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<p>Single-use plastic water bottles left by trekkers and mountaineers are one of the most common types of solid waste seen in high mountain tourist areas. While deposit refund systems (DRS) can mobilize tourist resources to incentivize recycling, implementation requires knowing whether tourists are willing to contribute and identifying ways to increase their motivation to do so. We present the results of a field survey experiment conducted in the Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal in 2022 (Pilot study) and in 2023, that examined tourists’ willingness to pay (WTP) for water bottle deposits. The respondents were randomly assigned to a control group or one of four experimental groups, which gave them different nudges to increase their WTP: environmental norms, local economic development, private benefits, and government regulation. Of the tourists, 89.3% were willing to pay deposits (<i>N</i> = 335) and the median amount was $0.25 per bottle. The environmental norms nudge increased WTP. Our findings inform the possibility of implementing a DRS in the SNP and other high mountain areas to manage plastic water bottle pollution.</p>

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Reducing plastic pollution: Tourists’ willingness to pay for bottle deposits in high mountain tourist areas

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月13日

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  • Steven R. Hall,
  • Kirsten Nicholson,
  • Misa Nishikawa,
  • Subodh Sharma

摘要

Single-use plastic water bottles left by trekkers and mountaineers are one of the most common types of solid waste seen in high mountain tourist areas. While deposit refund systems (DRS) can mobilize tourist resources to incentivize recycling, implementation requires knowing whether tourists are willing to contribute and identifying ways to increase their motivation to do so. We present the results of a field survey experiment conducted in the Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal in 2022 (Pilot study) and in 2023, that examined tourists’ willingness to pay (WTP) for water bottle deposits. The respondents were randomly assigned to a control group or one of four experimental groups, which gave them different nudges to increase their WTP: environmental norms, local economic development, private benefits, and government regulation. Of the tourists, 89.3% were willing to pay deposits (N = 335) and the median amount was $0.25 per bottle. The environmental norms nudge increased WTP. Our findings inform the possibility of implementing a DRS in the SNP and other high mountain areas to manage plastic water bottle pollution.