Extending the Technology Acceptance Model to a Circular Economy Context : A Study of Hungary's REpont Deposit‐Refund System

Abstract

The aim of the study is to examine the public acceptance of the deposit‐refund system (DRS), introduced in the European Union, through an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The research supplemented the classic constructs of TAM (behavioral intension, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use) with environmental consciousness, social pressure, financial incentives, and informational factors. According to the results of structural equation modeling (SEM) conducted on a representative, national Hungarian sample with 1005 respondents, perceived usefulness is the strongest predictor of behavioral intention, while social norms and environmental concerns also have a positive effect. Financial incentives did not influence intention but directly increased actual use. One of the most interesting findings is the paradoxical effect of information: higher levels of self‐reported information were associated with lower perceived usefulness, possibly due to cognitive dissonance or increased awareness of system limitations and errors. This result challenges conventional assumptions of TAM and points to the importance of perceived system quality and user expectations. The theoretical contribution of the research is that it extends the TAM model to sustainable infrastructures and the refinment of the model's assumptions with novel variables. At a practical level, it highlights that encouraging technology use requires the combined management of complex, individual and social factors. The findings may inform both policymakers and system operators in designing more user‐centered and trust‐enhancing circular economy systems. There is also a need to implement a better DRS to support integrated strategies that address individual motivations, social dynamics, and communication design.