The circular economy and consumer behaviour: The mediating role of information seeking in buying circular packaging

The transition towards a circular economy is a crucial issue to pursue a more sustainable development. In this transition, consumers' comprehension and engagement are necessary points to guide them towards more environmentally conscious purchases. This study extends the understanding of green consumer behaviour by testing an integrated conceptual model that explores the influence of personal concern, other pro-environmental behaviours, greenwashing beliefs, consumer innovativeness, and personal predisposition to seeking information on the purchasing of circular packaging. We explored both the stand-alone and the mediating effects of information seeking. Data were collected from a questionnaire-based survey administered to a large and representative sample of Italian families, using 1,643 valid responses. We used structural equation modelling to test the proposed hypotheses. The results highlight the fundamental importance of seeking information in order to guide consumption choices that are more consistent with the circular economy. For managers, our paper suggests that packaging counts in purchasing decisions and that information is used by consumers to search for consistency between personal attitudes, other pro-environmental behaviours, and the circular attributes of packaging.