Curious about the circular economy? Internal and external influences on information search about the product lifecycle

Abstract

The advent of the circular economy has repurposed traditional consumption habits. It is expanding opportunities for consumers to preserve the ecosystem throughout the whole product lifecycle. Drawing from extant rational and moral theories in behavior change, this research extends the understanding of consumer involvement in the circular economy by investigating whether being exposed to "green" clues can trigger additional information seeking and be empowering to people to contribute to the circular economy. In contrast to some prior research that suggests that information can overload consumers, this research finds that these "green" clues can stimulate greater information seeking, which can make the consumer feel more capable of effecting change through circular economy consumption. This study draws a conceptual model for behavioral change, tested on a representative sample of 4161 individuals across the five largest European countries. Results show that external "green" clues prompt consumers' information search on product lifecycle and ultimately make them feel empowered to contribute to the circular economy. Overall the research suggests that sustainability information can stimulate heightened curiosity and encourage consumers to become willing and active participants in this burgeoning circular economy.