Responsible and sustainable consumption: Understanding drivers to circular economy practices among youth

Waste generation is among Malaysia’s most persistent environmental concerns, with both urban and rural regions trying to cope with the rising volume of waste. Circular economy is an economic model that aims to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate natural systems. It is a shift from the traditional linear “take-make-waste” model to a more sustainable system where resources are used for as long as possible. The concept also reduces material use, redesigns materials and products to be less resource-intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. This helps address climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. One of the aims of the 12th Malaysia Plan is to promote sustainability and minimize waste in society. However, limited knowledge on circular economics is found in the literature in the context of youth in developing Asian countries. Youth are the target audience for this study, since they have a significant influence on future consumer attitudes and behaviors related to sustainability. Their perspectives are vital in advancing the circular economy and creating a more environmentally conscious society. This study aims to identify factors that influence youths’ circular economy products adoption in the context of developing Asian countries. This study applied PLS-SEM using data from 154 respondents, consisting of youth in Sarawak, Malaysia. The results demonstrate that attitude, environmental concern, moral norm, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm significantly influence circular economy products adoption. However, perceived sacrifice has an insignificant impact on the circular economy products adoption. This suggests that younger people value sustainable practices in their daily lives. This shows the adaptability of youth to future possibilities. This study also suggests that the transition to a circular economy is imperative for a country’s economic progress and sustainable development.