Inconvenience and Perceived Behavioral Control as The Main Predictive Factors of Recycling Behavior: Malaysian University Students Context

Abstract

The research aimed to examine the relationship between attitude, behavioral control, moral obligation, and inconvenience regarding recycling behavior among students attending public universities in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 400 participants were chosen from three public universities in the Klang Valley, and data was collected through questionnaires. The study's findings indicate that the majority of respondents hold a moderately positive attitude toward recycling behavior, possess a low sense of perceived behavioral control, feel a lesser moral obligation toward recycling behavior, view recycling behavior as inconvenient, and exhibit a low level of engagement in recycling behavior. The results also reveal that perceived behavioral control and inconvenience have a significant association with recycling behavior. Furthermore, the regression analysis demonstrates that perceived behavioral control and inconvenience exhibit significant relationships with recycling behavior, with perceived behavioral control exerting the greatest influence on recycling behavior. Both of these factors underline the importance of designing and implementig recycling systems that are accessible, easy to use, and well-explained. Doing so can increase perceived behavioral control and decrease the sense of inconvenience, thereby promoting more consistent and widespread recycling behaviors. Recycling is fundamentally important for environmental sustainability as it conserves natural resources, reduces pollution from waste, decreases the demand for raw materials, and mitigates the negative impacts of disposal, contributing significantly to the preservation of our planet for future generations.