# Factors influencing recycled materials using in the construction industry in China: an application of the extended theory of planned behavior

## TL;DR

This study explores how workers in China's construction industry feel and behave toward recycling, using a psychological model to identify key factors influencing their recycling intentions and actions.

## Contribution

The study extends the Theory of Planned Behavior by introducing new determinants like recycling outcomes and validating their impact in the Chinese construction context.

## Key findings

- Attitude, perceived behavioral control, and recycling consequences significantly influence recycling behavior.
- Age and experience affect recycling behavior, but gender does not.
- Subjective norms and past recycling behavior were not significant predictors in this context.

## Abstract

Waste from the construction sector is a significant component of the global waste composition of many continents. There is a lack of research on the attitude and behavior of workers toward recycling. Although changing workers’ attitudes and behaviors toward recycling in attaining sustainable waste management in the construction industry is a tall order, it is crucial to identify. So, the aim of this study is to comprehensively understand workers’ psychology by emphasizing new factors that can measure their intention to recycle and recycling behavior using the extended Theory of Planned Behavior. This study selects workers of the construction industry of China to assess their recycling behavior by testing the relationships among the proposed study model variables. Past research based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) seldom offers new determinants, such as consequences/Outcomes of Recycling (COR), or investigates demographic factors (age, experience, and gender). This leaves a gap in comprehending the psychological and contextual frames behind recycling in the construction industry. A total of 359 respondents, including Chinese workers, were surveyed and returned the data for further analysis using SPSS and AMOS. The statistical techniques employed are the confirmatory factor analysis. The findings of this study revealed that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and consequences of recycling significantly influenced intention to recycle and recycling behavior among the construction workers. Notably, subjective norms and past recycling behavior were not significant predictors. Moreover, age and experience also significantly influenced the recycling behavior, while gender did not. The study’s main contribution lies in extending the TPB framework within the context of the Chinese construction industry, introducing and validating new determinants (COR, CS) that provide a deeper psychological understanding of recycling behavior. Practically, the results prioritize critical elements for stakeholders, suggesting that managerial and policy interventions should focus on cultivating positive attitudes, enhancing perceived control through infrastructure and support, and leveraging outcome awareness, particularly among younger and less experienced workers, to bridge the implementation gap in construction waste recycling.