A COM-B perspective to change repair behaviour

Purpose Product repair is a promising approach to address waste issues and advance a circular economy. However, behaviour change for consumers to realise a circular economy is particularly difficult. Using the capability, motivation, opportunity and behaviour (COM-B) model, the purpose of this study is to investigate repair behaviour among consumers in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach Using a mixed-method approach, in Study 1, the authors evaluate repair intention of New Zealand consumers (n = 1,512) using the COM-B model. In Study 2, the authors explore barriers and enablers of repair among consumers (n = 23) participating in collaborative repair at repair cafés. Findings Study 1 highlights motivation and social opportunity as key predictors of repair intention but the frequency of repair matters in terms of the COM-B factors. In Study 2, physical capability and opportunity, alongside motivation, seem to drive participation in repair cafes. Together, these results illustrate the contextual nature of repair behaviour and identify barriers and enablers among different groups of consumers based on their frequency of repair. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study advance the literature by using COM-B to explore repair as a type of collaborative consumption. The authors also respond to a gap in the literature regarding behaviour change strategies that focus on circular consumption behaviours like repair. However, this study does not differentiate between different types of products. Practical implications Based on the COM-B findings from two studies and behaviour change wheel implications, the authors provide recommendations to repair cafés, policymakers, marketers and other groups who support repair and collaborative repair. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first to quantitatively measure and model the COM-B factors. Similar to other COM-B studies, the authors ascertain that the influence of the sub-dimensions is dependent on the targeted behaviour. They also broaden the application of COM-B from health and social marketing issues to collaborative consumption practices.