Why Buy Free? Exploring Perceptions of Bottled Water Consumption and Its Environmental Consequences

Paul W. Ballantine, Lucie K. Ozanne and Rachel Bayfield
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Paul W. Ballantine: UC Business School, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Lucie K. Ozanne: Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, UC Business School, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Rachel Bayfield: Thunder, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 3, 1-11

Abstract: This exploratory study examines the consumption motivations of those consumers who choose to buy bottled water, while at the same time exploring the perceptions they hold about the potential environmental consequences of their actions. Based upon a sample of sixteen participants aged from 19 to 56, our findings revealed five main themes as to why people purchase bottled water, including: (1) Health, comprising the two subthemes of personal health and cleanliness, (2) the bottle, (3) convenience, (4) taste, and (5) self-image. Our findings also highlighted the perceptions held about the environmental consequences of bottled water consumption and the considerable challenges marketers have to address if they are to persuade consumers to consider alternatives to this consumption practice.

Keywords: bottled water; sustainability; sustainable consumption; consumer behaviour; pro-environmental behaviour (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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