Predicting Purchase Behavior of Package-Free Bath Products using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Plastic pollution has become one of the biggest global environmental concerns in the 21st century. Since the growth of plastic production in the 1940s, animals and humans have been suffering from plastic ingestion. As a response, businesses have started to improve their plastic waste management by developing sustainable products that produce minimal waste, such as package-free bath products (e.g., soap and shampoo bars). Using a sample of 630 Filipino college students, this study examined the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting purchase behavior of package-free bath products. A structural equation model using a maximum likelihood method was performed to analyze the data. The results showed that attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted intention to purchase package-free bath products. Furthermore, the results also showed that the intention to purchase package-free bath products and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted purchase behavior of the said item. Implications and limitations of the findings were also discussed.