The more companies lie, the more consumers seek truth – this drives circular consumption

This study enriches the existing literature by linking the concepts of greenwashing, environmental concerns, sustainable information seeking, and circular consumption. This paper makes four main contributions. First, the results advance the theoretical understanding of how consumers adjust their information-seeking behaviors and practices in response to corporate actions such as greenwashing. These results theoretically fit into the normactivation theory, since when consumers detect a problem, as in the case of greenwashing, it activates personal norms, such as environmental concerns, that influence their behavior, namely, in the search for pro-sustainable information. In addition, according to the planned behavior theory, greenwashing can be identified as an external influence with a significant impact that can transform consumer attitudes (environmental concerns) and subjective norms through the collection of pro-sustainable information influencing intentions of circular consumption that are nothing more than the perception of behavioral control. Second, the study sheds light on consumers’ responses to greenwashing behavior and its impact on circular consumption intentions. Third, the results further reveal the paradox that consumers adopt more sustainable behaviors when faced with misleading environmental claims. Finally, it is emphasized that consumers respond to perceived greenwashing by seeking more reliable information about sustainability. Thus, for companies/managers, this study demonstrates the importance of effective and sincere customer engagement with sustainable practices promoted by companies. To this end, companies must communicate these sustainable practices transparently, precisely, authentically, and generally understandably and adjust their offer to genuinely sustainable products and services. In addition, the government must impose norms for communicating pro-sustainable information on products and services, forcing companies to transmit the information consumers want to collect.