Green Consumerism in Young Adults: Attitudes and Awareness in University Students in Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

Unsustainable consumption of resources remains one of the significant environmental issues that prevent the achievement of sustainable development. Green consumerism forms part of the solutions to decrease unsustainable consumption globally. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness and attitudes of students at the University of Johannesburg towards green consumerism. Data was collected using an online questionnaire, and 404 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis and R-studio, which was used to generate a generalized linear model. There was a significant relationship between income and faculty, showing that these factors influenced the participants’ level of awareness regarding green consumerism. The purchasing behavior of the participants is mostly influenced by the price and quality of products instead of the impact of a product on the environment. Overall, this study contributes to the existing literature on green consumerism concerning students. It recommends companies ensure that the prices of eco-friendly products are affordable and that companies should increase their green initiatives so that customers can be more aware of green consumerism.

Green Buying Behaviour: An Integrated Model

“…As a result, it is essential to keep studying the behavioural changes in consumers and in the products themselves that are labelled as "green". New variables, such as digital ones, should be added to these models [50,51]. Finally, the mediating effect of the variables that have the most weight within the behavioural purchase models that are adjusted to green products must be analysed in detail [52][53][54][55].…”