Driving green purchasing: how knowledge and consciousness shape attitudes and intentions to use plastic bottles in East Java

Abstract

As a country contributing 1.4 tons of plastic waste to the world's waters, Indonesia requires a mature green concept implementation from various stakeholders. However, it is regrettable that no FMCG company has a comprehensive strategy to commit to switching from single-use plastics. This concept enables companies to play in an underutilized niche market. This study fills the knowledge gap by investigating the complex relationship between environmental knowledge, environmental concern, consumer attitudes, and purchase intentions for plastic-bottled beverages. Data were obtained through an online questionnaire distributed to 297 respondents in the East Java. Data were processed using path analysis, revealing that environmental knowledge and concern, as well as consumer attitudes, have a positive and significant relationship with green purchase intention. Environmental knowledge and concern also positively and significantly affect consumer attitudes. Moreover, positive consumer attitudes can reduce the influence of environmental knowledge and concern on purchasing environmentally friendly products. This confirms that positive consumer attitudes towards environmentally friendly products are not the only factor influencing their purchase intentions.