Why Residents Don’t Do What They Say: Exploring the Intention–Behavior Gap in E-Waste Online Recycling Participating

Abstract

E-waste online recycling is a new recycling model that has received strong support from governments worldwide. It integrates multiple processes such as online inquiry and offline delivery. The complex online–offline interaction makes residents’ willingness to participate susceptible to external factors, hindering their behavior. To better transform residents’ recycling intentions into behavior, this paper primarily uses a questionnaire survey to explore the intention–behavior gap in e-waste online recycling participating. Our findings show that residents’ e-waste online recycling intention directly predicts their behavior, but the implementation plan plays a partial mediating role between them. Additionally, perceived value and platform interactivity moderate the impact of e-waste online recycling intention towards participation behavior. Subsequent in-depth interview analysis further also confirmed these findings. The study contributes to understanding residents’ online recycling behaviors and fostering the sustainable development of this model.