Explaining Chinese Consumer Recycling Behavior in Express Packaging: Insights from PLS-SEM, fsQCA, and Necessary Condition Analysis

The rapid growth of e-commerce, particularly in China, has led to a surge in express packaging waste, posing significant environmental challenges. However, consumer participation in express packaging recycling remains a critical yet underexplored issue. To address this gap, this study extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by incorporating perceived benefit, perceived trust, and policy communication to explain consumer behavior. Survey data from 382 urban consumers in China were analyzed using an integrated approach combining partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and necessary condition analysis (NCA). The results indicate that attitude, perceived benefit, and perceived trust significantly influence recycling behavior, while subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and policy communication exhibit no significant net effects. Furthermore, configurational analysis demonstrates that high recycling behavior emerges from multiple combinations of factors rather than any single dominant driver, and NCA identifies attitude as a necessary prerequisite. In conclusion, these findings underscore that express packaging recycling is driven by complex interactions among benefits, trust, and attitudes, suggesting that policymakers should prioritize multi-factor policy designs to effectively promote sustainable consumer behavior.