Eco-labeled Products Research Articles

Examining the Attitude–Behavior Gap in EU Ecolabel Adoption: A Mediation Path Analysis

The EU Ecolabel, established in 1992, aims to promote sustainable consumption, yet a significant gap persists between consumers’ positive environmental attitudes and their actual purchasing behavior of ecolabeled products. This study examines the attitude–behavior gap in EU Ecolabel adoption across Europe, leveraging data from the 2023 Eurobarometer survey with 26,630 valid responses from all EU member states. Using mediation path analysis, the research investigates the factors mediating the relationship between environmental knowledge and purchasing behavior, including environmental attitude, ecolabel trust, and environmental concern. The study applies an integrated theoretical framework combining the Knowledge–Attitude–Behavior model and Attitude–Behavior–Context theory to explain the complexities of consumer behavior towards ecolabeled products. The findings reveal the interplay of direct and indirect effects among ecolabel knowledge, trust, environmental concern, attitude, and buying behavior, while also considering demographic factors’ influence such as age, gender, education level, and residential setting. The research provides a comprehensive cross-country analysis within the EU, offering insights into bridging the attitude–behavior gap and enhancing the adoption of eco-friendly products. The results have significant implications for policymakers, marketers, and researchers in promoting sustainable consumer behavior, improving environmental label effectiveness, and developing targeted interventions to increase ecolabel adoption rates.

Predicting Eco-labeled Product Buying Behavior in an Emerging Economy through an Extension of Theory of Planned Behavior

Purpose: This research attempts to explore the determinants of eco-labeled product buying behavior by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Theoretical framework: To build a comprehensive predicting model, environmental knowledge, perceived value, environmental concern, product knowledge, self-efficacy, consumer guilt, and eco-labeling are added to the traditional TPB. Method: The proposed conceptual model was tested by conducting a questionnaire survey on consumers in an emerging economy. The partial least square-based structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Results and conclusion: The results showed that product knowledge moderates the relationship between subjective norms and eco-labeled product buying intention. The results also reveal that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm mediate the association between environmental concern and eco-labeled product buying intention. In addition to TPB constructs, consumer guilt, eco-labeling, perceived value, self-efficacy, and environmental knowledge significantly affect buying intention. Originality/value: The current research addresses the research gap by empirically examining the in-depth effects, and the underlying mechanism of eco-label informed green purchase and its acceptance in Malaysian perspectives.

Were consumers of plant-based beef substitutes buyers of organic or grass-fed beef? Insights from correlations in willingness to pay

Organic and grass-fed beef serve as niche alternatives to conventionally grain-fed beef. A recent addition is plant-based beef substitutes, all three of which are marketed as environmentally friendly options. Despite this, it remains uncertain which specific products plant-based beef substitutes are most directly competing with. In this study, we investigate the correlations between the willingness to pay for plant-based beef substitutes and organic/grass-fed beef using a choice experiment and the Willingness to Pay Space model. Our findings indicate positive correlations between consumers' preferences for plant-based, organic, and grass-fed beef. This suggests that plant-based beef consumers are more likely to be prior consumers of organic or grass-fed beef. Given their relatively small market shares, novel beef substitutes could pose intense competition to the ecolabeled products.

Effects of Eco-Labels and Perceived Influencer Expertise on Perceived Healthfulness, Perceived Product Quality, and Behavioral Intention

Sales of eco-friendly products have increased exponentially in the United States. To determine whether products of interest are eco-friendly, consumers often rely on informational cues from advertisements. While previous literature has examined individuals’ attitudes toward different types of eco-labels, less is known about the effects of different eco-labels in product promotions within social-media environments. To address this gap, the current study focuses on the sources of eco-labels and the perceived levels of influencer expertise as informational cues and examines how these cues may influence perceived product quality, perceived healthfulness of the product, and advertising effectiveness (i.e., purchase intention and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention). This study employs a 2 × 2 experimental design (N = 295), considering two factors: eco-label source (regulated vs. nonregulated) and perceived influencer expertise (high vs. low). The results from the experiment indicate that advertisements featuring a regulated eco-label and an influencer with higher perceived expertise led to higher eWOM intentions. Additionally, perceived product quality mediated the effects of informational cues on advertising-related outcomes. These findings have both theoretical and managerial implications for social-media-influencer marketing in the context of eco-labeled products.

Trying to buy more sustainable products: Intentions of young consumers

Young adults play a pivotal role in environmental preservation and the future of the planet, but little is known about the predictors of their attitudes and intentions to purchase more sustainable products. Building on the theory of trying (TT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study addresses the research gap and examines how young consumers seek to conserve the environment by purchasing more sustainable products. The present study tests the conceptual model using multi-group structural equation modeling on samples of young adults from Western, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe with different levels of economic development, sustainable policies, and consumer attitudes toward sustainability. The results show that the predictors proposed by the TT explain the attitudes and intentions to buy eco-labeled products better than the predictors from the TPB and that past behavior plays an important role in this process. This study has both theoretical and practical implications for various stakeholders, including managers, policy makers, consumers, and stakeholder representatives.

Ecolabels and the economic recession.

We examine the effect of the 2008 economic recession on consumers' observed expenditures for eco-labelled grocery products. Traditional price theory predicts that consumers change their spending during an economic downturn and we would expect the sales share of eco-labelled products to fall since these are relatively more expensive than non-labelled products. We use supermarket loyalty card data from the UK and show that the recession had widely different effects on the expenditure share of different eco-labelled grocery products. We confirm, empirically, that expenditure shares on organic products declined over the time period under study but the expenditures share for fair-trade products increased over the same period. We evaluate alternative models of decision making to explain our results, viz., a salience model and a model of reputation signalling. We find that both of these models give a plausible explanation of our empirical results.

Reinventing ecolabels in the era of augmented reality: An experimental study on the case of fair-trade coffee

This research is interested in the effect of augmented reality (AR) technology on ecolabels’ effectiveness. Based on a conceptual model, including control variables, the authors tested the effect of augmented and enriched information on evaluating messages around ecolabels and purchase intention for eco-labeled products. A between-subject experiment on fair-trade coffee involving 264 Canadian consumers was conducted. The experimental plan includes five cells: 2 (augmented reality: absence vs. presence) × 2 (information richness: low vs. high) + 1 control group (absence of ecolabel). The results confirm that AR and enriched information significantly increase the perceived quality and credibility of information around ecolabels, as well as purchase intention for eco-labeled products. Moreover, a significant interaction effect between the medium and the level of information detail was noted for purchase intention. This effect is influenced by the perceived novelty and coolness of the packaging, the degree of the perceived complexity of AR, the level of consumer involvement with the product, and income.

Exploration of challenges and readiness MSMEs coffee business in the age of global trade based on carbon footprint (Ecolabel)

Indonesia’s export-oriented products and industries face technological barriers, especially agriculture, and plantations, to declare eco-label products in world trade competition. In fact, exports from this sector are one of the contributing factors to Indonesia’s GDP. The third rank of Indonesia’s mainstay agricultural and plantation sector export commodities is coffee. This study aims to comprehensively determine the challenges and readiness of coffee micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Java in the global trade era based on carbon footprint. This study uses in-depth interviews with 7 coffee MSME actors in West and East Java. We use SWOT analysis to explore strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The results showed that only 4 out of 7 coffee MSME actors knew about carbon footprint. This is due to limited knowledge of carbon reduction, carbon tax, and the advantage of the certification. Carbon footprint certification is considered an investment. Even though the certification process will be costly, meticulous, and lengthy, it can be an opportunity for the domestic products to be competitive with global products. The government must really know which business sectors will be subject to carbon tax so that they are right on target. They must consolidate with all related parties such as business owners, farmers, academics, and associations.

Supply chain management with uncertainty in consumer perception of product greenness under an eco-label policy

The urgency of environmental preservation necessitates green manufacturing and supply chain advancements. This research examines a green supply chain problem influenced by eco-label policies, focusing on two prevalent market eco-label types. One allows the manufacturer to determine product greenness, while the other requires compliance with standards set by a non-governmental organization (NGO). We also explore the variability in consumer comprehension of eco-label implications and purchasing behaviors with different eco-labeled products. Through consumer utility and manufacturer profit models, we discover that the manufacturer's production and pricing choices significantly impact consumer behavior. Increased investigation costs may enhance consumer utility through improved product greenness, potentially boosting manufacturer profit via price hikes. However, if investigation costs are minimal, the NGO-label may be rejected due to decreased utility and profit. These insights could help direct supply chains by providing a theoretical foundation for green production decisions and future eco-label policies, whether determined by an NGO or the manufacturer.

A Study on Effectiveness of Ecolabels in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Sector

Ecolabels are not enough to solve sustainable consumption and procurement; if the awareness of ecolabels among the population is increased, a significant amount of purchase behavior can be changed towards eco-labeled products. Food consumption or fast-moving consumer goods is one such sector that can be looked upon to bring out changes in the food consumption habits of people. Programs to impart ecolabel knowledge can be implemented to increase the perception of individual towards saving the environment and thereby increasing the perceived environmental attitude. For the analysis, the sample size of 206 individuals was tested for the various hypotheses. 45% of the respondents have significant awareness of ecolabels and the steps can be taken to design the ecolabels for food products consumed daily. The results suggest that attention to ecolabels can be a significant factor in increasing ecolabels’ awareness. With the increase in awareness the buying or purchase intention of eco-labeled products also increases. Understanding the effectiveness of ecolabelling will help in developing the comprehensive ecolabelling scheme for food products and consumer good which may result in emission reduction since ecolabels considers the life cycle assessment and the impact of product on environment.

How innovation, transparency, and environmental consciousness determine customers' perceptions of ecolabeled products

How innovation, transparency, and environmental consciousness determine customers' perceptions of ecolabeled products

PENGARUH GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, GREEN HUMAN CAPITAL DAN GREEN INNOVATION TERHADAP ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE MELALUI GREEN HUMAN CAPITAL DAN GREEN INNOVATION PADA PT MITRAKARYA CIPTA GEMILANG

This study describes that the application of GHRM practices can be seen from the attractiveness of employee selection, including having a commitment to environment. Followed an evaluation carried out more emphasis on environmental performance. In addition, company managers also fully support employees for environmental sustainability policies and support for environmental competence. The test results also prove that the company really considers eco-labeled products, including reducing the use of raw materials in the manufacturing process. Another thing in the test proves that there is an organization's partnership with environmentally friendly suppliers. The results of this study provide insight and help develop knowledge on environmental sustainability for the managerial level that influences the impact of Green Human Resource Management, Green Human Capital and Green Innovation on Environmental Performance Through Green Human Capital and Green Innovation. The four variables were developed into 21 (twenty one) measurement indicators. There are 8 (eight) hypotheses tested to analyze Environmental Performance in PT. Mitrakarya Cipta Gemilang. The research findings show that from the development of 8 (eight) hypotheses, there are 5 (five) hypotheses that are supported by a significant and positive effect; and there are 3 (three) hypotheses that are not supported. From the resulting model it has been proven that GHRM has an effect on Environmental Performance mediated by Green Human Capital.

PENGARUH GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, GREEN HUMAN CAPITAL DAN GREEN INNOVATION TERHADAP ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE MELALUI GREEN HUMAN CAPITAL DAN GREEN INNOVATION PADA PT MITRAKARYA CIPTA GEMILANG

This study describes that the application of GHRM practices can be seen from the attractiveness of employee selection, including having a commitment to environment. Followed an evaluation carried out more emphasis on environmental performance. In addition, company managers also fully support employees for environmental sustainability policies and support for environmental competence. The test results also prove that the company really considers eco-labeled products, including reducing the use of raw materials in the manufacturing process. Another thing in the test proves that there is an organization's partnership with environmentally friendly suppliers. The results of this study provide insight and help develop knowledge on environmental sustainability for the managerial level that influences the impact of Green Human Resource Management, Green Human Capital and Green Innovation on Environmental Performance Through Green Human Capital and Green Innovation. The four variables were developed into 21 (twenty one) measurement indicators. There are 8 (eight) hypotheses tested to analyze Environmental Performance in PT. Mitrakarya Cipta Gemilang. The research findings show that from the development of 8 (eight) hypotheses, there are 5 (five) hypotheses that are supported by a significant and positive effect; and there are 3 (three) hypotheses that are not supported. From the resulting model it has been proven that GHRM has an effect on Environmental Performance mediated by Green Human Capital.

Percepcija zelenog oglašavanja i eko-oznaka od strane potrošača - uticaj na kupovne namere

Due to increasing degradation of natural environment, the importance of environmentally responsible production and consumption, as well as green marketing and sustainable labeling has been growing. The aim of this research is to examine the influence of consumers' perception of green advertising and eco-labels on their intentions to purchase eco-labeled products. A research was carried out by using an online survey method on a convenient sample of 172 consumers in the Republic of Serbia. The results showed that, in spite of respondents reporting their environmental awareness and concern, respondents mostly did not consider the impact of their own purchasing habits on the environment. Obtained results showed the existence of a strong relationship between the respondents' pro-environmental behavior and their current purchase, green advertising receptivity, attitude towards green advertising, perception of eco-labels and purchasing intentions. Also, it was found that respondents who were more responsive to green advertising and had better attitudes towards green advertising were more likely to purchase products which are eco-labeled. On the other hand, respondents' perception of eco-labels did not strongly influence purchasing intentions towards eco-labeled products, which is a consequence of insufficient familiarity of respondents with environmental product labeling. These research findings have valuable implications for companies defining strategies to include environmental appeals in their marketing communication, as well as for public institutions in Serbia for the further planning of activities related to encouragement of environmentally friendly production and consumption.

Research on Production Mode and Eco-Label Strategy Selection Considering Consumers’ Environmental Awareness

This paper studies the enterprise’s selection of production mode and eco-label strategy. Using optimization methods, we find the optimal decisions of the enterprise, NGO, and government under different circumstances. We can obtain the following conclusions by analyzing and comparing the optimal decisions. No matter what kind of eco-label the enterprise adds, the mixed production mode is the best choice for the enterprise. When consumers’ environmental awareness is high, the production mode of only ordinary products is the worst choice. For the NGO and the government, the enterprise’s production mode of only eco-labeled products can bring the highest environmental benefits and social welfare. And the government label has a lower standard than the NGO label. By applying the government label, the enterprise can provide eco-label products at a lower price, thus gaining higher market share and profits.

THE CONTENT AND FOCUS OF BRAND COMMUNICATIONS IN THE UKRAINIAN ORGANIC MARKET

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to study the implementation of brand communications in the Ukrainian organic market as represented in social media. Design/methodology/approach. The materials of the research are marketing (text) messages contained on the official Facebook pages of two certified Ukrainian organic egg producers. Marketing messages were collected for the period from February 31, 2018 to December 29, 2021 (or about 3 years) and studied based on the theoretical principles of brand communication in social media in the organic market and using the quantitative method of corpus linguistics (employing corpus analysis toolkit AntConc software for text analysis). Corpus linguistics helps to reveal objective, quantitative relationships between words, and their frequency in text messages on the official Facebook pages of organic egg producers, that is making it possible to uncover the main focus of these messages. Findings. The results of the study show that the content of brand communications is based on the multifaceted value of organic products, as indicated by the use of a set of motives in marketing messages that may encourage Ukrainian consumers to be inclined to buy organic. The focus of marketing information is primarily directed on gastronomic hedonism and is more product-centered, with the description of the benefits of egg consumption for human health. Ukrainian organic egg producers communicate the nutritional and taste characteristics of products, but not the environmental component of production, including animal care. Practical implications. The information about the chickens and their welfare is present in marketing messages, but it is not at the core of the implementation of brand communications, and therefore consumers may perceive such products as a good choice for their health, rather than ethically sound choices from the standpoint of animal welfare and care for the environment. However, according to Ukrainian scholars, the ecological dimension of organic production and organic products is a competitive advantage in the food market and the most important motive for the consumption of organic products than their hedonistic advantages. This is important both from the point of view of differentiating organic from other eco-labelled products, which compete with organic in the food market, and to teaching consumers to distinguish organic from non-organic. Thus, our recommendation to organic egg producers is to pay more attention to informing the target audience about the production certification and labelling because it will assure consumers of the high quality and unique value of organic products. Originality/value. This study fills the research gap in Ukraine by having examined the content and focus of brand communications in the Ukrainian organic market, their correspondence with the motives of Ukrainian consumers and the recommendations of scientists and practitioners in the field. This study identified not only the topics of brand communications of organic egg producers but also the focus of producers on conveying certain values to the consumer, which does not fully cover the organic values.

Eco-labels, conspicuous conservation and moral licensing: An indirect behavioural rebound effect

Sustainable consumption is a growing niche with an increasing number of initiatives aimed at lowering domestic environmental consumption footprints. Third-party assured product eco-labelling has emerged as a key governance mechanism to promote sustainable consumption. However, does the purchasing of eco-labelled products really support a transition towards more sustainable consumption? In this paper, we explore eco-labelling through the lens of the rebound literature. While theorizing of the rebound effect originated in energy economics and has long been centred on eco-efficiency, we extend its rationale to products that are associated with a price premium in return for added environmental quality attributes. Reporting on two inter-related studies into the link between purchasing of environmentally friendly products and different types of environmental resource consumption, we find that eco-labelled products flourish in more affluent economies that are characterized by higher levels of overall resource consumption; and that willingness to consume environmentally friendly products is positively related to higher individual carbon, water and material footprints. Hence, we argue that eco-labelling in its current form is inextricably linked to higher – rather than lower – levels of resource consumption. Consequently, the governance mechanism that underpins eco-labelling is associated with an indirect behavioural consumer rebound effect.

Environmental friendly pollution free bio-dyeing of wool with haar singhar (Coral Jasmine) flower extract.

The world's move towards revival of eco-labelled products has created a huge urge to explore new means which are healthier for the global community. Among such means, plant-based bio-pigments for coloration of matrix are gaining worldwide fame, particularly in the textile sector. For the purpose of appraising new source of eco-friendly dyes, using microwave irradiation techniques, Coral Jasmine flowers have been explored for the bio-dyeing of wool. The colorant was extracted in acidic medium owing to nature of fabric, and both stuffs have been exposed to microwave treatment up to 5min. Bio-coloration of MW irradiated and unirradiated wool was done using MW irradiated and unirradiated extract for observing high yield. Central composite design (CCD) as statistical method was utilized to see the significance of dyeing parameters chosen for mordanting to develop colorfast shades. Different concentrations of sustainable chemicals and bio-mordants as per weight of fabric were employed to introduce new shades with improved colorfastness properties. International standard textile methods determining shade permanency (fastness) have been employed onto selected dyed-mordanted fabrics. Good yield of colorant was observed when MW irradiated wool fabric was dyed at 75°C for 45min with extract of 7pH, having 1.5g/100mL of salt solution; the promising color yield was observed. As per gray scale ratings observed after ISO standard methods, pine nut as bio-mordant and iron salt as chemical mordant have developed colorfast shades. Conclusively, it can be recommended that methods for the isolation of colorants from new dye yielding plants, MW heating method as suitable clean technology and medicinal-based bio-mordants should be employed for getting permanent gamutes.

The interplay of eco-labels and price cues: Empirical evidence from a large-scale field experiment in an online fashion store

Even though eco-labels are a promising means to support consumers in making sustainable choices, insights into the effectiveness of eco-labels in combination with conventional marketing tools are scarce. This field study (a) investigates the effect of eco-labels on consumers' actual purchase behavior in an online fashion store, (b) examines the moderating role of price premiums, and (c) reveals a three-way interaction between eco-labels, price premiums, and discounts. Based on 58,000 actual purchase decisions from a large-scale field experiment, the results indicate a beneficial effect of eco-labels on consumer purchases and that higher price premiums can even reinforce the positive effect of eco-labels. The empirical findings also suggest that discounts only increase purchases for eco-labeled products in combination with high price premiums, but not with low price premiums. The present study has important implications for research on eco-labels and their interplay with other marketing cues and provides valuable guidance to marketers and policymakers on how to price eco-labeled products.

A Conceptual Model of Consumer Intention to Continue Buying Eco-Labeled Products

A Conceptual Model of Consumer Intention to Continue Buying Eco-Labeled Products