Sustainable Consumption Behaviors of Different Generations: A Qualitative Research

The current study aims to explore consumers' sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) patterns within the framework of 7Rs, namely Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Respect, Rethink, Reflect, and Redistribute. Also, the study examined whether SCBs vary among Baby Boomers, Gen-Xs, Gen-Ys, and Gen-Zs. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with 96 individuals, 24 representing each generation. The data were analyzed using Content Analysis. The analysis results verified the major themes of the 7Rs and revealed related sub-themes. Besides, a novel theme was unveiled and labeled as “Reproduce” as the 8th R, which is also verified for all generations. By investigating the sub-themes of the 8Rs, remarkable intergenerational differences were discovered. This research highlights the variety of understandings underpinning the SCBs among different generations and contributes to the existing literature by expanding the SCBs framework to the 8Rs with a more comprehensive qualitative approach focusing on highly diversified types of sustainable behaviors.