sustainable waste management behavior and the betterment of the future.