Study of Consumer Green Behavior among Students
Susanti Kurniawati, Agus Rahayu, Disman Disman and Nana Supriatna
Social Studies Department on School of Post-Graduate Studies, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Indonesia
Keywords: consumer, green, behavior, attitude, intention.
Abstract: Background of this research is increasing of environmental damage caused by unfriendly behavior
consumer when consume goods and services. This research was focused on internal factors that might
influence on green consumer behavior. So, the purpose of research is finding out the influence of
attitude on Green Consumer Behavior and knowing if intention toward behavior mediates between
attitude and green consumer behavior. Data was collected through cross sectional survey from 825
Green School students in Bandung by distributing questionnaires and interviews. This is
quantitative research which path analysis was used to analyze data. The research finding confirmed
states that attitudes can affect behavior directly or indirectly by the intention. The results of this
study can be used as a basis in the formulation of curriculum, teaching materials, methods and
learning techniques aimed at applying green consumer behavior at school and home in daily
activities
.
1 INTRODUCTION
The environmental damage is increasingly getting
severe, leading to great disaster like floods,
garbage accumulations, diseases, pollution, and
other environmental damage. This is often the
case in large densely populated cities with
unsustainable behavior. This is indicated by
previous research in Bandung that 61.36% of
urban residents tend to throw garbage into rivers
(Ghasani: 2015), not separate organic and non-
organic waste (87%), not able to do waste
processing themselves (69%), and do not carry
eco-friendly bags when shopping (76%) (Pratiwi
and Chandra: 2014). This environmentally
unfriendly behavior will be passed to the children
in their role as student, both at the home and the
school environments. The formation of eco-
friendly behaviors of students should be done
early, so that the behavior can be carried over into
adulthood. Thus, they can become members of an
eco-friendly society. However, unfriendly
behavior is mostly done by students.
Based on the preliminary survey, it was found
that 75% of students use unnecessary lighting
during the day, 86% do not turn off mobile phone
chargers, computers, and other re-charge
equipment even when they have been fully
charged. They also do not turn off electronic
equipment that is not in use, including television
(95%), laptop (72%), and forgot to turn off the tap
water (65%). Based on previous researches and
surveys, the behavior of the community in the role
of consumers is currently not friendly to the
environment. Community behavior as
environment-friendly consumer is known as
consumer green behavior. Researches on green
consumer behavior are very important to realize
eco-friendly consumers, thus creating healthy
consumers and environment.
Improving the green consumer behavior, based
on previous researches, it is necessary to develop
a caring attitude toward the environment, social
influence, and self-image (Lasuin & Ching: 2014).
In addition, internal factors (attitudes, awareness,
and involvement in environmental activities) and
external factors (media, family, and culture) are
needed (Larson and Khan: 2012). Agyman stated
that the factors that influence the buying behavior
of green products are price (36.5%), environment
concern (16.5%), quality (17%), and brand name
(18%). Attitude implemented into behavior,
whether intention was formed in ones psychology
was supported many researcher. Such as Shabani
(2013), Wu and Chen (2014) who stated that
732
Kurniawati, S., Rahayu, A., Disman, D. and Supriatna, N.
Study of Consumer Green Behavior among Students.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (ICEEE 2017), pages 732-735
ISBN: 978-989-758-308-7
Copyright © 2017 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

behavior (purchasing green product), was
influenced by attitude, demographics condition,
subjective norms and perceived control behavior
which mediated by intention toward behavior.
Most of previous research stated attitude which
was influences by knowledge, awareness,
consciousness, belief, ecological concern and
environmental long orientation influenced
behavior that mediated by intention.
The difference of this research with previous
research is that in previous research, green
consumer behavior is only measured from the
buying behavior. In this research, green consumer
behavior includes buying behavior, product usage
behavior, and after consumption behavior or
waste management behavior. This study is based
on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Azjen:
1991). It is similar to previous researches
conducted by Sarumanthy (2014), Ing & Chan
(2014), Huei & Howard (2010), Chio & Shen,
(1998) Man, Wu, Liu (2015). The research uses
attitude, intention, subjective norms, and
behavioral control variables that influence
behavior formation. However, this study did not
use them because the purpose of this study is to
know the cognitive and emotional assessments of
students that are summarized in the attitude of
students. Thus, this study only involves attitudes
and intentions that affect behavior. Like previous
research and in accordance with the theory of
planned behavior, intention is a variable that
mediates the effect of attitudes on behavior. Thus
the question of this research is how the direct and
indirect influence of attitudes toward behavior
through intention. Based on previous researches
and theoretical support, the temporary answer is
that there is a direct and indirect influence of
attitudes toward behavior and the indirect effect
of attitudes toward behavior through intention.
2 METHODS
The research method used is cross sectional
survey method, involving 825 students of green
school in Bandung by distributing questionnaires
and interviews. It also observed behavior,
intention, and attitude as environment friendly
consumer. Furthermore, the data is processed by
descriptive statistic analysis to find out the
average behavior and behavior of most students.
In addition, the data processing also performed
verification to test the hypothesis, by using path
analysis, hypothesis testing the direct influence of
attitudes toward behavior and the direct influence
of intention to the behavior used the t test, while
the indirect effect of attitudes toward the behavior
mediated by the intention was done by the sobel
test. Furthermore, the statistical test results are
interpreted to answer the research questions.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of this study include description of
attitudes, intentions, and behavior of eco-friendly
consumer students, the results of hypothesis
testing and the implications of the study. A
description of attitudes toward eco-friendly
consumer behavior of students is indicated by
cognitive assessment and feelings that students
feel as consumers when they behave in an eco-
friendly manner. The results showed that the
average learner is positive and feels meaningful if
they can save energy and dispose of waste in
place. Students tend to be less positive and feel
excessive when using eco-friendly bags. This
shows that energy saving is a behavior that must
be done, because it is considered to have a great
impact both for yourself and the environment.
The description of the learner's intentions is
shown by the willingness to behave in an eco-
friendly way, suggesting behavior, and motivation
to behave as an eco-friendly consumer. Based on
the results of the research, the willingness to
behave eco-friendly indicates the willingness to
save energy use. In other hand, the students are
weak in terms of not willing to use eco-friendly
bags and avoid Styrofoam packaging products.
This is due to the behavior of traders who have
packaged products with Styrofoam so that
consumers do not have other options. In terms of
behaviors suggesting eco-friendly behaviors,
students tend to advise people closest to conserve
energy and water use and are less likely to suggest
shopping by using eco-friendly bags and choosing
non-Styrofoam food packages.
The description of consumer-friendly behavior
among students tends to be low, which includes
buying behavior that does not pay attention to
product recycling symbols on plastic packaging
products, using eco-friendly bags, and cannot
avoid buying Styrofoam-packed products. In this
case, students do not know the meaning of
symbols in the product and assume that the
symbol of recycling is not something that is
important because its actions that prioritize to
consume products with eco-friendly packaging
Study of Consumer Green Behavior among Students
733

have a very low contribution to overcome
environmental problems. Similarly, for the
behavior of the use of products in an eco-friendly
way, in average, students in the medium range
tend to be low. It is especially on the behavior of
not turning off electronic devices when they are
not in use. Students’ behavior of waste
management of is still very low. Students do not
have the skills in recycling waste.
The results of hypothesis testing states that
attitudes can affect behavior directly or indirectly
by the intention. The influence of attitudes
through intention is stronger in affecting behavior
than the direct influence of attitudes toward
behavior. This is due to the intention of
strengthening the cognitive and emotional
assessment of students. When someone has
positive judgments and feelings, as well as the
motivation, states willingness, and suggests to
others to behave, then the one will be more likely
to do the action, rather than the one who has only
judgment.
The results of this study can be used as a basis
in the formulation of curriculum, teaching
materials, methods and learning techniques aimed
at applying green consumer behavior at school
and home in daily activities. In this case, the
formation of behavior begins with the formation
of attitudes or positive judgments about eco-
friendly behavior through learning about the
benefits of eco-friendly consumption for personal
and environmental health. Furthermore, the
intention of students is formed by providing
structured tasks and practices in daily activities
related to eco-friendly behavior. In this way,
students are expected to be motivated, willing,
and able to suggest to others to behave eco-
friendly.
To make the behavior more meaningful and
become a habit, in schooled learning, this eco-
friendly consumer behavior can be inserted into
each subject and designed in the day-to-day
activities of the learner. In home environment,
eco-friendly attitude is shaped by providing
advice and examples of eco-friendly behaviors in
everyday life by family members.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The result of this study reveal that of consumer
green behavior among students was low; when
purchasing, students difficult avoid using Styrofoam
warped product, when using energy/fuel and fresh
water, students preference didn’t save the fresh
water and after use behavior was showed by the
lower ability on processing the waste. Both intention
and attitude toward green behavior among students
was middle and tend to be low and there is a
significant attitude toward the green consumer
behavior either directly or mediated by intention
Developing green consumer behavior among
students should start from build student’s attitude.
One of the best effort to build an attitude was from
teaching and learning activities in the school.
Besides that, the implication of green consumer
green behavior could start from school’s curriculum
which implemented into norms, rules, school habit
& culture and subject matter which related to green
behavior. From school, we wish, the young
generation could implement their good habit could
implement at home and community.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful to the Social Studies Department on School
of Post-Graduate Studies of Indonesia University of
Education which have given support to the writing
of this manuscript. Thanks to all dissertation
supervisor who has supported various research and
thoughts on green consumer behavior.
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