Factors Influencing Enterprises’ Willingness to Upcycle Secondhand Clothing Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

The global fashion industry, particularly in production-intensive markets like China, faces pressing environmental challenges due to low utilization rates of post-consumer textiles, positioning the upcycling of secondhand clothing as a pivotal issue for sustainable transformation. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines the drivers of corporate participation in secondhand clothing upcycling at the organizational level, with a focus on how corporate attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shape behavioral intention and actual practice. Using data from a survey of 408 Chinese apparel firms and analyzing it via structural equation modeling, the findings reveal that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control each exert a significant positive influence on upcycling intention, which in turn strongly predicts actual upcycling behavior; the model demonstrates good overall fit. Beyond confirming the explanatory relevance of TPB in organizational sustainability decision-making, this study also develops a practical “value–pressure–capability” framework through sub-dimensional analysis. According to this framework, corporate upcycling engagement is motivated by perceived economic and brand value, moderated by external pressures from industry norms and policy signals, and enabled through technological innovation and resource support that lower implementation barriers. The research offers an evidence-based theoretical and practical pathway for policymakers and industry stakeholders seeking to advance the circular fashion economy, with implications for similarly structured economies in East Asia.