Environmental sustainability considerations (or lack thereof) in consumer decision making

Abstract

Environmental sustainability is often depicted as an important attribute of consideration among consumers. Even if multiple barriers may prevent them from “walking the talk,” a common implicit assumption is that consumers think about sustainability but choose a less eco-friendly route once confronted with such obstacles (e.g., higher prices). Absent from the literature, however, is a systematic investigation of the extent to which sustainability thoughts even come to consumers’ minds. Across six studies using a diverse set of measurements (free and aided elicitation), time of purchase (past or contemporaneous), consumer contexts (online or brick-and-mortar settings), levels of consequentialism (hypothetical or incentive-compatible), and samples (Brazil, UK, and US; =7,942), our research consistently demonstrates that most consumers neglect the products’ environmental impact when making purchase decisions of fast-moving consumer goods. Environmental sustainability considerations are low in absolute terms, relative to other attributes, and even compared to participants’ own injunctive norms. Cognitive accessibility and contextual salience help explain the phenomenon. Considerations increase among consumers with strong environmental goals (e.g., high on biospheric values), for products highly prototypical of the sustainability cause (e.g., plastic bags), and when consumers are prompted with sustainability cues prior to choice (e.g., eco-labels). Methodological, managerial, and policy implications are discussed, and a simple framework to promote environmental sustainability consideration is proposed.