IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v25y2023i4d10.1007_s10668-022-02186-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption

Author

Listed:
  • Lea Marie Heidbreder

    (University of Koblenz-Landau)

  • Josephine Tröger

    (University of Koblenz-Landau
    Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI)

  • Manfred Schmitt

    (University of Koblenz-Landau
    University of Koblenz-Landau)

Abstract

In the last few years, plastic has become an issue of current interest as tremendous ecological effects from plastic littering have become visible. Taking the role of consumers into account, activities comprising purchasing decisions and political engagement are expected to help prevent plastic pollution. The goal of this study was to examine antecedents of three potential plastic reduction activities: purchasing, activism, and policy support. Based on well-established psychological models of pro-environmental behaviour (i.e. theory of planned behaviour, norm activation model), an online survey (N = 648) was administered and analysed via structural equation modelling. Results revealed that personal norms were a relevant predictor of all three intentions. Whereas sufficiency orientation and collective efficacy predicted only activism intention and policy support intention, perceived behavioural control was the strongest predictor of purchasing intentions. Regarding behaviour, people with high activism intentions and sufficiency orientation were more likely to choose a plastic-free incentive instead of the conventional shopping voucher. This study highlights psychological antecedents of plastic reduction. An integrated model showed that rational cost–benefit considerations as well as morality serve as drivers of reducing plastic consumption. Implications for the promotion of plastic-free consumption are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Lea Marie Heidbreder & Josephine Tröger & Manfred Schmitt, 2023. "Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(4), pages 3405-3428, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:25:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-022-02186-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02186-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10668-022-02186-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-022-02186-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thøgersen, John & Noblet, Caroline, 2012. "Does green consumerism increase the acceptance of wind power?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 854-862.
    2. Samadi, Sascha & Gröne, Marie-Christine & Schneidewind, Uwe & Luhmann, Hans-Jochen & Venjakob, Johannes & Best, Benjamin, 2017. "Sufficiency in energy scenario studies: Taking the potential benefits of lifestyle changes into account," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 126-134.
    3. Spangenberg, Joachim H. & Lorek, Sylvia, 2019. "Sufficiency and consumer behaviour: From theory to policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 1070-1079.
    4. Alexander Maki & Amanda R. Carrico & Kaitlin T. Raimi & Heather Barnes Truelove & Brandon Araujo & Kam Leung Yeung, 2019. "Meta-analysis of pro-environmental behaviour spillover," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(4), pages 307-315, April.
    5. Margaret M. Willis & Juliet B. Schor, 2012. "Does Changing a Light Bulb Lead to Changing the World? Political Action and the Conscious Consumer," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 644(1), pages 160-190, November.
    6. Sabine Pahl & Kayleigh J. Wyles & Richard C. Thompson, 2017. "Channelling passion for the ocean towards plastic pollution," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(10), pages 697-699, October.
    7. Sunita Prugsamatz Ofstad & Monika Tobolova & Alim Nayum & Christian A. Klöckner, 2017. "Understanding the Mechanisms behind Changing People’s Recycling Behavior at Work by Applying a Comprehensive Action Determination Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, February.
    8. Rosseel, Yves, 2012. "lavaan: An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 48(i02).
    9. Hongyun Si & Jian-gang Shi & Daizhong Tang & Shiping Wen & Wei Miao & Kaifeng Duan, 2019. "Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Environmental Science: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-26, August.
    10. Judith I.M. De Groot & Wokje Abrahamse & Kayleigh Jones, 2013. "Persuasive Normative Messages: The Influence of Injunctive and Personal Norms on Using Free Plastic Bags," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(5), pages 1-16, April.
    11. Josephine Tröger & Marlis C. Wullenkord & Clara Barthels & Rubina Steller, 2021. "Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-Being, and Time Affluence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    12. Seth H. Werfel, 2017. "Household behaviour crowds out support for climate change policy when sufficient progress is perceived," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(7), pages 512-515, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Baumgartner, Anne & Krysiak, Frank C. & Kuhlmey, Florian, 2022. "Sufficiency without regret," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    2. O'Dell, Dallas & Contu, Davide & Shreedhar, Ganga, 2025. "Public support for degrowth policies and sufficiency behaviours in the United States: a discrete choice experiment," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 126084, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. O'Dell, Dallas & Contu, Davide & Shreedhar, Ganga, 2025. "Public support for degrowth policies and sufficiency behaviours in the United States: A discrete choice experiment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    4. Zell-Ziegler, Carina & Thema, Johannes & Best, Benjamin & Wiese, Frauke & Lage, Jonas & Schmidt, Annika & Toulouse, Edouard & Stagl, Sigrid, 2021. "Enough? The role of sufficiency in European energy and climate plans," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    5. Phu Nguyen-Van & Anne Stenger & Tuyen Tiet, 2021. "Social incentive factors in interventions promoting sustainable behaviors: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(12), pages 1-27, December.
    6. Wouter Poortinga & Louise Whitaker, 2018. "Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-10, March.
    7. Jungell-Michelsson, Jessica & Heikkurinen, Pasi, 2022. "Sufficiency: A systematic literature review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    8. Florian Lange & Cameron Brick, 2021. "Changing Pro-Environmental Behavior: Evidence from (Un)Successful Intervention Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-5, July.
    9. Josephine Tröger & Marlis C. Wullenkord & Clara Barthels & Rubina Steller, 2021. "Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-Being, and Time Affluence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-20, April.
    10. Knook, Jorie & Dorner, Zack & Stahlmann-Brown, Philip, 2022. "Priming for individual energy efficiency action crowds out support for national climate change policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    11. Ravi Dutta‐Powell & Joshua J. Rhee & Saul Wodak, 2024. "Two interventions for mitigating the harms of greenwashing on consumer perceptions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 882-903, February.
    12. Riefler, Petra & Baar, Charlotte & Büttner, Oliver B. & Flachs, Saskia, 2024. "What to gain, what to lose? A taxonomy of individual-level gains and losses associated with consumption reduction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 224(C).
    13. Campos, Inês & Korsnes, Marius & Labanca, Nicola & Bertoldi, Paolo, 2024. "Can renewable energy prosumerism cater for sufficiency and inclusion?," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    14. Md. Mominur Rahman & Bilkis Akhter, 2021. "The impact of investment in human capital on bank performance: evidence from Bangladesh," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, December.
    15. César Merino-Soto & Gina Chávez-Ventura & Verónica López-Fernández & Guillermo M. Chans & Filiberto Toledano-Toledano, 2022. "Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L): Psychometric and Measurement Invariance Evidence in Peruvian Undergraduate Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    16. Sara Sousa & Elisabete Correia & Clara Viseu, 2024. "Exploring Portuguese Consumers’ Behavior Regarding Sustainable Wine: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-22, October.
    17. Nathaniel Oliver Iotti & Damiano Menin & Tomas Jungert, 2022. "Early Adolescents’ Motivations to Defend Victims of Cyberbullying," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-9, July.
    18. Christoph Dworschak, 2024. "Bias mitigation in empirical peace and conflict studies: A short primer on posttreatment variables," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(3), pages 462-476, May.
    19. Andreea-Ionela Puiu & Anca Monica Ardeleanu & Camelia Cojocaru & Anca Bratu, 2021. "Exploring the Effect of Status Quo, Innovativeness, and Involvement Tendencies on Luxury Fashion Innovations: The Mediation Role of Status Consumption," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, May.
    20. Slupphaug, KJell & Mehmetoglu, Mehmet & Mittner, Matthias, 2024. "modsem: An R package for estimating latent interactions and quadratic effects," OSF Preprints h3rpw, Center for Open Science.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:25:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s10668-022-02186-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.