E-waste recycling behaviour: An integration of recycling habits into the theory of planned behaviour

This study examines the determinants of e-waste recycling intention among young consumers in an emerging economy context by integrating habits into a prominent model that predicts people's behav-iour, namely, the theory of planned behaviour. Young consumers contribute significantly to the outgrowth of e-waste problem as front-runners in the consumption, generation and management processes. Survey data have been analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLSSEM) approach as a multivariate statistical method. The findings show that the integrated model can explain more than 47 per cent of the variance in the young consumers' e-waste recycling intention which reflects good explanatory power and confirms its robustness. The role of recycling habits and perceived attitudes are demonstrated as strong predictors of young adults' e-waste recycling intention. Surprisingly, constructs of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) involving subjective norms and behavioural control show no significant influence on the e-waste recycling intention of young consumers. Building on these findings, e-waste recycling programs should first target attitudes and create specific cues that trigger habits. The paper also concludes with several social and practical implications that can foster e waste recycling policies. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.