The moderating effect of perceived policy effectiveness on recycling intention

• The moderating effect of perceived policy effectiveness was investigated.
• Perceived policy effectiveness positively influenced recycling intention.
• Perceived policy effectiveness negatively moderated the two relationships.

Currently, recycling is one of the main strategies to reduce the reliance on landfills in Hong Kong, where its landfills will reach their full capacities by the end of the 2010s. In this study, we surveyed 246 people in Hong Kong to examine the moderating effect of perceived policy effectiveness on recycling. According to the results, the perceived policy effectiveness negatively moderated the relationships between subjective norm and recycling intention, as well as those between consequences awareness and recycling intention. The findings provided insightful information for policy makers to shape a more effective recycling policy.