Abstract
The impact of climate change has malformed the world’s ecosystem, thus making humans call for environmental protection. Climate change, the biggest trauma of the twenty-first century, has made humans switch towards natural consumption. In this regard, the growing phenomenon of industrialization has spurred consumers to invest more in ecological products. Consuming eco-friendly products has several benefits; however, countries are still unable to satisfy the consumer’s concern for the environment. The current study presents literature on environmental concerns, psychological well-being, willingness to pay for pro-environmental products, pro-environmental self-identity, and pro-environmental consumer behavior, which are required to ensure the consumer’s organic behavior. The research used a questionnaire-driven methodology to gather data from 379 participants. Data analysis was conducted using statistical software packages, specifically SPSS (Version: 4.1.0.0). The suitability of the measurement model was evaluated through structural equation modeling (SEM), which was performed utilizing the SmartPLS. According to the research findings, there is a positive relationship between variables in the study, and individuals with greater levels of psychological well-being are more likely to engage in behaviors that promote sustainable consumption. In order to foster more sustainable consumption patterns in society, policymakers, marketers, and educators may find these findings to be valuable insights. As a result of its empirical exploration of these relationships, the study contributes to the growing body of literature on environmental psychology and sustainable marketing, emphasizing the important role psychological factors play in promoting a greener environment.
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The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation. The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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This study was supported by the General Program of the National Social Science Foundation of China under Grant(23BTJ016).
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Conceptualization: Muddassar Sarfraz and Jianmin Sun; methodology: Ilknur Ozturk; formal analysis and investigation: Muddassar Sarfraz and Jianmin Sun; writing—original draft preparation: Muddassar Sarfraz, Ilknur Ozturk; writing—review and editing: Ilknur Ozturk; resources: Jianmin Sun; supervision: Muddassar Sarfraz. All authors approved the current study.
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Appendix. Measurement scale
Appendix. Measurement scale
Construct Label/Name | Environmental Concern |
Source | Canio, F. (2023). Consumer willingness to pay more for pro-environmental packages: The moderating role of familiarity. Journal of Environmental Management, 339, 117828 |
EC_1 | If all of us, individually, contributed to environmental protection, it would have a significant effect |
EC_2 | Everyone is responsible for protecting the environment in their everyday life |
EC_3 | Preserving and protecting the environment should be one of our priorities |
EC_4 | We should take responsibility for environmental issues, as we are the cause of environmental damage |
EC_5 | I am very concerned about the number of artificial additives and preservatives in food |
Construct Label/Name | Psychological well-being |
Nguyen, H. V., Le, M. T. T., Pham, C. H., & Cox, S. S. (2022). Happiness and pro-environmental consumption behaviors. Journal of Economics and Development, 26(1), 36–49 | |
PWB_1 | Do you feel able to enjoy life? |
PWB_2 | Do you feel you have a purpose in life? |
PWB_3 | Do you feel in control of your life? |
PWB_4 | Do you feel able to live your life the way you want? |
PWB_5 | Are you confident in your own opinions and beliefs? |
PWB_6 | Do you feel able to do the things you choose to do? |
PWB_7 | Do you feel able to grow and develop as a person? |
Construct Label/Name | Willingness to pay for pro-environmental products |
Source | De Canio, F. (2023). Consumer willingness to pay more for pro-environmental packages: The moderating role of familiarity. Journal of Environmental Management, 339, 117828 |
WPPEP_1 | I am willing to pay more money to buy environment-friendly products |
WPPEP_2 | I am willing to pay more money to buy products with sustainable packaging (e.g., compostable, glass, aluminum …) |
WPPEP_3 | I am willing to pay more money to buy eco-friendly products |
WPPEP_4 | I am willing to spend more money to buy bulk products |
WPPEP_5 | I believe it is acceptable to spend extra money on bulk products |
WPPEP_6 | I believe it is acceptable to spend extra money on products with sustainable packaging (e.g., compostable, glass, aluminum …) |
Construct Label/Name | Pro-environmental Self-Identity |
Source | Dermody, J., Koenig-Lewis, N., Zhao, A. L., & Hanmer-Lloyd, S. (2018). Appraising the influence of pro-environmental self-identity on sustainable consumption buying and curtailment in emerging markets: Evidence from China and Poland. Journal of Business Research, 86, 333–343 |
PESI _1 | I think of myself as an environmentally-friendly consumer |
PESI _2 | I think of myself as someone who is very concerned with environmental issues |
PESI _3 | I would not be embarrassed to be seen as having an environmentally-friendly lifestyle |
PESI _4 | I would want my family or friends to think of me as someone who is concerned about environmental issues |
Construct Label/Name | Pro-environmental Consumer Behavior |
Source | Nguyen, H. V., Le, M. T. T., Pham, C. H., & Cox, S. S. (2022). Happiness and pro-environmental consumption behaviors. Journal of Economics and Development, 26(1), 36–49 |
PECB_1 | Whenever it is possible, I do not buy products with plastic wrapping |
PECB_2 | I often shop at stores that promote "reduce single-use plastic" products |
PECB_3 | I often bring my own containers/bottles when I eat or drink out |
PECB_4 | I buy products that are friendly for the environment whenever possible |
PECB_5 | I try to be pro-environmental by shopping at places that are known to be environmentally friendly |
PECB_6 | I shop or eat out at stores or restaurants that emphasize environmental protection whenever possible |
PECB_7 | Whenever possible, I buy products that are packaged in recyclable materials |
Construct Label/Name | Sustainable Consumption Buying Behavior |
Source | Dermody, J., Koenig-Lewis, N., Zhao, A. L., & Hanmer-Lloyd, S. (2018). Appraising the influence of pro-environmental self-identity on sustainable consumption buying and curtailment in emerging markets: Evidence from China and Poland. Journal of Business Research, 86, 333–343 |
SCBB_1 | Buy organic |
SCBB_2 | Buy environmentally-friendly products |
SCBB_3 | Buy food which is locally grown or in season |
SCBB_4 | Buy products using reduced packaging |
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Sun, J., Sarfraz, M. & Ozturk, I. Eco-consciousness to eco-consumption: unraveling the drivers of sustainable consumption behavior under the mediated-moderated Model. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33560-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33560-y