An Exploration Of Factors That Influence Young Consumers' Intention To Buy Eco-Friendly Food And Beverage Packaging In Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

Environmental issues have contemporarily become a primary global concern, especially the problem of plastic packaging pollution. Young customers are increasingly self-aware of the ecological consequences of plastic waste due to its serious impact. A change in their consumption behavior is indeed needed to use green packaging to protect human health and the environment. This research aims to demonstrate the various factors influencing young consumers’ intentions to purchase eco-friendly packaged food and beverage products using the Theory of Planned Behavior and an extended factor, Interpersonal Influence. The case is applied to large cities in Vietnam with a rapid increase in environmental consciousness. Quantitative research was conducted through a questionnaire-based survey using a convenience sampling technique. The data were examined using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed that Attitude to eco-friendly packaging and Subjective Norm were found to positively associate with green purchase intention in comparison to the mutual insignificance of interpersonal influence. Attitude mediates the impact of environmental concern - environmental knowledge on green purchase intention. Research limitations and practical implications are discussed. This study proposed some recommendations for enterprise counterparts to deeply understand the perception of Vietnamese consumers toward eco-friendly packaging and generate effective strategies to promote sustainable consumption.