The plastic bottles that are used for packaging water are harmful to the environment. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of consumers’ environmental concern on both their intention to reduce consumption of water sold in single-use plastic bottles and their actual behaviour. An extended version of the theory of planned behaviour is used as the main theoretical framework. Structural equation modelling is employed based on data gathered in 2020 from 1011 Polish respondents to test the study’s hypotheses. The results support the model, as all tested relations are statistically significant. More specifically, we confirm the indirect impact of environmental concern on both intention and behaviour concerning bottled water consumption (BWC): environmental concern is positively related to attitudes towards reducing BWC, subjective norms regarding reduction in BWC, perceived behavioural control over BWC, and perceived moral obligation to protect natural resources, all of which, in turn, are positively related to intention to reduce BWC. We also prove that intention to reduce BWC is positively related to consumption of non-bottled water. The results may serve to guide decision makers seeking to promote ecologically friendly behaviour.

In this paper, the issue of the deliberate aging of products by manufacturers is discussed. Deliberate aging consists in intentionally planning or designing a product with an artificially limited lifetime in order to force consumers to replace it faster. The resulting rapid acceleration of the cycle of obtaining and utilizing consumer goods has serious consequences in the form of negative externalities. For this reason, the conscious aging of products is now recognized as the cause of unjustified consumption, generating huge economic and social costs and leading to the devastation of the natural environment and excessive exploitation of natural resources. Thus, it is in clear contradiction to the model of sustainable development. The aim of this paper was to identify the purchasing attitudes of buyers in the durable goods market. For its implementation, a pilot questionnaire study, which covered a representative group of 354 respondents, was carried out. The results indicate that the factors that influence the purchase of restitution goods depend on the type of product and the consumer’s income. At the same time, about two thirds of the respondents recognized the problem of the deliberate aging of products. In their opinion, the goods produced in the autarkic economy were more durable and their life cycle was much longer. The results obtained require further empirical verification carried out in comparative studies.

Food choices are complex and highly variable, even over short periods, as they are influenced by numerous psychological, social, and cultural factors, in addition to biological and economic ones. Consumer choices are increasingly complex because of the growing quantity and variety of available food products, which also affects individuals’ environments. This paper is part of a larger study on health-related food choices, and it discusses how food choices affect the environment. To achieve the research goal, classes of respondents that are homogeneous in their food choices were identified. The authors used an algorithm to build classification trees and found that health status is determined by respondents’ age and food consumption habits. The paper demonstrates that understanding individual nutritional choices is a prerequisite for changing consumption habits and shaping healthy behavior, which is in line with the principle of sustainable development through sustainable consumption. The findings are relevant to public health researchers and practitioners who wish to understand the relationship between nutritional practices and health in line with sustainable development.

Background: The implementation of the EU climate and energy policy, along with changes in the legal environment, has led to a significant increase in energy prices in Poland. Consequently, energy expenditures are now a larger part of household budgets. These rising energy costs and the evolving legal landscape are compelling households to invest in energy-saving solutions and modify their energy consumption habits. This article aims to identify the activities of households in Poland regarding the rationalization of energy expenditures. It formulates the following research hypothesis: households invest in energy-saving appliances to rationalize energy expenditures and/or change their behaviors to reduce energy consumption. Methods: The paper is based on primary research conducted using an online questionnaire survey on a sample of 331 respondents in Poland in March and April 2023. Results: A classification tree algorithm was used to identify the level of investment activities and behavioral changes made by households to reduce energy expenditures. The authors found that low-income households and people who fear further energy price increases are the first of all to change their behaviors for more energy-efficient ones. Medium- and high-income households take investment measures. They replace household appliances with more energy-efficient ones and install heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. These investments are motivated by responsible consumption, environmental protection, cleanliness, and the ease of use of the appliances.

The definition of “old” has evolved intensively over the years due to demographic changes, and the ageing population is one of the most frequently discussed issues in recent decades. The profile of the 21^st century senior is completely different from the senior in the second half of the 21st-century senior is completely different from the senior in the second half of the 20th century, not to mention earlier periods in history. As an increasing group of benefactors of human activity, they create demand for products and experiences. The system of goods and services that aims to leverage their purchasing potential and satisfy their consumption needs, including living, health, tourism, cultural, information, and communication needs, has been referred to as the so-called Silver Economy. The book reviews the phenomenon of ageing of the EU’s population over 50. It also presents a multidimensional view of the potential for the development of this group’s economic, social, medical, family, personal and technological demand in the early 21st century. The book analyses the market behaviour of seniors and argues that the Silver Economy will grow in importance and profitability every year in various areas, both public and private. This includes health, finance, employment, leisure and well-being, education, and the use of digital tools. This publication is recommended for policymakers and business players who are considering how to achieve economic development through the growing and changing demand of the ageing population. For the world is now facing a challenge that no community has ever faced before – the coexistence of a long-lived population on the one hand and the growing popularity of digital technologies on the other. Chapter 4 of this book is available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license. The publication was financed by a subsidy for the University of Wroclaw, Funds for the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” program, a subsidy for the University of Bialystok and a grant from the Krakow University of Economics (057/ ZZE/2022/POT). <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

Celem artykułu jest pokazanie, w jaki sposób konsumenci percypują pojęcie zdrowej żywności oraz jakie czynniki mają wpływ na zachowania konsumentów wobec żywności, zwłaszcza ekologicznej i funkcjonalnej, postrzeganych jako produkty o dużej wartości dla zdrowia. Artykuł powstał na podstawie interdyscyplinarnych studiów literaturowych oraz badania jakościowego przeprowadzonego w marcu i kwietniu 2017 roku metodą indywidualnych wywiadów nieustrukturyzowanych na próbie 30 respondentów. Wszyscy respondenci są mieszkańcami Polski (woj. dolnośląskie, małopolskie, podkarpackie, wielkopolskie), wykazywali ponadprzeciętne zaangażowanie w proces nabywania produktów. Z przeprowadzonych badań literaturowych oraz empirycznych można wywnioskować, że konsumenci oczekują od produktów żywnościowych nie tylko walorów smakowych i odżywczych, ale przede wszystkim bezpieczeństwa zdrowotnego. Bezpieczeństwo żywności, troska o zdrowie swoje i rodziny oraz autentyczność stają się coraz bardziej istotnymi kryteriami wyboru produktów żywnościowych. W artykule scharakteryzowano motywy zakupu żywności ekologicznej i funkcjonalnej. Podstawowymi wyznacznikami zachowań konsumentów na rynku zdrowej żywności są czynniki demograficzne, świadomość zdrowotna, motywacje, styl życia, czynniki społeczne, stan zdrowia i percepcja konsumentów. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na żywność ekologiczną i funkcjonalną jako produkty doceniane ze względu na walor zdrowotny.