This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Consumers are more willing to pay for sustainable products if they also perceive them as enjoyable and appealing, according to a study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland. However, environmental friendliness alone does not always translate into willingness to pay.
The study examined how consumers' sustainable consumption values, hedonic attitudes emphasizing enjoyment and utilitarian attitudes emphasizing practical benefits affect their willingness to pay more for sustainable products. "Consumers who value sustainable consumption are more willing to pay a premium, particularly when a product offers positive emotional and user experiences. Enjoyment helps translate sustainability values into actual consumption behavior," says doctoral researcher Jyri Hoffrén of the University of Eastern Finland.
A utilitarian attitude has the opposite effect on willingness to pay. When a product is assessed in terms of price, functionality, efficiency or economic benefits, sustainability values are less likely to translate into willingness to pay a premium. "This finding helps explain the value-behavior gap.
Consumers may consider sustainability important but decide not to buy a product if its price, practicality or perceived benefits fail to meet their expectations." Environmental friendliness alone does not guarantee willingness to pay. A sustainable product must also serve its intended purpose and appeal to consumers. Environmental claims and the product's functional and experiential attributes should reinforce one another.
"Companies should consider sustainability as part of a product's overall value. If product marketing emphasizes enjoyment without genuine experiential benefits, it may lose credibility. For utilitarian products, consumers are also quick to scrutinize whether the environmental benefits are genuine," Hoffrén says.
The findings also have important implications for greenwashing: Emotionally appealing environmental marketing can persuade consumers without sufficient evidence, while inconsistencies between product attributes and environmental claims can increase distrust. The research, published in Forest Policy and Economics, comprised three studies. They examined whether the associations remained stable over time and compared a wood-based bioplastic bottle, a T-shirt and biofuel.
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