With the escalating issues of resource waste and environmental pollution, the effective recycling of cardboard boxes within the logistics sector has emerged as a crucial factor in advancing sustainable development. This study employs the extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB) to devise a questionnaire and gather data from 700 respondents in China, aiming to analyze the influential factors that impact consumers’ engagement in recycling mechanisms provided by express delivery companies. Utilizing a principal component analysis, five co-factors that influence consumers’ willingness to recycle are identified. The findings of a multinomial logistic regression reveal a positive correlation between these five co-factors and recycling behavior, with attitude exhibiting the greatest significant influence (5.076 times in model 1 and 2.375 times in model 2) on recycling behavior. These results will serve as a scientific foundation for express delivery companies and governmental entities to adapt and optimize existing environmental protection policies, thus fostering sustainable development.