Perceived Consumer Effectiveness as A Trigger of Behavioral Spillover Effects: A path towards Recycling

Claudia Arias,Carlos A Trujillo

doi:10.3390/su12114348

Abstract

Increasing and promoting recycling is crucial to achieving sustainable consumption. However, this is a complex task that involves the interplay of beliefs, knowledge and situational factors in ways not yet understood. This study examines a spill-over model in which perceived consumer effectiveness influences the adoption of an easy task (carrying reusable shopping bags) and that, in turn, influences recycling. Using data from a national survey with a representative sample of 1286 respondents in Colombia, we test a hypothesized path using a mediation model. Our results suggest that the relationship between perceived consumer effectiveness and recycling is mediated by the use of reusable shopping bags. Thus, once the adoption of simple pro-environmental behavior is triggered by pro-environmental beliefs, spillover effects may ensue to favor the adoption of recycling behavior. This suggests that individuals may adopt pro-environmental behavior in stages or levels. Therefore, focusing on behaviors that require less effort (e.g., reducing/reusing) could be a starting point when it comes to encouraging the adoption of other behaviors that demand a greater level of effort such as recycling. This study suggests that attitudinal variables can be the starting point of spill-over effects.

Highlights

The environmental challenges we currently face require the promotion of individual behaviors that contribute to sustainable consumption
The descriptive results show that respondents (60% female, 33% single, 76% with ages ranging from 18 to 52 years) perceive that individual actions are not very effective for environmental care (i.e., perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE)); on average, they agreed with the statement that they cannot do much to care for the environment (Mean = 2.92, SD = 1.07)
We found evidence that supports the notion that recycling is the outcome of interactive processes that involve individuals’ beliefs and spillover effects resulting from less complex pro-environmental behaviors

Summary

Introduction

The environmental challenges we currently face require the promotion of individual behaviors that contribute to sustainable consumption. As suggested by the almost 50 years of literature on recycling, such behavior is highly complex and promoting its adoption remains an unmet challenge as it encompasses a great number of variables, involving inner motivations as well as internal and external facilitators [5]. Another factor has to do with the fact that recycling is largely dependent on consumers’ or end users’ labor to function, requiring time, energy and skill to sort and collect items. Previous research has established that no influencing variable acts alone [5,6], interactions among predictors should be incorporated in adoption models and emphasis should be placed on those variables that increase long-term commitment to recycling [5]—

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Conclusion