Determinants of Chinese individuals’ clothing-recycling intentions: a dual-logic analysis integrating TPB, NAM, and perceived convenience (PLS-SEM and NCA)

The fast-fashion industry’s rapid growth has exacerbated global environmental crises, including resource depletion and pollution, with over 30 million tons of clothing discarded annually and less than 5% recycled. In China, the world’s largest clothing producer and consumer, annual textile waste exceeds 20 million tons, yet public participation in recycling remains low due to insufficient understanding of motivational factors. Existing studies often rely on single-theory models, overlooking the dual self-interest and altruistic drivers of pro-environmental behaviors, and employ methods focused solely on sufficient conditions without identifying necessary prerequisites. This study addresses these gaps by integrating the self-interest-based theory of planned behavior (TPB), the altruistic-focused norm activation model (NAM), and perceived convenience as an external factor, while employing a novel hybrid approach of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA). Drawing on data from 347 valid responses from Chinese participants, PLS-SEM reveals perceived behavioral control as the strongest sufficient driver of recycling intention. NCA complements this by identifying that moral factors (personal norms and awareness of consequences) are the most important indispensable prerequisites. This integration advances knowledge by providing a nuanced, dual-logic framework for clothing recycling, offering evidence-based strategies for policymakers and businesses to foster multi-stage management strategies toward a circular fashion economy. Limitations include the sample’s focus on Chinese respondents, potentially limiting generalizability to other cultural contexts, and reliance on self-reported intentions rather than actual behaviors.