Thanh Huyen Nguyen Thi

The circular economy is increasingly recognized as a crucial solution to environmental and economic challenges, gaining significant attention from the government, businesses, and citizens in Vietnam. As urban waste management becomes urgent, understanding the factors influencing sustainable waste management practices is essential. This study aims to assess the impact of circular economy awareness on the actual waste management behavior of market vendors in Hanoi. A total of 324 valid responses were collected directly from vendors in 2024. The paper applies an extended version of the theory of planned behavior framework, incorporating key variables such as circular economy awareness, willingness to pay, government policies, and behavioral barriers. Using the PLS-SEM method, the findings indicate that circular economy awareness has a positive influence on vendors’ waste management behaviors, with significant effects through attitudes (β = 0.425), subjective norms (β = 0.473), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.539), and willingness to pay (β = 0.462). However, behavioral barriers negatively impact actual waste management behavior (β = –0.179). Notably, government policies, despite existing national strategies, do not appear to affect vendors’ behavioral intentions (β = 0.031; p-value = 0.520). This suggests that such policies have yet to effectively reach or influence the target group. These findings emphasize the necessity for more targeted policy interventions to enhance circular economy awareness and foster sustainable waste management behaviors among market vendors. Strengthening engagement with vendors and improving policy effectiveness will be critical in promoting long-term environmental sustainability in Vietnam.

Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, grant number B2023-NTH-02.

With the rise in environmental awareness, enterprises are increasingly adopting environmentally responsible practices. This study aims to examine the influence of environmental awareness on the actual environmental behavior of enterprises in Vietnam, using an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework that includes willingness to pay as an additional construct. Data were collected from 206 enterprise leaders across Vietnam and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that environmental awareness positively influences attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and willingness to pay (β = 0.722, p < 0.001 for all). Attitude (β = 0.979, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.582, p < 0.001), and willingness to pay (β = 0.776, p < 0.001) significantly impact environmental behavior, while perceived behavioral control (β = 0.164, p > 0.05) has no significant effect. Among mediators, willingness to pay exhibits the strongest indirect effect on the relationship between environmental awareness and behavior. These findings highlight the importance of integrating financial and social mechanisms into environmental strategies, suggesting that policies enhancing awareness and access to green financing can effectively promote sustainable behavior among enterprises in emerging economies.

Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Research funds of Foreign Trade University, Vietnam, under grant number: NTCS2021-65.