Unpacking the decision-making evolution mechanism of governance actors towards smart municipal solid waste (MSW) management: an insight from game approach

Digital technology is reshaping the engagement patterns and decision-making ways of the involved municipal solid waste (MSW) governance actors and the internal interactions. However, this shift hasn't yet been well-illustrated. This paper, considering the impacts of technological shock on government, households, and recyclers, employs a game approach to investigate their decision-making mechanisms in smart MSW management. The findings suggest that responsible government actively promotes digital technology, notwithstanding fence-riding behaviors between recyclers and households are detected. The interplay analysis demonstrates that single-agent-based incentives cannot consistently achieve systematic equilibrium optimization, and the transmission effects between agents' interactions should be noticed. Echoing previous work, financial incentives and environmental awareness matter. In the digital era, however, recyclers' operation mode needs to evolve from the waste-flow-centered to the community-centered. Accordingly, improved perceived utility of tokens and enhanced easy-to-use smart equipment assist in engaging different groups in smart MSW management. This study enriches the discourse about MSW management by unpacking the actors' decision-making mechanisms while providing a theoretical model basis for follow-up discussions on smart MSW management. Through enhanced understanding, this research fuels the construction of ‘zero-waste’ cities and smart cities by advancing the synergy of urban digitalization and greening, thereby propelling sustainable practice under technological empowerment. © 2025 Elsevier Inc.