The Impact of Environmental Concern on Intention to Reduce Consumption of Single-Use Bottled Water

Abstract

The plastic bottles that are used for packaging water are harmful to the environment. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of consumers’ environmental concern on both their intention to reduce consumption of water sold in single-use plastic bottles and their actual behaviour. An extended version of the theory of planned behaviour is used as the main theoretical framework. Structural equation modelling is employed based on data gathered in 2020 from 1011 Polish respondents to test the study’s hypotheses. The results support the model, as all tested relations are statistically significant. More specifically, we confirm the indirect impact of environmental concern on both intention and behaviour concerning bottled water consumption (BWC): environmental concern is positively related to attitudes towards reducing BWC, subjective norms regarding reduction in BWC, perceived behavioural control over BWC, and perceived moral obligation to protect natural resources, all of which, in turn, are positively related to intention to reduce BWC. We also prove that intention to reduce BWC is positively related to consumption of non-bottled water. The results may serve to guide decision makers seeking to promote ecologically friendly behaviour.

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“…The mass production of PET bottles far exceeds the possibilities of selective waste collection. Therefore, it can be assumed that the behaviours of beverage consumers and their attitudes toward the environment are critical factors determining the state of the environment (Borusiak et al, 2021). Publications indicate that the behaviours of Polish consumers in this respect differ far from those of highly developed countries.…”

The Effects of Globalization: Hyper Consumption and Environmental Consumer Behavior during the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Various "destructured behavior of pathological and compulsive consumerism" (Lipovetsky, 2008) are significantly displayed in the current consumer era. Borusiak et al (2021) state that overconsumption and wasteful resource disposal pose a serious threat to humankind. They try to understand the mechanism of the pro-environmental behavior of individuals expressed both in people's attitudes and in their behavior towards the environment to reduce consumption of single use bottled water and to consume non-bottled water.…”

Water consumption practices in university campuses. The experience of the National Autonomous University of Mexico

“…Some of the criteria identified in the literature were the following: dissatisfaction with to the organoleptic characteristics of tap water (Doria 2006(Doria , 2010Saylor et al 2011;Espinosa-García et al 2014;Linden 2015;Delpla et al 2020), presence of minerals and other chemicals in tap water (such as chlorine, fluoride, nitrates, pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial chemicals) (Doria 2010) and also in bottled water (Diduch et al 2013;Da Silva et al 2021); perception that bottled water is healthier and higher quality than tap water, or tap water implies a health risk (Saylor et al 2011;Qian 2018;Ballantine et al 2019;Delpla et al 2020); the belief that bottled water is easier to transport and to access (Doria 2006;Etale et al 2018;Qian 2018), social and environmental concerns about bottled water (Prasetiawan et al 2017;Díez et al 2018;Qian 2018;Borusiak et al 2021); among others. The role of advertising, packaging, brand design and the values attributed to bottled water (health, youth, beauty, social status, etc.)…”