Stimulating green consumption behaviour

This sub-section reviews how participants stimulate green consumption behaviour in others through informing, reminding and motivating others to uptake greener consumption habits (see Figure 17).

Figure 17: Stimulating techniques

Some participants intentionally inform others about green consumption behaviour.

These participants encourage friends and family members to participate in pro-environmental behaviour through education.

Greta: “My mum used to have a wheelie-bin, and she would put everything in it. Until I told her that she was harming the environment and said „why aren‟t you recycling?‟ And so she does that now which is good - and it‟s cheaper for her too.”

Greta (Case 1) encourages her mother to recycle by explaining the adverse environmental consequences of recycling incorrectly and incentivises pro-environmental action by informing of cost savings. Advising of the additional benefits to being “green” increases other people‟s motivation to adopt green behaviour, as has been shown in other examples (see section 4.4.2.1.3. pp. 107-109).

These findings support other studies, which reveal that adults re-socialise each other by informing others about environmental issues and related consumption behaviour (Gronhoj, 2006).

Meanwhile, Greta‟s partner, Gordon (Case 1) describes how Greta also introduced him to the concept of recycling and therefore changed his waste habits.

Stephanie Hooper 132 Gordon: “Well I guess she was doing things like recycling and that before I sort of got into it. She probably got me doing it. Whereas initially I was quite happy just to throw everything out. But I guess she was aware of supposed issues of the environment before I was.”

Gordon admits that he is not as environmentally aware or concerned as his wife, Greta. This quote from Gordon, also suggests that he is sceptical of “supposed issues” concerned with the environment. Other literature has identified that generally females are more pro-environmental than males (Diamantopoulos, Schlegelmilch, Sinkovics, & Bohlen, 2003; Gronhoj, 2006). While Greta has re-socialised Gordon to adopt greener consumption behaviour through recycling, it is evident that sometimes Gordon encourages Greta to perform green behaviour correctly.

Greta: [Gordon] “might pick up when I might put something in the bin and he will say „ah that should be in the recycling or compost. You know it can go in the compost‟.”

Gordon: “With the vegetable waste that could go into the compost I think maybe I was more keen to do that than Greta was, I think that she was quite happy to throw everything out in the rubbish, but I had to persuade her to put food scraps into a separate container so that I could throw it out on the compost bin.”

These statements reveal that in Greta and Gordon‟s relationship, at times the tables are turned, and the greener household member is reminded by another household member to practice green consumption behaviour. There has been minimal research into male and female roles with regard to green consumption behaviour. However, research by Gronhoj (2006, p. 499) revealed that in households where the practice of composting had been firmly established, was largely due to the effort of the husband.

A subsequent study by Gronhoj and Olander (2007, p. 218) also suggested that there is gender-based inside-outside division of household responsibilities with regard to green consumption behaviour, supposedly due to the distribution of household and consumption roles. In conjunction with an earlier statement from Gordon (see section 4.2. pp. 79-81), the findings of this research contribute to further understanding by

Stephanie Hooper 133 showing the potential cost motivations that drive males to participate in green consumption behaviour, such as recycling and composting of household waste.

Meanwhile, another case describes the motivational influence of household members who stimulate the uptake of green behaviour in another person. Annette (Case 7) has a motivational influence over Anton (Case 7), introducing environmental initiatives to their household. While Anton was interested in these initiatives, Annette is the key driver of their subsequent implementation.

Anton: “I guess one difference might be with the big things that we do, you‟re [Annette] more of a motivator there. I would be less motivated to make the changes that we make, although I am really happy with them once they happen.

So things like the skylight, the skylight might have happened a year or two later if it had of been left up to me. Whereas Annette pushed that along - the same with the solar panels, Annette has also influenced my behaviour in terms of refilling bottles at Common Sense Organic. I think I am much more likely to do it now than I would have been five or ten years ago.”

Annette and Anton are both passionate about environmental issues. However, Anton acknowledges that if he had control over what green practices and products were adopted in the household, then they would not be implemented as quickly or effectively. The findings support research by Gronhoj (2006) who also inferred that the wives or females in the household were generally the initiators of green consumption practices, although spousal agreement on the issue was necessary for the entire household to adopt and continue with the practice. In this case, Annette encourages Anton to adopt greener household systems and practice green behaviour more efficiently and Anton is supportive of these environmental initiatives.

Stephanie Hooper 134

Controlling GCB

Positive and negative reinforcement Emotional strategies

(i.e. nagging)