Circular Consumption Scale Development Study

Abstract

Purpose – Few studies focus on consumer acceptance of the circular economy in the literature. However, consumer behaviour plays a crucial role in achieving the change required by moving away from the unsustainable linear economy. This research aims to develop a circular consumption scale, whose validity and reliability have been proven by testing the item pool created by examining consumer behaviour in the circular economy with Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Design/methodology/approach – EFA was performed on two separate samples, and CFA was performed on a new sample. In the analyses, SPSS was used for EFA, and AMOS was used for CFA. Findings: The definition of circular consumption developed within the scope of the research aims to optimize resource use, focuses on alternatives to increase the intensity of use of existing products in circulation, and demonstrates behaviours that will recycle end-of-life products by recycling them. As a result of the analysis, a 25-item structure with six factors was identified. The circular consumption behaviours identified as a result of the research consist of six behaviours: reducing consumption, preference for environmentally friendly consumption, maintenance, and protection behaviour, meeting needs with solutions that increase product usage intensity, recycling, and upcycling. Discussion – There is no scale in the literature specific to consumer behaviour in the circular economy. However, although the findings of the research are compatible with exploratory studies in the literature (Balıkçıoğlu and Kanlıtepe, 2022; Maitre-Ekern and Dalhammar, 2019), maintaining the cycle emerged as two separate factors: recycling and upcycling.