Greenwashing’s good – it causes consumers to seek out more information and adopt circular consumption behaviors

This study makes valuable contributions to the existing literature by establishing connections among the conceptual frameworks of greenwashing, environmental concerns, sustainable information collection, and circular consumption. The results augment our theoretical comprehension of how consumers adjust their behaviors and information-seeking habits in response to corporate actions such as greenwashing. These findings resonate with the norm activation theory, suggesting that when consumers perceive a problem, such as greenwashing, it activates personal norms (like environmental concerns), leading to a change in behaviors, such as the collection of sustainable information.

Simultaneously, the study sheds light on the role of consumers’ reactions to greenwashing and their implications for circular consumption intentions. This examination provides a richer understanding of consumer behavior in the context of a circular economy. This relationship can be interpreted through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior, which highlights greenwashing as a significant external influence capable of shaping attitudes—in this case, environmental concerns; molding subjective norms, exhibited as sustainable information collecting; and influencing perceived behavioral control, represented as circular consumption intentions. The study’s findings offer a deeper understanding of the paradoxical scenario where consumers confronted with deceptive environmental claims respond by adopting more sustainable behaviors. The findings illustrate that consumers’ exposure to greenwashing stimulates their awareness and concern about environmental issues and that environmental concerns mediate the effect of greenwashing on circular consumption intention.