3Rs of Sustainability Values for Retailing Customers as Factors of Influence on Consumer Behavior

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to identify the impact of different 3Rs of sustainability approaches on consumer behavior and people's values. Some results, through multi-method study, with ethnography and quantitative research, show that people's priority is on “recycling,” performing few activities of “reduce,” and lesser actions of “re-use.” The focus is on reducing packaging and the use of lower levels of inputs (as energy and water), and to reduce the carbon foot print, mainly using public and/or alternative transport. People are concerned about sustainability; however, they present a low level of activities related to major societal concepts on behalf of the environment. The 3Rs of sustainability have changed from Reduce-Reuse-Recycle to Recycle-Reuse-Reduce. However, this new order does not cause such impact on consumer behavior and in people's values.