The relationship between green packaging awareness, initiatives, and behavior: an exploratory study on India rural population

Purpose This study aims to investigate the antecedents and consequences of green packaging behavior (GPB). A conceptual model has been developed wherein green packaging awareness (GPA) and green packaging initiatives (GPI) are precursors of GPB, and environmental concern and availability of various green packaging alternatives are moderators. The outcomes of GPB in terms of environmental and personal benefits are examined. Design/methodology/approach Unlike most papers focusing on green packaging from a marketing perspective, this study explores the behavior of rural households from 47 villages in southern India. A carefully crafted survey instrument was developed, and data were collected from 395 respondents. After checking the instrument’s psychometric properties, the results were analyzed using Hayes’s PROCESS macros. Findings The results indicate that GPA and GPI are positively associated with GPB, GPA predicts GPI, and GPI mediates the relationship between GPA and GPB. Furthermore, findings suggest that environmental concern moderates the relationship between GPI and GPB, and the three-way interaction between the availability of green packaging (second moderator), environmental concern (first moderator), and GPI influences the GPB. Moreover, the outcomes of GPB in terms of environmental and personal benefits are established. Research limitations/implications This research has several theoretical implications. It documents that individual awareness of green packaging is a precursor to GPB. This study focused on the rural population from a developing country (India) and hence may suffer from a lack of generalizability across developed nations. However, the results could be generalizable across other developing nations worldwide. Practical implications This study motivates individuals to engage in proenvironmental behavior. Moreover, it highlights the importance of GPB in deriving environmental and personal benefits. It is also equally crucial for individuals to engage in proper waste management practices so that the environment is not polluted. Social implications The findings from this research are helpful to society as it focuses on the proenvironmental behavior of individuals. Particularly concerning packaging, this study points out that buying products with green packaging and reusing and recycling such packages is essential to protect the environment. Originality/value This study fills the gaps in the literature by focusing on the GPB of the rural population. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the moderated-mediation model developed and tested in this research is the first of its kind and thus makes a significant contribution to the literature on green packaging and waste management.