The role of responsible consumption in explaining Vietnamese household food waste

This study introduces a dual-process model of moral catalysis within an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), testing responsible consumption (RC) as a direct predictor and moderator of household food waste reduction. Based on survey data from 300 Vietnamese households analyzed via PLS-SEM, results reveal RC’s double-edged role: it enhances intentions and behaviors while influencing all TPB components. RC acts as a moral amplifier (strengthening attitude–intention and intention–behavior links) and a moral substitute (weakening subjective norms and perceived behavioral control), reconfiguring TPB and advancing ethical consumption theory in collectivist emerging markets.