Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151

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Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro

What affects green consumer behavior in China? A case study from

Qingdao
Hui-hui Zhao a, Qian Gao b, Yao-ping Wu a, Yuan Wang a, *, Xiao-dong Zhu a
a
State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China
b
Wuxi Office for Pollution Control of Lake Tai, Wuxi 214131, China

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This study develops a theoretical framework of green consumer behavior to determine the effects of
Received 31 July 2012 personal influence, knowledge of green consumption, attitudes toward green consumption, internal and
Received in revised form external moderators and examines whether these effects differ significantly among purchasing, using
13 May 2013
and recycling behaviors. Correlation analysis and multiple regression are applied to assess data collected
Accepted 15 May 2013
Available online 24 May 2013
by a questionnaire survey. The results indicate that attitudes are the most significant predictor of pur-
chasing behavior. Using behavior is mainly determined by income, perceived consumer effectiveness and
age, while recycling behavior is strongly influenced by using behavior. These findings have policy im-
Keywords:
Green consumer behavior
plications and improve understanding of green consumer behavior in China.
Attitudes Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Perceived consumer effectiveness
Qingdao

1. Introduction
Environmental technologies, economic policies, and social ini-
tiatives are all important to economic sustainability, but their in-
fluence rests on achieving changes in actual consumption patterns
and behavior (Peattie, 2010). The notion of green consumption has
emerged as a key element in the academic and policy debates
regarding the environmental impacts of consumption. The concept
of green consumption first became explicit in the 1970s (Peattie,
2010), and many research articles since then have extended it.
Various empirical studies on green consumption have attemp-
ted to identify the factors that influence green behavior, including
demographics (Diamantopoulos et al., 2003), environmental
knowledge, attitudes (Chan, 2001), values (Ramayah et al., 2010),
and internal and external moderators (Rylander and Allen, 2001).
The research on green consumption has also involved applying
established theories and models, most commonly those based on
the theory of reasoned action (Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980) and the
related theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Numerous models
attempt to incorporate both internal and external elements,
including the model of environmental behavior (Hines et al., 1986),
the attitude-behavior-context model (Stern, 2000), the models
introduced by Rylander and Allen (2001) and Bagozzi et al. (2002),
* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ86 25 89680520; fax: þ86 25 89680547.
E-mail address: ywang@nju.edu.cn (Y. Wang).
and especially the model developed by Fishbein and Ajzen (2010).
These models help understand the structure of some intentional
behaviors.
Although approaches that apply or extend theories like the
theory of planned behavior (TPB) are popular in investigating green
consumer behavior, several limitations should be taken into
consideration. First, the complexity of integrated models makes
them difficult to test for green consumer behavior (Davies et al.,
2002). Second, some recent empirical literature found that none
of the values variables have a significant correlation with actual
household electricity conservation (He and Kua, 2013; Kua and
Wong, 2012), while subjective norm is generally supposed to be a
key variable in the TPB model. The uncertainties that surround
previous results make further studies necessary. While a few
studies have examined green consumer behavior in developed and
developing countries, such research is lacking for China. China has
recently followed a track of rapid urbanization and industrializa-
tion, and development stage and process could significantly impact
the attitudes and behavior of Chinese consumers. Therefore, green
consumption in China is of worldwide interest in both policy and
scholarly circles. The present study draws on previous research and
incorporates internal and external moderators into the model to
investigate the impact of the factors that influence green consumer
behavior. Moreover, this empirical study does not treat green
consumer behavior as an independent category but rather sepa-
rately analyzes three aspects of such behavior (purchasing, using
and recycling). Consequently this study uses a novel approach with

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144 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151
potential to produce more precise and reliable results, and to
recommend viable policy options for the Chinese government.
This paper is organized as follows: following the introduction in
Section 1, Section 2 briefly reviews the literature on green con-
sumer behavior. Section 3 then explains the research design and
data collection. The empirical findings are summarized in Sections
4 and 5 concludes with policy implications.
2. Literature review
2.1. Demographics
The segmentation and profiling of green consumers can enable
not only businesses, but also environmental organizations and
governmental agencies to develop positioning and marketing-mix
strategies. Varied geographic, socio-demographic and personality
characteristics are employed, with the key profiling variables being
socio-demographic (McDonald and Dunbar, 2004). Diamantopoulos
et al. (2003) comprehensively reviewed six socio-demographic
variables (age, marital status, gender, number of children, educa-
tion, and social class) and suggested that older and higher educated
people are more likely to exhibit recycling behavior. Income is
another positive predictor of green purchasing behavior (Kinnear
et al., 1974). However, debate continues about the influences of
age and income (Gilg et al., 2005). Widegren (1998) indicated that
green behavior is almost independent of age. A few studies even
found a negative relationship between income and environmental
concern/green behavior (Roberts, 1996; Samdahl and Robertson,
1989).
2.2. Knowledge and attitudes
Environmental knowledge has frequently been assumed to be
the main motivator of green consumer behavior (Peattie, 2010). The
behavioral literature finds a positive relationship between knowl-
edge and behavior (Bartkus et al., 1999; Chan and Yam, 1995; Haron
et al., 2005; Hoch and Deighton, 1989; Park et al., 1994). However,
findings about the importance of knowledge are inconsistent, and
increased environmental knowledge does not necessarily result in
more environmentally friendly behaviors (Bartiaux, 2008;
Pedersen and Neergaard, 2006). Zsóka (2008) demonstrated that
such mixed empirical findings might reveal a more complex rela-
tionship between knowledge and behavior. Ecological knowledge
may be a mediating variable for attitudes toward green consump-
tion and behavior (Arbuthnot and Lingg, 1975; Cohen, 1973). In
general, the foregoing empirical results support the conventional
view that knowledge and behavior are positively related (Mostafa,
2007).
Attitudes toward green consumption reflect individual beliefs
regarding the consequence of green consumer behavior (Ajzen
and Fishbein, 1980). Studies have noted a significant associa-
tion between attitudes and green consumer behavior (Arslan
et al., 2012; Barr et al., 2005; Gadennen et al., 2011; Tanner
and Kast, 2003). Attitudes clearly crucially determine pro-
environmental behavior, while much of the research on the
theory of reasoned action and planned behavior showed a gap
between attitudes and behavior (Ozaki, 2011; Pickett-Baker and
Ozaki, 2008). Zsóka (2008) suggested that attitudes determine
actual behavior only if all influencing factors and conditions are
favorable. Gadennen et al. (2011) attributed this gap to the
economic cost of green consumer behavior. This is consistent
with the research of Kollmuss and Agyeman (2002), who pro-
posed that people favor the least economically costly pro-
environmental behavior.
2.3. Internal and external moderators
Many people claim pro-environment attitudes and intentions
but fail to act on them because of various internal and external
moderators (Rylander and Allen, 2001). In our empirical study,
internal moderators mainly consist of environmental concern and
perceived consumer effectiveness. Environmental concern denotes
the orientation of individuals toward the environment and their
level of concern with environmental issues (Kim and Choi, 2005).
Individuals who demonstrate strong environmental concern are
more likely to undertake waste recycling and green purchasing
behavior (Barr, 2003; Lin and Huang, 2012). However, reviews of
the literature on the relationship between concern and behavior all
agree that this relationship is low to moderate (Mostafa, 2007).
Straughan and Roberts (1999) found environmental concern
explained only 1.1% of the variance in behavior.
Similar to the concepts of self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986) and locus
of control (Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002), perceived consumer
effectiveness (PCE) measures the subject’s judgment of the influ-
ence of individual consumers on environmental problems (Antil,
1984). Findings are fairly conclusive that high PCE results in
greater levels of green consumerism (Roberts, 1996; Straughan and
Roberts, 1999).
Green consumption research focuses on the nature of con-
sumers and their actions as individuals (Peattie, 2010). However,
external moderators may also influence behavior. Kollmuss and
Agyeman (2002) highlighted that pro-environmental behavior is
more likely to occur if governments and corporations promote a
sustainable lifestyle. Bonini and Oppenheim (2008) suggested that
low availability of green products may impede green consumer
behavior. Besides government promotion and commodity avail-
ability, situational factors also contribute to explaining pro-
environmental behavior. Hines et al. (1986) identified situational
factors as economic constraints, social pressures and the choice of
available actions. Bartelings and Sterner (1999) demonstrated that
economic factors strongly influence people’s decisions and
behavior.
3. Method
3.1. Research hypotheses and model
Although green consumption is subtly intertwined with social
and economic factors (Peattie, 2010), here we assume that it is only
tied to environmental issues. Inspired by the work of Zhang et al.
(2007) and Liu et al. (2009b), we divide green consumer behavior
into three forms according to stage of the consumption process,
namely purchasing, using and recycling. The framework (Fig. 1)
Internal moderators
Environmental concern
Perceived consumer effectiveness
Attitudes toward green Green Consumer Behavior
Personal influence
consumption Purchasing
Demographics
Cognition Using
Knowledge
Affection Recycling
External moderators
Promotion of government and enterprise
Availability of green products
Fig. 1. The proposed model.
 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151
distills the essence of the model of Rylander and Allen (2001) to
explain the motivation for green consumer behavior. The frame-
work considers knowledge and demographic variables to be the
factors that shape individual attitudes toward environment-
friendly behavior. Attitudes do not necessarily influence behavior
directly, and the effect is moderated by various internal and
external variables, including environmental concern, perceived
consumer effectiveness and availability of green products. The link
between attitudes and behavior may be the most tenuous aspect of
the model. Notably, our research relies on self-reported behavior,
which may be over-stated. Future research should promote direct
observation. After statistical summary of the variables involved,
correlation and regression results are provided.
3.2. The surveyed area
The survey was conducted in Qingdao (35 350 -37 09’N, 119 300 -
12100’E), which is situated in the south of the Shandong Peninsula,
adjacent to the Huanghai Sea (Fig. 2). The Qingdao metropolitan
area includes five cities and seven urban districts with a total area
of 11,282 square kilometers. In 2011, the permanent registered
population of Qingdao was 7.66 million, with 2.77 million living in
the urban area. The annual GDP reached 661.56 billion Yuan in 2011,
with an increase of 11.7% over 2010. The disposable income per
capita (urban residents) reached 28,567 Yuan in 2011, which was
14.3% higher than that of 2010. Since 2001 was designated “the year
of green consumption” by the Chinese Consumers’ Association,
Qingdao has implemented various programs, such as developing
green communities/enterprises and promoting environmental
awareness among citizens.
3.3. Questionnaire
A questionnaire comprising questions with pre-selected an-
swers was the main research tool. The questionnaire had three
sections. The first section acquired basic information on green
consumption, as follows:
(1) Have you heard of green consumption?
(2) How do you obtain information about green consumption?
(3) Which price is more acceptable when purchasing green
products?
The second part attempted to uncover subjects’ knowledge of
green consumption, attitudes toward green consumption, internal
and external moderators and green consumer behavior.
The final part of the questionnaire gathered demographic in-
formation, including age, gender, employment, education level and
income.
Fig. 2. Sketch map of Qingdao: (a) China; (b) Shandong; (c) Qingdao urban area.
145
3.4. Sample characteristics
The survey was carried out by the Qingdao Urban Social-
Economic Survey Team from July 21st to July 25th, 2009. Four ur-
ban districts, including Shinan, Shibei, Sifang and Licang, were
selected for the survey. Of 520 questionnaires, 500 were valid and
usable, yielding an effective response rate of 96.2%.
The demographic composition of the sample is shown in Table 1.
Among the 500 respondents, 51.4% were male and 48.6% were fe-
male. 24% of the respondents were aged between 41 and 50 years
old, and 22.4% between 31 and 40 years old. Regarding educational
attainment, the largest group of respondents (24.4%) had a senior
high school education, followed by undergraduate level (17.8%). The
largest group of respondents (27.6%) indicated that their annual
disposable income was between 16,000 and 23,999 Yuan. The data
in Table 1 reveal a fairly even spread of occupational distribution,
with trade and service workers being the largest group (18.6%),
closely followed by machinery operators and drivers (16.2%). The
gender ratio, education and income level are all consistent with the
Qingdao Statistical Yearbook, so the survey may reflect the real
situation in Qingdao.
4. Data analysis and results
Before testing the model, reliability tests were conducted on
each factor (Table 2). Results show that reliability statistics values
vary from 0.63 to 0.82, and thus lie within both the “substantial”
(0.61e0.80) and the stricter “almost perfect” (0.81e1.0) levels
(Landis and Koch, 1977). Therefore, the questionnaire has high
reliability.
4.1. Descriptive statistics
The average summated mean scores and the corresponding
standard deviations of all the constructs were presented in Table 3.
The survey instruments related to each construct were provided in
the Appendix.
The reported mean score of the options related to knowledge is
0.40. Although most people have heard of green consumption, their
knowledge of its content remains inadequate. The score of attitudes
toward green consumption is 3.15. The internal moderator factor
scores slightly higher than external moderator factor. In terms of
internal moderators, the mean score of environmental concern
reveals that people in Qingdao are dissatisfied with environmental
quality. People thus expect the government and related organiza-
tions to pay more attention to environmental protection. Results of
perceived consumer effectiveness show that people have low
confidence that their actions can bring about change. This factor
thus comprises the barrier to pro-environmental action. The score
146 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151

Table 1 Table 3
The profile of subjects (N ¼ 500). Descriptive statistics of the constructs under study (N ¼ 500).a

N (number) Percentage Mean score Standard deviation

Gender Knowledge of green consumption 0.40 0.31

Male 257 51.4 Attitudes toward green consumption 3.15 0.67
Female 243 48.6 Internal Moderators 3.48 0.75
Age  Environmental concern 3.82 0.87
10e20 53 10.6  Perceived consumer effectiveness 2.98 0.85
21e30 98 19.6 External Moderators 3.29 0.61
31e40 112 22.4 Green consumer behavior 3.86 0.65
41e50 120 24  GCB1: purchasing behavior 3.79 0.74
51e60 72 14.4  GCB2: using behavior 3.71 0.86
61 or above 45 9.0  GCB3: recycling behavior 4.47 0.75
Education level a
N represented the sample size. Except knowledge of green consumption (KGC),
Primary school 48 9.6
the possible range for the average summated mean score of the other constructs was
Junior high 112 22.4
between 1 and 5, and the range of KGC was between 0 and 1.
Senior high 122 24.4
Senior secondary 101 20.2
Undergraduate 89 17.8
Postgraduate and above 28 5.6
4.2. Public awareness of green consumption
Current employment category
Higher managerial, administrative, or professional 40 8
Scientific researchers and educational, 61 12.2 When asked if they had “ever heard of green consumption”, 362
medical workers out of 500 respondents selected “yes”. This implies that most
Machinery operators and drivers 81 16.2
people have become aware of green consumption. Fig. 3 shows the
Trades and service workers 93 18.6
Self-employed 61 12.2 average knowledge score of respondents who have heard of green
Farming, forestry, animal husbandry 28 5.6 consumption. The score is based on eight questions, such as un-
and fishery workers derstanding of green consumption, global warming and red tide.
State pensioners 39 7.8 Nearly 50 percent of respondents received a score below 0.5,
Unemployed/student 81 16.2
implying their knowledge needs improvement.
Others 16 3.2
Income (RMB, thousand Yuan) Responses to the question concerning the source of information
Less than 8 79 15.6 on green consumption used a multi-choice format. The main
8e15.999 126 25.2 channel for obtaining information was TV, followed by the internet,
16e23.999 138 27.6
and newspapers (shown in Fig. 4). The internet has become an
24e49.999 127 25.4
essential path for disseminating environmental information.
Community dissemination can also help residents better under-
stand green consumption.
Willingness to pay and purchasing behavior were also investi-
of the external moderator factor is 3.29, which implies moderate gated (Fig. 5). The results show that 71.6% of consumers are willing
government promotion and supply of green products. to pay for high-priced green products. Most citizens in Qingdao
Six types of green consumer behaviors were classified into three thus strongly wish to financially support environment-friendly
groups, namely purchasing, using and recycling. A purchasing products. 26.4% of the sample claimed that they would prefer
behavior scale consisted of purchasing high efficiency light bulbs green products even if they were priced between 5 and 10% higher
and household appliances. A using behavior scale comprised three than conventional products. Individuals willing to pay more for the
items regarding using water, plastic bags and disposable tableware. green products are more likely to exhibit real green purchasing
A recycling behavior scale measured levels of recycling bottles. behavior.
Considerable variation exists among three activities, with recycling
being the most popular (4.47), and using the least popular (3.71). 4.3. Correlation results
This shows that consumers are more willing to take actions that
deliver economic benefits, e.g. selling bottles and paper to waste Correlations between demographics and constructs (knowl-
collection centers. The findings concerning using behavior are less edge, attitudes and behavior) are listed in Tables 4e6. Income is
encouraging. Although the Chinese government has adopted significantly correlated with age, gender, education level and
different measures to limit the use of disposable tableware, people employment status. The observed highest coefficient is 0.455 and
still favor such products based on convenience. The results suggest occurs between education level and income.
that Chinese consumers engage in green behavior mostly for
themselves rather than the environment.

Table 2
Reliability tests.

Constructs Cronbach’s alpha

Knowledge of green consumption 0.82

Attitudes toward green consumption 0.70
Environmental concern 0.87
Perceived consumer effectiveness 0.63
External moderators 0.65
Green consumer behavior 0.78
Fig. 3. Public understanding of green consumption.
 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151
Fig. 4. The channels for getting information of green consumption.
All five scales (knowledge, attitudes, internal and external
moderators, and behavior) are positively and significantly
(p < 0.01) correlated with each other. The observed highest coef-
ficient is 0.791 and exists between knowledge and environmental
concern, meaning that knowledge determines individual percep-
tions of the environment.
Three behaviors show different correlations with constructs and
demographics. Attitudes are the most important factor in predict-
ing purchasing behavior. Using behavior is underlain by income,
perceived consumer effectiveness and age. Finally, recycling
behavior is governed chiefly by using behavior, which supports the
research of Thøgersen and Ölander (2006). “Spillover” effects exist
in which consumer involvement in one behavior increases the
propensity to engage in others.
Gender appears to have the weakest influence among the de-
mographic variables. In contrast, education level has the strongest
influence on all constructs except using and recycling behaviors.
People with higher education level are more likely to exhibit high
levels of knowledge, develop positive attitudes, report higher
environmental concern and perceived consumer effectiveness, and
purchase environment-friendly products, which is consistent with
previous studies (Diamantopoulos et al., 2003; Samdahl and
Robertson, 1989; Zimmer et al., 1994). Meanwhile, income and
age are the main determinants of using and recycling behaviors.
Correlation analysis shows that psychographic variables are more
significant predictors of green consumer behavior than de-
mographic variables.
4.4. Regression results
For the multiple regression analysis, purchasing, using and
recycling were modeled as the dependent variable respectively,
Fig. 5. Willingness to pay for high-priced green products and score of purchasing
behavior.
147
Table 4
Correlations between demographics.
Variables Gender Education Employment Income
level category
Age 0.041 0.397** 0.094* 0.121**
Gender 0.046 0.018 0.089*
Education level 0.355** 0.455**
Employment category 0.444**
Note: “**” and “*” denote statistical significance at the 1% and 5% level, respectively.
with personal influence, attitudes, internal and external modera-
tors, and behavior serving as predictor variables (Tables 7e9).
As indicated by the regression of purchasing, the first predictor
to enter the model is attitudes toward green consumption,
explaining 37.1% of the variance. Model entry for other variables has
the following order (incremental gain in R2 in parentheses): envi-
ronmental concern (0.015), age (0.021), external moderators
(0.008), income (0.009) and education level (0.011). This analysis
also indicates that attitudes, environmental concern, age, external
moderators, income and education level are significant (p < 0.05).
The ordering of model entry suggests that psychographics and
demographics are independent predictors of purchasing behavior,
but psychographic segmentation is more effective. This finding
agrees with the previous literature (Straughan and Roberts, 1999).
As for using behavior, income explains 17.7% of the variance, fol-
lowed by perceived consumer effectiveness (12.8%), and age
(14.1%). For recycling behavior, only two variables enter the model.
Using behavior explains 49.1% of the variance, followed by educa-
tion level (2%). Multiple regression and correlation analysis yield
consistent results.
5. Discussion
Prior to the analysis of empirical findings, some detailed
description about green consumer behavior should be noted. In our
study, using behavior consists of using water, plastic bags and
disposable tableware. “Use of water” means that reuse water for
such activities as washing vegetables, house cleaning and
gardening. To some extent, it also means water saving (less use).
But we should admit that using household appliances needs to be
considered in the future research as it can convey more
information.
First, wide variation between particular activities is found
(Table 3). The results show that among three behaviors, recycling
scores highest, while using scores lowest. According to description
of Wang (2010), these three behaviors have different intrinsic
motivations. Purchasing incurs personal costs to secure public
benefits, which means that consumers need to pay more for the
environment-friendly products. Using means changing life habits
to protect the environment, e.g. fostering good habits of using
water in daily life. Recycling represents seeking private interest. In
China, recycling behavior (e.g. recycling old newspaper and cans)
can bring about extra benefits. Given the consideration of economic
benefits rather than environmental elements, Chinese consumers
score the highest in recycling aspect, which is consistent with the
findings of Huang et al. (2006) and Liu et al. (2009b). Consequently,
government and companies should ensure consumers understand
that their green consumer behavior will yield both environmental
and financial returns. Changing life habits should be also advocated
by government and green groups.
Second, the relationship between demographics and other
constructs of green consumption is revealed. Education level is the
most important demographic variable, except for using and recy-
cling behaviors. The importance of education level was verified by
148 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151

Table 5
Correlations between knowledge, attitudes and behavior.

Variables Attitudes toward Environmental Perceived consumer External Purchasing Using Recycling
green consumption concern effectiveness moderators behavior behavior behavior

Knowledge of green consumption 0.779** 0.791** 0.588** 0.688** 0.517** 0.118** 0.194**
Attitudes toward green consumption 0.721** 0.695** 0.700** 0.610** 0.235** 0.286**
Environmental concern 0.508** 0.696** 0.526** 0.126** 0.194**
Perceived consumer effectiveness 0.532** 0.469** 0.392** 0.354**
External Moderators 0.515** 0.103** 0.195**
Purchasing behavior 0.337** 0.351**
Using behavior 0.702**

Note: “**” and “*” denote statistical significance at the 1% and 5% level, respectively.

Diamantopoulos et al. (2003), who stated that the better educated
tend to score high on all components of the green consumption
domain (knowledge, attitudes, moderator). A plausible explanation
for this phenomenon is that the more educated can better un-
derstand complex environmental issues, and hence are more
concerned with environmental quality and more willing to
participate in green consumer behavior. This implies that through
proper education, the Qingdao government can promote public
environmental knowledge and cultivate positive attitudes toward
green consumption. Additionally, businesses are expected to
educate as well as sell. Businesses should, therefore, expand their
communication beyond their own green products to wider envi-
ronmental issues such as pollution, the greenhouse effect and
so on.
The relationship between age and green consumer behavior
shows that older consumers are more likely to engage in using and
recycling behaviors. Previous studies also described the positive
relationship between age and behavior (Diamantopoulos et al.,
2003; Roberts, 1996; Samdahl and Robertson, 1989). One explana-
tion for this correlation involves the “depression-era” conservation
ethic that characterizes the older generation. The behavior scale
used to measure using and recycling behaviors in this work relates
to household activities, such as reusing paper bags when shopping
and water conservation. According to research by Carrus et al.
(2008) and Davies et al. (2002), life habits influence everyday ac-
tivities more strongly than conscious thought does. The older group
in China have formed the saving habit as a result of their
“depression-era” experiences, and so are more likely to undertake
using and recycling behaviors. Therefore special effort should be
made to encourage using and recycling behaviors among younger
age group.
Income correlates positively but not significantly with pur-
chasing behavior. Since green products are generally priced
higher than conventional products (Mahenc, 2007), higher-
income group may be more likely to purchase these products
because they can bear the associated marginal increase in costs. A
negative relationship was observed between income and using/
recycling behavior, consistent with previous studies (Roberts,
1996). Using and recycling behaviors create both environmental
and economic benefits. Economic drivers seem to influence
lower-income group more than higher-income group. As revealed
by previous research (Liu et al., 2009a; Xiao and Li, 2011), China is
rapidly developing into a mass consumption society. Chinese
consumers with higher income desire better material comforts
and are unwilling to sacrifice personal interests for collective
benefits. Consequently, they scored relatively low for using and
recycling behaviors. Policy makers and educators should be
aware of this tendency among higher-income group and make
them a special focus in promoting sustainable consumer
behavior.
Finally, it is suggested that the predictors of purchasing, using
and recycling behaviors differed significantly. In regard to pur-
chasing behavior, attitudes toward green consumption exert a
significantly positive influence, which is supported by Barr et al.
(2005). People with positive attitudes toward green products
practice green purchasing. Attitudes are closely correlated with
personal knowledge, so government and all other sectors involved
in green business should continue advocating green consumption
and green consumer behavior to help consumers internalize
appropriate messages and make correct choices.
PCE is the second factor entered into the regression model and
explains 12.8% of using behavior. Various studies have identified
PCE as the most predictive factor of green consumer behavior
(Berger and Corbin, 1992; Kim and Choi, 2005; Roberts, 1996;
Straughan and Roberts, 1999; Wiener and Doescher, 1991). In-
dividuals with a strong belief that their green consumer behavior
will result in positive outcomes are more likely to engage in such
behavior. However, it may be difficult to increase PCE among Chi-
nese consumers (Chan, 2001; Huang et al., 2006; Laroche et al.,
2001). Some Chinese consumers believe environmental problems
are so complex that responsibility for their management lies with
government and enterprises. In China many people rely on official
institutions to protect the environment, and this may have impli-
cations for the green market. To counteract this effect the govern-
ment must regularly emphasize that individual consumer behavior
can make a difference.

Table 6
Correlations between demographics and constructs.

Variables Age Gender Education level Employment category Income

** ** **
Knowledge of green consumption 0.252 0.042 0.642 0.192 0.261**
Attitudes toward green consumption 0.215** 0.010 0.486** 0.114** 0.091*
Environmental concern 0.304** 0.010 0.544** 0.118** 0.147**
Perceived consumer effectiveness 0.053 0.057 0.284** 0.076* 0.077
External Moderators 0.252** 0.030 0.437** 0.132** 0.121**
Purchasing behavior 0.045 0.002 0.377** 0.037 0.036
Using behavior 0.358** 0.038 0.222** 0.114* 0.418**
Recycling behavior 0.246** 0.021 0.036 0.032 0.245**

Note: “**” and “*” denote statistical significance at the 1% and 5% level, respectively.
 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151 149

Table 7
Regression of purchasing behavior.

Variables Regression coefficients Variable significance Cumulative adjusted R2 Model significance

Attitudes toward green consumption 0.410 0.000 0.371 0.000

Environment concern 0.123 0.014 0.386
Age 0.120 0.000 0.407
External moderators 0.191 0.002 0.415
Income 0.110 0.000 0.424
Education level 0.087 0.004 0.433

Table 8
Regression of using behavior.

Variables Regression coefficients Variable significance Cumulative adjusted R2 Model significance

Income 0.422 0.000 0.177 0.000

Perceived consumer effectiveness 0.193 0.000 0.305
Age 0.272 0.000 0.446
Purchasing behavior 0.208 0.000 0.485
Employment category 0.047 0.000 0.499
Knowledge of green consumption 0.506 0.000 0.511

Table 9
Regression of recycling
behavior.
Variables Regression coefficients Variable Cumulative Model
significance adjusted R2 significance
Using behavior 0.629 0.000 0.491 0.000
Education level 0.076 0.000 0.511
Using behavior strongly influences recycling behavior (Biswas
et al., 2000; Thøgersen and Ölander, 2006). Using may be a start-
ing point for involvement in recycling, and both these behaviors are
influenced by common motivational causes such as economic
concerns. Government and enterprises should treat these behav-
iors differently and develop targeted strategies to encourage green
consumer behavior. Though only using behavior and education
level enter the regression model, correlation results show there are
other variables which have significant relationship with recycling
behavior. Age, income, attitudes and perceived consumer effec-
tiveness all play significant roles. In China, especially in Qingdao,
the residential collection system for collecting recyclable resources
with small generation scale is common and most practical, e.g.
citizens can return the bottles to the retail stores to get cash back.
Compared to the convenience of purchasing green products, it is
relatively easy for citizens to undertake the recycling behavior.
Thus, we do not incorporate the infrastructure factor into the
regression model.
6. Conclusion
An integrated model was developed for exploring green con-
sumer behavior in China, and the model analyzed the relationships
among personal influence, attitudes, internal and external moder-
ators, and behavior. Correlation analysis and multiple linear
regression were applied to determine the influence factors on green
consumer behavior regarding purchasing, using and recycling. The
result showed differences between three behaviors with regard to
demographic and psychological variables. Implications for business
strategy and public policy can be drawn from these findings.
For marketers, the regression of purchasing behavior shows the
importance of attitudes and environmental concern of consumers.
People who report positive attitudes and high level of environ-
mental concern are more likely to engage in purchasing behavior.
Attitudes have significant relationship with knowledge. Businesses
should take up the cause of green education. In terms of product
promotion, the arousal of the consideration for the nature and
environment would be useful in selling ecologically safe products.
Although price also acts as the barrier to buying green products for
consumers, marketers could have the opportunity to successfully
implement differentiated marketing. For people who exhibit little
or no concern, marketers should find out the amount they are
willing to pay based on the winewin concept. For ecologically
concerned consumers, the specific dimension of ecological concern
should be identified and used in the future promotion.
For public policy makers, educational programs may be neces-
sary to promote knowledge levels and alter consumer preferences.
In formulating these programs, policy makers should remember
that increasing the levels of the consumers’ confidence in his ability
to contribute to the environmental problems is very important.
Community has began to play important roles in Qingdao. Advo-
cating of sustainable consumption habits should make better use of
community dissemination.
In our study, purchasing of environment-friendly household
appliances is discussed. Except for the high-priced green products,
conventional products are also considered. They are necessary to
our lives, and usually cheaper and easier to get, e.g. water. The using
habits of water could also have positive or adverse impacts on the
environment. In the present study, we focus more on the different
motivations of these behaviors than on the social process of green
consumer behavior. As the practice of green consumption develops,
purchasing, using and recycling of some green product will be
studied and the relationship will be reported. Moreover, future
research that expands the research region, especially to include
China’s underdeveloped west, is recommended. Like the other
models, the model applied here has its shortcomings. Several fac-
tors that influence Chinese green consumer behavior have not been
elaborated on. For example, lifestyles and habits, and sense of
personal responsibility are worth exploring. Additional scale
development work should identify a more reliable and valid set of
items for measuring the various constructs of green consumer
behavior. This would facilitate the comparison of results across
future studies.
150 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151

Appendix

Knowledge of green consumption items

1 The definition of green consumption: (1) Purchase worldwide products to promote resource circulation; (2) Purchase products
xmade by green plants; (3) Purchase products of undeveloped countries; (4) Purchase low pollution, low resource cost,
recyclable products.
2 Recognize the sign of environment-friendly products:

(1)
; (2) ; (3) ; (4) ; (5)

; 3 What problems will CO2 cause? (1) Global warming; (2) Ride tide; (3) Acid rain; (4) Ozone layer depletion.
4 Prohibition of phosphate detergents is to prevent: (1) Global warming; (2) Red tide; (3) Acid rain; (4) Ozone layer depletion.
5 Energy saving lamps use less energy than the ordinary lamps by: (1) 10%; (2) 30%; (3) 50%; (4) 70%.
6 The main object of garbage classification: (1) Prevent breeding of mosquitoes; (2) Reduce the workload of cleaning;
(3) Recycle and reuse; (4) Increase income by selling recyclable products.
7 The temperature of summer air-conditioner for public building should not be below: (1) 26  C; (2) 25  C; (3) 23  C; (4) 20  C.
8 Compared to “tenth five year”, energy consumption per unit of GDP of “eleventh five year” should decrease by: (1) 10%; (2) 15;
(3) 20; (4) 25.

Note: Bold letters indicate the right answer for the knowledge questions. Answerable on a two-category ‘true/false’ format with 1 point for a true answer and 0 for a
false answer.

Attitudes toward green consumption items

1 It is more convenient to buy new household electrical appliances than to repair them. (R)
2 The resource consumed by myself is very less and it won’t cause any pollution to the environment. (R)
3 It is no need to persuade others to get involved in green behavior. (R)
4 It seems very attractive to center on water and electricity conservation for household products.
5 It is very important to stage a vigorous drive for the green behavior.
6 I was supportive for the system of “pay for using plastic bag”.
Environmental concern items
1 The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset.
2 Mankind is severely abusing the environment.
3 The whole pollution issue has upset me.
Perceived consumer effectiveness items
1 I can do nothing to help control pollution of the environment. (R)
2 My behavior can have a positive effect on the environment by purchasing green products.
External moderators items
1 The publicity campaign of green products has effect on my purchasing.
2 The awareness of government will promote me to care about environment protection.
3 I can buy green products with great convenience.
Green consumer behavior items
1 I always use the disposable tableware. (R)
2 I try to buy high efficiency light bulbs to save energy.
3 I try to buy energy efficient household appliances.
4 I always reuse the paper bag or plastic bags.
5 I always reuse the water.
6 I always sell bottles to the recycling center.

Note: All the statements are set on a 5-point scale with “1 ¼ not agree at all” and “5 ¼ strongly agree”. R ¼ reverse scored.
Demographic measures
Your age: years
Gender: 1. Male; 2. Female
Education level: 1. Primary school; 2. Junior high; 3. Senior high; 4. Senior secondary; 5. Undergraduate; 6. Postgraduate and above.
Occupation: 1. Higher managerial, administrative, or professional; 2. Scientific researchers and, educational, medical workers; 3. Machinery operators and drivers;
4. Trades and service workers; 5. Self-employed; 6. Farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery workers; 7. State pensioners; 8. Unemployed/students;
9. Others
Check the category which best fits your total family income in the last year: 1. Less than RM 8000; 2. RM 8000-RM 15,999; 3. RM 16,000-RM 23,999;
4. RM 24,000-RM 49,999.
 H.-h. Zhao et al. / Journal of Cleaner Production 63 (2014) 143e151 151

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