Open access
Date
2021-01-13Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
In a so-called overpopulated world, sustainable consumption is of existential importance. However, the expanding spectrum of product choices and their production complexity challenge consumers to make informed and value-sensitive decisions. Recent approaches based on (personalized) psychological manipulation are often intransparent, potentially privacy-invasive and inconsistent with (informational) self-determination. By contrast, responsible consumption based on informed choices currently requires reasoning to an extent that tends to overwhelm human cognitive capacity. As a result, a collective shift towards sustainable consumption remains a grand challenge. Here, we demonstrate a novel personal shopping assistant implemented as a smart phone app that supports a value-sensitive design and leverages sustainability awareness, using experts' knowledge and 'wisdom of the crowd' for transparent product information and explainable product ratings. Real-world field experiments in two supermarkets confirm higher sustainability awareness and a bottom-up behavioural shift towards more sustainable consumption. These results encourage novel business models for retailers and producers, ethically aligned with consumer preferences and with higher sustainability. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000468867Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Royal Society Open ScienceVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Royal SocietySubject
sustainable consumption; value-sensitive design; attitude-behaviour-gapFunding
688364 - Instant Gratification for Collective Awareness and Sustainable Consumerism (SBFI)
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