Precycling in the circular economy: Application of the motivation opportunity ability framework to explore the antecedents of consumers’ precycling behavior in Finland

Dealing with overconsumption and the waste crisis requires consumers to make a drastic lifestyle change, adopting more circular consumption patterns that support the prevention of waste generation. The goal of our study was to explore the range of precycling behaviors aimed at preventing waste generation in households. We tested the hypotheses of the Motivation Opportunity Ability framework using a nationally representative survey of consumers residing in Finland (n = 1,000). Respondents reported a high level of motivation, moderate level of opportunity and ability and engaged in precycling occasionally. Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified three types of precycling behaviors: long-term planning, resourceful behavior, and reuse for circularity. Multiple linear regression indicated that motivation (frugality and minimalism), opportunity (distance to circular economy services), ability (skills related to the circular economy), and precycling were associated. These findings suggest that policymakers need to focus on increasing consumers’ precycling skills and improving the accessibility and availability of precycling services.