Navigating circular diapers purchasing in a developing country: The critical roles of behavioural control and intention

The growing environmental impact of disposable diaper waste has become a major global problem. Despite the invention of circular diapers, their adoption remains quite limited. Developing effective adoption strategies requires a better understanding of consumer behaviour toward purchasing circular diapers. Studies on purchasing behaviour of circular products are still rare, particularly in low-value waste items such as diapers in developing countries. This article investigates the key variables influencing circular diaper purchasing behaviour. After the research instrument had been developed and tested, a survey method was used to ascertain the public's purchasing behaviour for circular diapers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to evaluate the data and extend the theory of planned behaviour (extended TPB). The SEM showed that intention and actual behavioural control (ABC) significantly directly affected circular diaper purchasing behaviour while attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control indirectly influenced it. The higher ABC factor loading highlights the importance of including ABC as a critical factor in circular diapers purchasing. This report also discusses various strategies and policies to increase the adoption of circular diapers. Furthermore, this article has significant implications for future research on circular product purchasing behaviour. © 2024 The Authors