Influencing Factors for Consumers’ Intention to Reduce Plastic Packaging in Different Groups of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods in Germany

Abstract

The greatly increased global use of plastic has serious negative environmental consequences. This study aims to analyse the influence of environmental attitudes, personal norms, social norms, and socioeconomic and demographic characteristics on consumers’ intention to reduce plastic packaging in different groups of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) in Germany. Data on plastic packaging use for food, clothing, cosmetics, cleaning goods, and furniture were collected from 299 German families in a four-stage survey. The findings show differing consumer intentions to reduce plastic packaging between food products and other FMCG. In particular, environmental attitudes can differentiate between consumer groups with high and low intentions to reduce plastic packaging in nearly all the product groups analysed, while social norms, gender and age only show statistically significant differences in some product groups. Personal norms did not contribute to group differentiation in any of the groups of FMCG analysed. The results are helpful for managers of FMCGs to develop more ecological packaging solutions in the future and for state authorities to derive political activities in this field.