Abstract
Although many individuals express a desire to reduce plastic use (e.g., Dilkes-Hoffman et al., 2019), actual behavior often falls short (e.g., Tang, 2023). In this study, we explored that intention–behavior gap by proposing a conceptual moderated mediation model that integrates two theoretical frameworks: Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). While TPB explains how individual attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control contribute to sustainable intentions, TCE highlights the hidden costs, time, effort, uncertainty, and monetary tradeoffs that shape whether those intentions are acted upon. Using qualitative data from undergraduate student journals (N = 28) in a U.S. university documenting one week of intentional plastic reduction, we observed that many participants held strong environmental values but ultimately reverted to plastic use due to transaction costs associated with finding and adopting alternatives. From a TCE perspective, plastic consumption persists not out of apathy, but because it remains the lowest-friction choice within systems optimized for convenience and disposability. We propose that structural conditions such as economic accessibility, engineered convenience, and infrastructural neglect moderate the feasibility of sustainable behavior. For low-income individuals, the cost of transitioning to a plastic-free lifestyle, financially and logistically, may simply be too high, even when motivation is strong. Our model offers a more complete account of why sustainable behaviors often fail to materialize. We discuss the implications for both policy and practice in teaching sustainability, arguing that individual responsibility narratives must be complemented by systemic changes that remove structural barriers to sustainable behavior.
Presenters
Nhung HendyProfessor, Management, Towson University, College of Business & Economics, Maryland, United States Antigoni Papadimitriou
Assistant Professor, Farmingdale State College - SUNY School of Business, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2026 Special Focus—Unseen Unsustainability: Addressing Hidden Risks to Long-Term Wellbeing for All
KEYWORDS
SUSTAINABLE BEHAVIOR, PLASTIC USE REDUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL INTENTION-BEHAVIOR GAP
