Abstract
Many people engage in pro-environment behaviours like recycling, but are still hesitant to purchase products made from recycled materials. Consumers have not become ‘recycled shoppers’ (Barr & Gilg, 2006) and there has been limited research on understanding the purchase of recycled products (Bratt, 2010) or consumers’ attitudes towards products made with recycled materials (Herbst, Leary, & McColskey-Leary, 2012; Leviston, Leitch, Greenhill, Leonard, & Walker, 2011). However, for the recycling industry it is critical to understand consumers’ current knowledge of recycled products and their attitude towards purchasing these products. In particular, are they willing to purchase products of this type? And if so, what is their willingness to pay (WTP) and are they willing to pay more (WTPM)? In European studies, recycling was the most likely pro-environmental behaviour on average, but purchasing environmentally friendly products was the least likely behaviour for citizens (Pirani & Secondi, 2010), this finding illustrates the disconnect between recycling and the purchase of recycled goods. In Australian, climate change attitudes are also changing with fewer people believing that it is being caused by human actions (Leviston, et al., 2011). Arguably this trend suggests that previous motives for pro-environmental behaviour may be in decline and this may lead to a reduction in consumers’ responsiveness to pro-environmental messages (Sibley & Kurz, 2013). There are a series of factors that have been found to affect consumers’ attitudes towards purchasing recycled products including; price (Bei & Simpson, 1995; Herbst, et al., 2012; Ong, Goh, Goh, Too, & Goh, 2012; Oskamp, 2000), clear labelling (Bei & Simpson, 1995; Essoussi & Linton, 2010; Ong, et al., 2012; Oskamp, 2000), clear labelling (Herbst, et al., 2012), environmental responsibility (Chen & Chai, 2010a), environmental responsibility (Chen & Chai, 2010b) and environmental identity of consumer (Akehurst, Afonso, & Gonçalves, 2012; McDonald & Oates, 2006). This research will examine the effect of these variables on consumers’ purchasing intentions and willingness to pay more (WTPM) for recycled products.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Event | International Social Marketing Conference - Melbourne, Australia Duration: 17 Jul 2014 → 18 Jul 2014 |
Conference
Conference | International Social Marketing Conference |
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Country/Territory | Australia |
Period | 17/07/14 → 18/07/14 |