To waste or not to waste? Empirical study of waste minimization behavior

Abstract

This study explores the key variables that influence overall waste minimization behaviors of consumers by augmenting the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with additional variables, including environmental concern, perceived consumer effectiveness, and perceived lack of facilities. Further, subjective norm is replaced by injunctive norm and descriptive norm. A questionnaire was administered to 455 consumers from North America, a region that faces acute waste production challenges. The findings suggest that perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE) constitutes the most influential variable to predict zero waste behavior (ZWB) intentions (β = 0.380 p < 0.001), even surpassing perceived behavioral control (PBC) (β = 0.232 p < 0.001), PBC also directly influences ZWB (β = 0.321 p < 0.001), and injunctive norms (β = 0.171 p < 0.05) exert a slightly greater influence than attitudes (β = 0.122 p < 0.001). Importantly, environmental concern is a meaningful antecedent to all belief variables (i.e., control belief [β = 0.689 p < 0.001], normative belief [β = 0.378 p < 0.001], and behavioral belief [β = 0.367p < 0.001]) while exerting an indirect effect on ZWB (β = 0.474 [0.299, 0.523]), especially via attitudes and PBC. Albeit perceived lack of facilities negatively impacts intentions (β = -0.073 p < 0.05), it positively relates ZWB (β = 0.189 p < 0.001) or worsens the effect of intentions on ZWB (β = -0.033 [-0.102, 0.036]). The results deliver crucial insights to devise impactful strategies and formulate sound policies to nudge consumers' ZWB.

Keywords: Environmental concern; Perceived consumer effectiveness; Perceived lack of facilities; Theory of planned behavior; Waste minimization; Zero waste behavior.