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Hungary\u2019s REpont scheme, operational from January 2024 and administered by MOHU (MOL Hullad\u00e9kgazd\u00e1lkod\u00e1si Zrt.) through more than 4,700 collection points nationwide, represents one of the youngest and most centralised DRS architectures in the European Union. The behavioural determinants of consumer participation in early-stage systems of this kind remain poorly understood, particularly regarding the interaction between financial incentives, multi-component psychological attitudes, institutional trust in a commercially operated concession holder, and culturally embedded recycling norms. This study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design that combines a large-scale nationally post-stratification-weighted survey (\n                    <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009=\u20092,665) analysed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with 22 semi-structured stakeholder interviews covering consumers, retail employees, and system operators. An Extended Behavioural Circular Economy (EBCE) model is proposed and empirically tested, indicating a sequential affective-to-cognitive-to-conative-to-use predictive chain (\u03b2\u2009=\u20090.633, 0.799, 0.268; all\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u20090.001). Institutional trust significantly moderates the cognitive-to-use relationship (\u03b2interaction\u2009=\u20090.183,\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u20090.001), and perceived convenience exerts an independent direct effect on system use (\u03b2\u2009=\u20090.157,\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009&lt;\u20090.001) alongside the conative-to-use path. Qualitative analysis reveals four structural participation barriers: reverse vending machine (RVM) infrastructure friction, social stigma at return points, a culturally embedded bottle-accumulation practice, and operator legitimacy concerns arising from MOHU\u2019s petrochemical parent company. K-means cluster analysis identifies a paradoxical low-participation cohort among highly educated urban residents, consistent with the value-action gap. Post-stratification weighting via iterative proportional fitting aligns the sample with national population benchmarks on gender, age, education, and region, improving demographic alignment with Hungarian population benchmarks. The study contributes a tested five-construct behavioural model and offers evidence-informed policy recommendations for DRS design across transitioning EU economies.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-026-67353-9","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T05:23:15Z","timestamp":1786944195000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["From deposit to disposition: behavioural determinants of participation in hungary\u2019s REpont deposit-return system"],"prefix":"10.1038","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7179-1899","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sayyed Khawar","family":"Abbas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"67353_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"8791","DOI":"10.3390\/su17198791","volume":"17","author":"E Sidorczuk-Pietraszko","year":"2025","unstructured":"Sidorczuk-Pietraszko, E., Piontek, W. & Larsson, A. Are deposit-return schemes an optimal solution for beverage container collection in the European Union? An evidence review. Sustainability 17, 8791 (2025).","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"67353_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"107962","DOI":"10.1016\/j.resconrec.2024.107962","volume":"212","author":"C Picuno","year":"2025","unstructured":"Picuno, C., Gerassimidou, S., You, W., Martin, O. & Iacovidou, E. The potential of deposit refund systems in closing the plastic beverage bottle loop: a review. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 212, 107962 (2025).","journal-title":"Resour. Conserv. Recycl"},{"key":"67353_CR3","unstructured":"Reloop Platform. Deposit Return Systems: Key Factors Impacting Performance. Fact Sheet. Reloop Platform, Brussels, (2025). Available at https:\/\/www.reloopplatform.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/20251124_Key-factors-impacting-DRS-performance_FactSheet_vFinal.pdf (accessed 30 May 2026)."},{"key":"67353_CR4","unstructured":"TOMRA. 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