Does Personal Innovativeness Affect Sustainable Waste Behaviour? The Mediating Role of Creative Reuse

Abstract

Purpose – The success of businesses and governments in developing and implementing sustainable waste management policies depends on the habits of individual users. Innovative personality traits, creative reuse, and sustainable waste behaviours of product and service users play a significant role in achieving circular economy practices. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of creative reuse in the effect of personal innovativeness on sustainable waste behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data was used in the research, and data were collected via questionnaires from individuals living in Türkiye over 18 years old. The research data was obtained by creating a link containing the survey questions in the electronic environment and sending it to the participants via the Internet through various social media platforms. 373 people participated in the research. The structural equation model was applied as the research method. SPSS and SmartPLS 4 package programs were used for statistical analysis. Findings – It has been found that creative reuse has a partial mediating effect between personal innovativeness and sustainable waste behaviour. Research limitations/implications – In future studies, the model can be expanded by including different variables in the research model. Moreover, suppose the survey is applied to a wider audience with more diverse socio-economic characteristics and in different age groups. In that case, strategies can be developed for people at different levels by analyzing according to age groups. Furthermore, similar studies can be conducted in different countries, allowing for cross-country comparisons to be made. Practical implications – The main research results emphasize the importance for organizations to consider boosting users’ personal innovation traits by offering creativity-enhancing practices such as open innovation platforms. Furthermore, it can be suggested that considering the significance of revising sustainable production strategies by innovating through collaboration platforms with users. Originality/value – This study has a unique value that contributes to the field of sustainability by combining personal innovativeness and creativity, which are an essential part of the innovation literature, with reuse, a vital element of the circular economy.