Sustainable packaging: Does eating organic really make a difference on product-packaging interaction?. (1st July 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Santos, Vera; Gomes, Sandra; Nogueira, Mafalda
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 304(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-07-01
• Subjects: Sustainable packaging -- Sustainable development goals -- Organic consumers -- Theory of planned behavior -- Purchase intention -- Product-packaging interaction; AI Active packaging -- ASP Attitude towards organic food in sustainable packaging -- EC Environmental concern -- IOSP Intelligent or smart packaging -- MLR Multiple linear regression -- PBC Perceived behavioral control -- PEK Perceived environmental knowledge -- PI Purchase intention -- PN Personal norms -- SDG's Sustainable Development Goals -- SOGP Sustainable or green packaging -- SPSS Statistical Package for Social Science -- SPSCM Sustainable Packaging for Supply Chain Management -- TPB Theory of Planned Behavior -- UN United Nations; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127066
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: The recent years have recognized the increasing consumption of organic food. Nonetheless, although environmental concern is one of the roots of organic food, little importance is given to food packaging even if it is one of the primary causes for pollution. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the factors underlying the purchase intention of organic food in sustainable packaging according to organic consumers' perspective in Portugal. The Theory of Planned Behavior served as the theoretical framework and was further extended by incorporating environmental concern and perceived environmental knowledge as additional constructs. Using a questionnaire survey, a total of 311 responses from organic consumers were collected. Empirical results of multiple linear regressions showed the usefulness of the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting the purchase intention of organic consumers, which was 70, 3% explained by the set of variables attitude, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control. The impact of environmental concern and perceived environmental knowledge on the purchase intention was declined, although these variables explained 26% of total variance of organic consumers' attitudes towards sustainable packaging. This study contributed to advance knowledge on the coherence between organic eaten preferences and the choice of sustainable packaging. Ultimately, it raises concerns for the fact that, although organic consumers reveal environmental concerns and perceived environmental knowledge, more efforts need to be done to contribute to cleaner production systems regarding sustainable packaging. These insights will be helpful for pursuing the twelfth Sustainable Development Goal "Responsible Consumption and Production" by raising awareness to reduce the ecological footprint of organic food packaging. Highlights: Ajzen's model was suitable to understand organic food product-packaging interaction. Perceived behavioral control was the most influential predictor of intention. Environmental concern and environmental knowledge could not predict intention. Attitude mediated purchase intention. Consumers played an active role as co-developers of sustainable packaging.