Packaging is a major contributor to the escalating solid waste stream. This paper presents results of a study that attempts to determine variables which can be used to discriminate between groups that are and are not willing to purchase ecologically packaged products. Attitude toward ecologically conscious living, attitude toward litter, locus of control and the perception of pollution as a problem were found to be significant discriminating variables. Implications for marketers and public policymakers are provided, as well as directions for future research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndersonW. ThomasJr., and CunninghamWilliam H. (1972), “The Socially Conscious Consumer,”Journal of Marketing, 36(July), 23–31.
2.
AndersonW. ThomasJr., HenionKarl E.II, and CoxEli P.III (1974), “Socially vs. Ecologically Concerned Consumers,” in 1974 Combined Proceedings.Chicago, Ill: American Marketing Association.
BalderjahnIngo (1988), “Personality Variables and Environmental Attitudes as Predictors of Ecologically Responsible Consumption Patterns,”Journal of Business Research, 17(August), 51–56.
5.
BarberJames G., WinfieldAnthony H., and MortimerKarl (1986), “The Personal Interests Questionnaire: A Task Specific Measure of Locus of Control and Motivation for Use in Learned Helplessness Research,”Personality and Individual Differences, 7(3), 311–318.
BegleySharon, and KingPatricia (1989), “The Supply-Side Theory of Garbage,”Newsweek, 114(November 27), 16.
8.
BelchMichael A. (1979), “Identifying the Socially and Ecologically Concerned Segment Through Life-Style Research: Initial Findings,” in The Conserver Society, HenionKarl E.II, and KinnearThomas C., eds. Chicago, Ill.: American Marketing Association.
9.
BerkowitzLeonard, and LuttermanKenneth G. (1968), “The Traditional Socially Responsible Personality,”Public Opinion Quarterly, 32(Summer), 169–185.
10.
BinghamT.H., MarquisM.S., CooleyP.C., CruzeA.M., HauserE.W., JohnstonS.A., and MulliganP.F. (1974), An Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Costs of Regulatory and Fiscal Policy Instruments on Product Packaging.Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency.
ConeJ.D., and HayesS.C. (1980), Environmental Problems: Behavioral Solutions.Monterey, Calif.: Brooks/Cole.
13.
ConnW. David (1988), “Reducing Municipal Solid Waste Generation: Lessons from the Seventies,”Journal of Resource Management and Technology, 16(April), 24–27.
14.
CoreyRobert J., and BonePaula Fitzgerald (1990), “Ethical Packaging: Directions for the 1990's,” in AMA Educators Proceedings 1990: Enhancing Knowledge Development in Marketing,”, BeardenWilliam, eds. Chicago, Ill.: American Marketing Association,387.
15.
CronbachLee J. (1951), “Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests,”Psychometrika, 16(September), 297–334.
16.
CrosbyLawrence A., GillJames D., and TaylorJames R. (1981), “Consumer/Voter Behavior in the Passage of the Michigan Container Law,”Journal of Marketing, 45(Spring), 19–32.
17.
CrosbyLawrence A., and TaylorJames R. (1982), “Consumer Satisfaction with Michigan's Container Deposit Law—An Ecological Perspective,”Journal of Marketing, 46(Winter), 47–60.
18.
CrosbyLawrence A., and TaylorJames R. (1983), “Psychological Commitment and Its Effects on Post Decision Evaluation and Preference Stability Among Voters,”Journal of Consumer Research, 9(March), 413–431.
19.
CrossFrank B. (1990), “The Weaning of the Green: Environmentalism Comes of Age in the 1990's,”Business Horizons, 33(September-October), 40–46.
20.
Environmental Protection Agency (1989), Promoting Source Reduction and Recyclability in the Marketplace: A Study of Consumer and Industry Response to Promotion of Source Reduced, Recycled, and Recyclable Products and Packaging.Washington, D.C.: Environmental Protection Agency.
21.
EPA Journal (1989), “An Interview With Sylvia Lowrance,”15 (March/April), 10–13.
FishelsonGideon (1985), “Package Size and Solid Waste,”Resources and Energy, 7(June), 203–215.
24.
FisherAnne B. (1990), “What Consumers Want in the 1990's,”Fortune, 121(January), 108–112.
25.
FisherR.A. (1936), “The Use of Multiple Measurements in Taxonomic Problems,”Annals of Eugenics, 7, 179–188.
26.
GillJames D., CrosbyLawrence A., and TaylorJames R. (1986), “Ecological Concern, Attitudes, and Social Norms in Voting Behavior,”Public Opinion Quarterly, 50(Winter), 537–554.
27.
HenionKarl, II E. (1976), Ecological Marketing.Columbus, Ohio: Grid, Inc.
28.
HenionKarl, II E., and WilsonWilliam H. (1976), “The Ecologically Concerned Consumer and Locus of Control,” in Ecological Marketing, HenionKarl E., and KinnearThomas C., eds. Chicago, Ill.: American Marketing Association.
29.
JayLeslie (1990), “Green About the Tills: Markets Discover the Eco-Consumer,”Management Review, 79(June), 24–29.
30.
JohnsonScott Lee, SommerRobert, and MayesLora (1985), “Prices of Unpackaged and Packaged Foods,”The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 19(Winter), 305–315.
31.
KassarjianHarold H. (1971), “Incorporating Ecology Into Marketing Strategy: The Case of Air Pollution,”Journal of Marketing, 35(July), 61–65.
32.
KinnearThomas C., and TaylorJames R. (1973), “The Effect of Ecological Concern on Brand Perceptions,”Journal of Marketing Research, 10(May), 191–198.
33.
KinnearThomas C., and TaylorJames R., and AhmedSadrudin A. (1974), “Ecologically Concerned Consumers: Who Are They?”Journal of Marketing, 38(April), 20–24.
34.
KirkpatrickDavid (1990), “Environmentalism: The New Crusade,”Fortune, 121(February 12), 45–55.
35.
KovacsWilliam L. (1988), “The Coming Era of Conservation and Industrial Utilization of Recyclable Materials,”Ecology Law Quarterly, 15(4), 537–602.
36.
LarkinAndrew (1986), “Environmental Impact and Institutional Adjustment: Application of Foster's Principles to Solid Waste Disposal,”Journal of Economic Issues, 20(March), 43–61.
37.
LevittLynn, and LeventhalGloria (1986), “Litter Reduction: How Effective Is the New York State Bottle Bill?”Environment and Behavior, 18(July), 467–479.
38.
LewisJack (1989), “What's in the Solid Waste Stream?,”EPA Journal, 15(March/April), 15–17.
39.
MaloneyMichael P., WardMichael P., and Nicholas BrauchtG. (1975), “A Revised Scale for the Measurement of Ecological Attitudes and Knowledge,”American Psychologist, 30(July), 787–790.
40.
McCoyCharles (1990), “Environmental Initiative Rejected in California,”The Wall Street Journal, 216(November 8), A16.
41.
MichmanRonald D. (1985), “Linking Ecology and Public Policy With Marketing Planning,”Akron Business and Economic Review, (Fall), 24–29.
42.
MiddletonRussell (1963), “Alienation, Race, and Education,”American Sociological Review, 28(December), 973–977.
43.
MillerCyndee (1990), “Use of Environmentally-Friendly Packaging May Take Awhile,”Marketing News, 24(March 19), 18.
44.
MurphyPatrick E. (1978), “Environmentally Concerned Consumers: Demographic Dimensions,” in Proceedings of the 1978 Educators’ Conference, JainSubhash C., ed. Chicago, Ill.: American Marketing Association.
45.
MurphyPatrick E., KangunNorman, and LocanderWilliam B. (1978), “Environmentally Concerned Consumers—Racial Variations,”Journal of Marketing, 42(October), 61–66.
46.
Nation's Business (1990), “Congressional Alert: Solid-Waste Management,”78 (April), 70.
47.
NelsonJames E. (1974), “An Empirical Investigation of the Nature and Incidence of Ecologically Responsible Consumption of Housewives,” unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota.
48.
Packaging's Encyclopedia (1988), “Legal Aspects of Packaging,”33 (5), 221–227.
49.
PeterJ. Paul (1979), “Reliability: A Review of Psychometric Basics and Recent Marketing Practices,”Journal of Marketing Research, 16(February), 6–17.
50.
PopkinRoy (1989), “Source Reduction: Its Meaning and Its Potential,”EPA Journal, 15(March/April), 27–29.
51.
QuickJames C., and QuickJonathan D. (1984), Organizational Stress and Preventive Management.New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
52.
RathjeWilliam L. (1984), “The Garbage Decade,”American Behavioral Scientist, 28(September/October), 9–29.
53.
RiceFaye (1988), “Where Will We Put All That Garbage?”Fortune, 118(April 11), 96–100.
54.
RiggleD. (1989), “Only Pay for What You Throw Away,”Biocycle, 30(February), 39–41.
55.
RothschildMichael L. (1979), “Marketing Communications in Nonbusiness Situations or Why It's So Hard to Sell Brotherhood Like Soap,”Journal of Marketing, 43(Spring), 11–20.
56.
RotterJulian B. (1966), “Generalized Expectancies for Internal Versus External Control of Reinforcement,”Psychological Monographs, 80(1), 609.
57.
RummellR.J. (1967), “Understanding Factor Analysis,”Journal of Conflict Resolution, 11(December), 444–480.
58.
RussellCharles B. (1976), “Economical, Ecological Packaging,” in Ecological Marketing, HenionKarl E.II, and KinnearThomas C., eds. Chicago, Ill.: American Marketing Association.
59.
SchlossbergHoward (1990), “Environmental Concerns Lead Some Consumers to Change Buying Habits,”Marketing News, 24 (December 24), 7.
60.
SamdahlDiane M., and RobertsonRobert (1989), “Social Determinants of Environmental Concern: Specification and Test of the Model,”Environment and Behavior, 21(January), 57–81.
61.
StoopsGlenn T., and PearsonMichael M. (1989), “Direct Product Profit: A Sensitivity Analysis,” in Developments in Marketing Science, Vol. 12, HawesJon M., and ThanopoulosJohn, eds. Greenvale, N.Y.: Academy of Marketing Science.
62.
StullerJay (1990), “The Politics of Packaging,”Across The Board, 27(January/February), 40–48.
63.
ThompsonTerri, and BluestoneMimi (1987), “Garbage: It Isn't the Other Guy's Problem Anymore,”Business Week, (May 25), 150–154.
64.
TremblayKenneth R.Jr., and DunlapRiley E. (1978), “Rural-Urban Residence and Concern With Environmental Quality: A Replication and Extension,”Rural Sociology, 43(Fall), 474–491.
65.
Van LiereKent D., and DunlapRiley E. (1980), “The Social Bases of Environmental Concern: A Review of Hypotheses, Explanations and Empirical Evidence,”Public Opinion Quarterly, 44(Summer), 181–197.
66.
Van LiereKent D., and DunlapRiley E. (1981), “Environmental Concern: Does It Make a Difference How It Is Measured?”Environment and Behavior, 13(November), 651–676.
67.
WebsterFrederick E.Jr. (1975), “Determining the Characteristics of the Socially Conscious Consumer,”Journal of Consumer Research, 2(December), 188–196.
68.
WeddleBruce, and KleinEdward (1989), “A Strategy to Control the Garbage Glut,”EPA Journal, 15(March/April), 30–32.