The attitude-behavior gap and the role of infrastructure availability in waste sorting at mass sport events in Vietnam

This study explores the mechanisms underlying the formation of source-separated municipal solid waste (MSW) sorting behavior among participants at mass sport events (MSEs) in Vietnam. By integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Attitude-Behavior-Context (ABC) framework, the research analyzes the correlations between environmental perception, attitudes, and the role of Infrastructure Availability. Data were collected from 460 participants across MSEs in Hai Phong, Bac Giang, and Thanh Hoa. The situational findings reveal a significant paradox: despite high levels of recorded environmental perception and positive attitudes, the actual waste sorting rate reached only 15.87%. Results from Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) indicate that environmental perception is the most significant antecedent in forming positive attitudes ( β = 0.399, p < 0.001). The relationship between attitude and behavior is statistically significant but recorded the lowest effect size ( β = 0.129, p < 0.05), confirming the existence of a persistent “attitude-behavior gap” in the event context. Notably, Infrastructure Availability emerged as the strongest direct predictor of behavior ( β = 0.180, p < 0.001), surpassing the influence of individual attitudes. The study rejects the moderating role of infrastructure ( p = 0.883), asserting that deficiencies in physical facilities (e.g., lack of sorting bins and visual guidance) function as independent “hard barriers” rather than mere catalytic factors. These findings suggest a critical shift in management: beyond awareness-raising communication, event organizers must prioritize optimizing the physical context and reducing “effort costs” through the synchronization of on-site technical infrastructure.