Modelling the Antecedents and Consequences of Young Consumers' Attitudes towards Items that Contain Microplastics

Year 2024, , 114 - 132, 13.08.2024

İsmail Tamer Toklu

https://doi.org/10.35343/kosbed.1496670

Abstract

Plastics have become a serious threat to the natural environment and health due to the waste generated by their increasing use in recent years. The effect it will create on consumer behaviors has attracted the attention of researchers with the encounter of microplastics in consumer products. Awareness of plastic waste, health and environmental consciousness, and attitudes towards products containing microplastics were examined with the model created. Data collected from university students selected using the convenience sampling method with a web-based survey were analyzed with PLS-SEM. According to the findings obtained, awareness of plastic waste affects health consciousness, environmental consciousness, and attitudes towards products containing microplastics. Awareness also indirectly affects sustainable consumption intentions through health consciousness and environmental consciousness. Sustainable consumption intention affects the willingness to switch companies among consumers who are disturbed by microplastics. While attitude affects willingness to switch companies, it does not affect sustainable consumption intentions. While health consciousness and environmental consciousness directly affect sustainable consumption intention, they indirectly affect willingness to switch companies through sustainable consumption intention.

Keywords

Microplastics, Health Consciousness, Environmental Consciousness, Attitudes towards Microplastics, Sustainable Consumption Intention, Willingness to Switch Companies

Genç Tüketicilerin Mikro Plastik İçeren Ürünlere Yönelik Tutumunun Öncülleri Ve Ardıllarının Modellenmesi

Abstract

Plastikler son yıllarda artan kullanımı ile oluşan atıklar nedeniyle doğal çevre ve sağlık için önemli tehdit olmaya başlamıştır. Tüketici ürünlerinde mikroplastiğe rastlanması ile birlikte tüketici davranışlarında oluşturacağı etki araştırmacıların dikkatini çekmiştir. Oluşturulan model ile plastik atıklara yönelik farkındalığın sağlık ve çevre bilinci ile mikro plastik içeren ürünlere yönelik tutumu incelenmiştir. Kolayda örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak seçilen üniversite öğrencilerinden web tabanlı anket ile toplanan veriler PLS-SEM ile analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen bulgulara göre plastik atıklara yönelik farkındalık, sağlık bilinci, çevre bilinci ve mikro plastik içeren ürünlere yönelik tutumu etkilemektedir. Farkındalık aynı zamanda sürdürülebilir tüketim niyetini sağlık bilinci ve çevre bilinci aracılığı ile dolaylı yoldan etkilemektedir. Sürdürülebilir tüketim niyeti mikro plastiklerden rahatsız olan tüketicilerin işletmeleri değiştirme niyetini etkilemektedir. Tutum işletmeleri değiştirme niyetini etkilerken sürdürülebilir tüketim niyetini etkilememektedir. Sağlık bilinci ve çevre bilinci sürdürülebilir tüketim niyetini doğrudan etkilerken işletmeleri değiştirme niyetini dolaylı yoldan sürdürülebilir tüketim niyeti ile etkilemektedir.

Keywords

Mikroplastik, Sağlık Bilinci, Çevre Bilinci, Mikroplastiklere Yönelik Tutum, Sürdürülebilir Tüketim Niyeti, İşletmeleri Değiştirme Niyeti

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