Environmentálne zodpovedné spotrebiteľské správanie v kontexte princípov kruhovej ekonomiky

Abstract

Today, consumer interest in nature conservation is a growing phenomenon. Global environmental problems and over-exploitation of relatively limited resources raise concerns about the future of the planet. Likewise, they challenge businesses and consumers to realize the consequences of their activities and thus to fundamentally change their behaviour. More and more consumers are trying to behave responsibly towards the environment and emphasize their environmental requirements when shopping. Similarly, more and more business entities are approaching these growing problems, and are reviewing their production and distribution procedures with an emphasis on higher environmental responsibility. In this context, the aim of the paper is to summarize the results of research on various scientific studies focused on environmentally responsible consumer behaviour and sustainable consumption in conjunction with the circular economy model and its principles in the practice of market players. A total of 68 studies focused on this issue were examined. Examining the source documents, we state that consumers are influenced by various factors when purchasing environmental products (environmental characteristics of products, packaging, factors related to the social image of consumers). Consumers still feel a lack of awareness of responsible activities on the part of businesses, which is an incentive for them to communicate more intensively with the target market. One of the solutions can be the implementation of the circular economy model, while its success also depends on the commitment and effective cooperation of market entities. The results of the research are a summary of current knowledge and provide a basis for future primary research.