Perhaps the single most important consumer trend of the last decade is consumers’ stated desire to consume more responsibility across a range of consumption decisions. Two-thirds of Americans report reducing their reliance on single-use plastics, half report choosing brands based on their environmental performance, and a third report reducing their consumption of meat or animal products.
Nudging Consumers to Purchase More Sustainably
People say they want sustainable products — and that they’re willing to pay for them — but find excuses to not follow through.
August 11, 2022
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Summary.
Although many people claim to be willing to pay for sustainable products and practices, they don’t often follow through. Part of the problem is the phenomenon of plausible deniability: if we can find a plausible excuse for not doing the right thing when it is inconvenient we are likely to take it. In this article, the author explains the problem and draws on work by himself and others in behavioral science to present and illustrate behavioral nudges that companies, public sector organizations, and NGOs can adopt in order to reduce the potential for plausible deniability.