Understanding pro‐environmental behavior : A comparison of sustainable consumers and apathetic consumers

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the differences in underlying psychological aspects regarding pro‐environmental behaviors between two distinct consumer groups: green product purchasers and green product non‐purchasers. Focusing on pro‐environmental behavior in recycling, it seeks to investigate these psychological aspects: cognitive attitude, affective attitude, social norm, personal norm, and behavioral intention. Design/methodology/approach – Using a web‐based survey, a total of 363 responses from US consumers were used for the data analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to check the measurement model, and a multiple regression and MANOVA were performed to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings – Compared to green product non‐purchasers, green product purchasers exhibited significantly higher levels of cognitive attitude, affective attitude, social norm, personal norm, and recycling intention. Also cognitive attitude, social norm, and personal norm predicted recycling intention. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study include the self‐reporting questionnaire and the measurement of consumers' recycling intention rather than their actual behavior. Practical implications – This study will provide useful information to retailers who are developing product/service offerings and operation practices to address sustainable consumption. Originality/value – This study provides empirical evidence that certain consumer groups in relation to pro‐environmental product shopping behavior (purchasers vs. non‐purchasers) exhibit differences in the psychological formation of another pro‐environmental behavior, recycling.