Consumer Acceptance of Reusable Tableware in Response to Environmental Regulation: Evidence from France and the US

Gisele de Campos Ribeiro (), Daniel Maar () and Edouard Vinçotte ()
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Gisele de Campos Ribeiro: Paris School of Business
Daniel Maar: Paris School of Business
Edouard Vinçotte: EDC Paris Business School

Journal of Consumer Policy, 2025, vol. 48, issue 4, No 9, 603-634

Abstract: Abstract The environmental impact of single-use food packaging is a growing concern for policymakers worldwide. In January 2023, the French government introduced a regulation requiring restaurants that can serve at least 20 customers simultaneously to use reusable tableware for onsite dining. The success of such interventions depends on consumer acceptance, particularly in fast-food restaurants where convenience and habit dominate. This study investigates consumer responses to reusable tableware in France and the US using a comparative mixed-method approach, with McDonald’s as the focal context. The findings reveal that reusable tableware acceptance is influenced not only by consumers’ pro-environmental behaviour but also by how reusable tableware shapes their perceptions of societal consumption consequences and personal consumption experience. Furthermore, the results suggest that fast-food retailers can leverage a positive CSR image to support the transition toward reusable tableware. Before gaining firsthand experience, a positive CSR image fosters anticipated acceptance of reusable tableware among less pro-environmental consumers. After gaining firsthand experience, a positive CSR image enhances the personal consumption experience of more pro-environmental consumers, ultimately driving their acceptance of reusable tableware.

Keywords: Corporate social responsibility (CSR); Environmental regulation; Fast-food industry; Mixed-methods approach; Pro-environmental behaviour; Reusable tableware acceptance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10603-025-09603-3

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