1Associate Professor, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Email id: preetirsingh@sscbsdu.ac.in
2Student, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Email id: abhimnayu.18006@sscbs.du.ac.in
3Student, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Email id: raghav.18114@sscbs.du.ac.in
4Student Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Email id: shivam.18158@sscbs.du.ac.in
5Student, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India Email id: ujjwal.18177@sscbs.du.ac.in
Online published on 27 August, 2021.
Plastic industry is one of the fastest growing industries across the globe. Owing to its varied applications, the demand for plastics is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period 2019–2025 [1] However, excessive use of plastics generates tremendous amounts of plastics waste. Plastic recycling and use of biodegradable alternatives could be a few solutions to plastic pollution caused by plastic wastes. However, the implementation of these alternatives is still at a very nascent stage because of their inherent limitations. This study is undertaken to understand the consumer perception and behavior towards one-time use plastics (OTPs) and their eco-friendly alternatives (EFAs). Factor Analysis is used to understand the coexisting consumer perception towards OTPs and EFAs which revealed three different attitudes of consumers - consciousness towards EFAs, support towards EFA usage and reliance on OTP usage. Cluster Analysis is carried out to respectively gauge the non-coexisting consumer perception and behavior towards OTPs and EFAs based on their qualitative attributes.The analysis resulted in identification of specific consumer groups while consolidating consumer perceptions and the qualitative attributes of OTPs and EFAs separately.
Plastics, One-Time Use Plastics, Eco-Friendly Alternatives, Perception, Behavior
