A study of residents’ behavior in participating in smart waste sorting system based on structural equation modeling

Waste classification is vital for addressing the current urban waste crisis. However, existing research on intelligent waste classification systems has limitations compared to traditional methods. This study, grounded in the theory of planned behavior and contextualized within Chinese policy frameworks, surveyed 614 participants from Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and other cities. The aim was to analyze residents’ willingness to engage with intelligent waste classification systems and to construct a theoretical model. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the influence of system usability, incentives, time costs, social impact, behavioral attitudes, and intentions on residents’ participation in intelligent waste classification. The findings reveal that perceived ease of use, perceived motivation, and time cost are significantly positively associated with behavioral attitudes. In addition, time cost, social impact, safety perception, and intelligence perception are strongly linked to residents’ behavioral intentions. The ease of use, incentives, and time costs indirectly affect waste classification behavior through behavioral attitudes, while time costs, social impact, safety perception, and intelligence perception exert indirect effects through behavioral intentions. This study offers valuable insights for enhancing urban residents’ participation in waste classification initiatives.