A crucial prerequisite for recycling, forming an integral part of municipal solid waste management is sorting valuable materials from municipal solid waste. China's waste sorting remains low, making it imperative to research waste sorting and provide scientific policy recommendations to promote waste sorting. China's low levels in waste sorting result from low household level participation. Therefore, this paper focuses on the influencing factors accounting for the intention to sort household waste using Jiangsu province of China as a case. The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) was extended with Guilt, Convenience, and Environmental concern. 412 valid responses were used in assessing the hypotheses through structural equation modeling. It was found that attitude and subjective norm cardinally influenced intention towards waste sorting. The study found that residents' concern for the environment, the guilt associated with their actions, and the convenience of sorting waste positively influenced their intention toward waste sorting. Guilt positively influenced attitude, while environmental concern influenced guilt and convenience positively. Guilt mediated environmental concern towards waste sorting intention. The study furnishes stakeholders with meaningful policy implications to promote maximum household waste sorting.