Determinants of green purchase behaviour of university students in South Africa

Abstract

The unsustainable level of consumption globally is one of the major causes of the environmental challenges that the world currently faces. The purchase of green products is one of the ways to promote environmental sustainability globally. The study examines the determinants of green purchase behaviour of university students in South Africa. The study merges the Value-Attitude-Behaviour (VAB) theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to develop a new theoretical model to predict GPB. The study uses a quantitative research design, and data is collected from students at two South African universities. The study adopts the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling for data analysis. The findings support the applicability of the merged theories in predicting GPB. Recommendations to improve the GPB of students include the introduction of environmental education as a subject in universities.