Age as a differentiating factor in consumer behaviour in the context of the implementation of circular waste management

Abstract

The aim of the article is to determine differences in getting rid of unnecessary but operational items from households by young and older people. This is a significant problem from the point of view of the implementation of the principles of the circular economy because successful implementation of the circular economy system in municipalities depends on the habits and behaviour of consumers. The article is of a research nature. The survey was conducted in January 2020 using the CAWI method on a representative sample of n=1012 adult Polish residents aged 18 to 60. In the case of most of the product categories studied, there are differences in the way young and older people deal with unnecessary items. Younger people are more willing to buy new things, but on a positive note, they also often declare willingness to resell products they no longer need. However, an unfavourable phenomenon is the inclination of young people to store unnecessary items in their households. Older people - in the case of most of the products tested - are willing to give them free of charge to people in need. By knowing which groups of subjects deal with unnecessary objects less responsibly, one will be able to take targeted actions to change their behaviour.