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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Plastic-Free Future: Investigating Consumer
Intentions and Behavior Toward
Plastic Waste in China
1
Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University, NW Washington DC 20001, US
2
Department of Economics, College of Business Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,
P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
3
Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, 12618, Egypt
4
Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Beni-Suef University, P.O. Box 62521, Egypt
5
Department of Agricultural Economics, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey
Submission date: 2024-11-06
Final revision date: 2025-04-19
Acceptance date: 2025-05-01
Online publication date: 2025-07-21
Corresponding author
Fatma Mabrouk
Department of Economics, College of Business Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Department of Economics, College of Business Administration, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Plastic pollution can decrease the ability of ecosystems to adapt to climate change, directly
affecting the livelihoods and social well-being of millions of individuals worldwide. Reducing plastic
consumption is a priority in global action plans to reduce environmental pollution and combat climate
change. Motivating consumers to adopt green and environmentally friendly lifestyles, which is required
to decrease environmental pollution in a green economy, is challenging because it requires behavioral
shifts. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate different factors, including environmental concerns,
affecting Chinese millennials’ plastic packaging consumption behavior to improve their environmental
quality. Data collected through an online survey questionnaire from 876 Chinese consumers were
analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation model. The results showed that environmental
concerns (b = 0.0.304, p<0.01), environmental attitude (b = 0 .466, p <0.01), a nd c onsumer a wareness
(b = 0.221, p<0.01) had a significant direct impact on the plastic packaging purchasing intentions
of the individuals. Similarly, intentions (b = 0.407, p <0.01) h ad a s trong p ositive e ffect o n t he plastic
packaging purchasing behavior of individuals. This shows that individuals with high environmental
concerns, a strong attitude toward environmental sustainability, and a high awareness of the environmental
impact of single-use plastics were less likely to use products with plastic packaging to reduce plastic
pollution and improve environmental quality. Therefore, policymakers should create environmental
awareness about the repercussions of individual actions among the masses to control environmental
pollution and reduce climate implications worldwide.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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