How Do Consumers React to Production Waste?
研究了消费者对生产浪费的反应，发现消费者对资源使用浪费的敏感度低于废物处置浪费，因为前者感知的环境危害更小；当资源稀缺性或长期导向增强时，这种差异会减弱。
Abstract Production waste, or inefficiencies in product manufacturing, is a major contributor to environmental problems. Consider production waste in garment manufacturing—which has been criticized for wasteful use of natural resources (e.g., using excessive water and fabric) and wasteful disposal of resource residuals (e.g., discarding excessive wastewater and fabric scraps). The present research examines consumer reactions to production waste and its mitigation as a function of whether it is characterized in terms of resource use versus disposal. A series of seven studies (including field and secondary data) finds that (i) consumers are less sensitive to wasteful resource use than disposal due to lower perceptions of environmental harm; (ii) likewise, consumers are less sensitive to waste mitigation targeting resource use than disposal due to lower perceptions of environmental benefit; and (iii) these waste reaction differences are attenuated when resource scarcity or long-term orientation is heightened (which increases consumer sensitivity to resource use). Together, this research sheds light on how, why, and when consumers are averse to production waste, while providing guidance regarding interventions focused on fighting production waste and promoting sustainability.