Exploring the influence of religion and regional culture on waste separation intention: An empirical study in Tibet

Tibet's exceptional geographical and climate features have fostered a distinct regional culture and a specific religious belief of Tibetan Buddhism. These attributes have a close association with environmental conservation and sustainable lifestyles. However, empirical research on this unique region is scarce. Hence, this study developed an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model, incorporating Tibetan Buddhism and regional culture, to explore their influence on waste separation intentions. The Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory was adopted to theoretically ground our interpretation, explaining how the observed effects are driven by the internalization of values into personal moral norms. This study collected a total of 557 survey responses and 12 semi-structured interviews. The extended model was tested using structural equation modeling, and qualitative data were analyzed to supplement interpretation. The findings suggest that Tibetan Buddhism (RE) and regional culture (RC) are key predictors of waste separation intention (WSI), influencing it both directly and indirectly through the mediating pathways of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral effectiveness. In contrast, perceived behavioral control (PBC) did not show a significant effect on intention. This study not only fills the gap in empirical research on the Tibetan region but also contributes to our understanding of the role of Tibetan Buddhism and culture in promoting sustainable environmental behavior and provides useful insights for the development of waste separation policies in the Tibetan region.