ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES FROM GREENWASHING IN THE RECYCLING INDUSTRY: IMPACTS ON ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSUMER TRUST
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/jesm.2025.12Keywords:
Greenwashing, Environmental Crime, Recycling Industry, Ecological Sustainability, Consumer TrustAbstract
This study investigates consumers’ understanding, perception, trust, and decision-making regarding green marketing and greenwashing practices in the recycling industry. A sample of 430 residents in Bangkok was surveyed using structured questionnaires, and the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and correlation analysis. The findings indicate that consumers’ perception and understanding of greenwashing significantly influence both ecosystem sustainability and consumer trust (R = 0.780, R² = 0.608, p < 0.001), as do trust and decision-making in supporting greenwashed products (R = 0.769, R² = 0.591, p < 0.001). Furthermore, correlation analysis reveals positive associations between decision-making and both sustainability and trust (r = 0.742), between perception and both sustainability and trust (r = 0.691), and between perception and decision-making in supporting greenwashed products (r = 0.813), all of which are statistically significant (p < 0.001). Overall, the results confirm that consumer perception and trust are critical mechanisms shaping the credibility of green markets. Transparent information can mitigate the impacts of greenwashing and promote environmentally responsible and sustainable consumption behavior.
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