Environmental Unconcern and Recycled Paper Products Purchase: The Moderating Role of Environmental Knowledge.

Recent and forthcoming technological innovations highlight recycled paper products as a consumer market with promising potential. This study presents the examination of the recycled paper products purchasing behavior (RPPPB), as well as some of the factors that were assumed to affect these specific pro-environmental consumers' choices. Instead of the impact of the customary positive environmental attitudes, this study focused on those negative attitudes, namely Environmental Unconcern, that might be found able to inhibit RPPB. In addition, an effort was made to examine the role of an objective environmental knowledge scale, namely the Eco-literacy scale. A survey among 224 consumers residing in the Municipality of Thessaloniki, Greece was conducted. Multiple regression indicated that just Environmental Knowledge and not the Eco-literacy scale is a predictor of RPPPB. Further, SEM analysis though verified the theoretical assumption that knowledge moderates the relationship between attitudes and behavior. It was concluded that the negative direct relationship between environmental unconcern and the recycled paper products' purchasing behavior strengthens in the group of knowledgeable consumers. Implications are provided for all stakeholders that engage in the recycled paper products market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]