What the study found
Attitude, perceived benefit, and perceived trust were significant influences on consumer recycling behavior for express packaging in China. Subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and policy communication did not show significant net effects.
What the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that express packaging recycling is driven by complex interactions among benefits, trust, and attitudes. They suggest policymakers should use multi-factor policy designs to better promote sustainable consumer behavior.
What the researchers tested
The study extended the Theory of Planned Behavior, a framework for explaining behavior, by adding perceived benefit, perceived trust, and policy communication. Survey data from 382 urban consumers in China were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and necessary condition analysis (NCA).
What worked and what didn't
The analysis found significant effects for attitude, perceived benefit, and perceived trust. It found no significant net effects for subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and policy communication. The configurational analysis showed that high recycling behavior can emerge from multiple combinations of factors rather than one dominant driver, and NCA identified attitude as a necessary prerequisite.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes the study as focused on 382 urban consumers in China, so the findings are limited to that sample. Limitations beyond this scope are not described in the available summary.
Key points
- Attitude, perceived benefit, and perceived trust significantly influenced express packaging recycling behavior.
- Subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and policy communication showed no significant net effects.
- High recycling behavior emerged from multiple combinations of factors rather than a single dominant driver.
- Attitude was identified as a necessary prerequisite in the necessary condition analysis.
- The study used survey data from 382 urban consumers in China.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Attitude, benefit, and trust shaped recycling behavior in China
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-23
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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