Promoting food waste recycling in the commercial and industrial sector by extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour: A Hong Kong case study

Abstract

In recent years, the government and community have focused extensive attention on food waste recycling to achieve sustainable waste management. However, the motivation of stakeholders from the commercial and industrial sector to change recycling behaviour has not received enough attention. This study aimed to identify, prioritise, and quantify the relationships between key latent variables that affect the food waste recycling behaviour of relevant industries in Hong Kong (i.e. representatives from the hotel, food and beverages, and property management industries). This study integrated semi-structured interviews and a survey questionnaire on the basis of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, setting it apart from conventional studies on food waste behavioural factors. Qualitative content analysis and quantitative structural equation modelling were performed to analyse the interview and questionnaire responses, followed by correlation analysis to quantify the relationships between variables. The results demonstrate that food waste recycling behaviour is determined by three latent variables—administrative incentives and corporate support, logistics and management incentives, and economic incentives. Administrative incentives and corporate support demonstrate significant effects on recycling behaviour. Moral attitudes show a strong positive correlation with administrative incentives and corporate support. Similarly, there is a significant positive correlation between moral attitudes and logistics and management incentives. Administrative incentives and corporate support is the determining variable for the hotel and food and beverages industries, whereas logistics and management incentives are of the highest concern to property management representatives. These findings can facilitate the development of stakeholder-oriented policy to encourage corporate behavioural change towards food waste recycling for sustainable resource circulation.