Variables and statements
| Variables adopted in the study | Source | Statements | Reasons for selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food purchases and waste reduction (F) | Habib et al. (2023) | F1. I take/plan to take action to reduce food waste in my household | The perceived values of consumers positively affect their attitude towards reducing food waste, which is significantly associated with their intentions to reduce food waste |
| Wrap (2023) | F2. I intend to limit food purchases to minimise food waste in my household | The Food Waste Tracking Survey 2022 collected evidence on attitudes, knowledge and food waste behaviour, providing information on the actions taken to reduce food waste | |
| Wrap (2020) | F3. I intend to share food more often with others to reduce waste | The Food Waste Trends Survey 2019 by WRAP tracks food waste attitudes, knowledge and behaviour, highlighting intentions to limit food purchases to minimise waste | |
| OzHarvest (2021) | F4. I plan to reduce meat consumption | Behaviours that reduce food waste in households include sharing food with others | |
| Schäufele-Elbers and Janssen (2023) | F5. I intend to buy more local food products | Consumers who reduced meat consumption, providing insight into this behaviour | |
| O’Neill et al. (2023) | F6. I plan to reduce the consumption of food products originating from distant countries | Generation Z intends to reduce the consumption of food products originating in distant countries as part of socially responsible food behaviours | |
| Co-housing (M) | Ruokamo (2024) | M1. I would be willing to live in a place where some parts of the building (e.g., drying room, children’s playroom, workspace, attic) are shared with other residents | Generation Z is interested in sharing space in private housing to reduce carbon emissions and participate in shared activities |
| Cavagnaro et al. (2018) | M2. I would like to move into a multifamily building co-built with a group of friends, where certain parts are shared | Generation Z prefer customised and shared living experiences, which could translate into co-built living arrangements with friends | |
| Mellner (2021) | M3. I would like to live in the future with my friends in a specially designed flat or building | Generation Z lives with their friends in a shared apartment to share the community and sustainability spirit | |
| Malberg Dyg et al. (2020) | M4. I would be willing to cultivate a shared vegetable or flower garden with neighbours on my block or on a residential estate | Participation in community gardens can positively impact physical health and social connectivity, which could appeal to Generation Z interested in communal gardening | |
| New furniture purchases reduction (ME) | Varpa et al. (2024) | ME1. I plan to buy fewer new furniture items in the future | Generation Z consumers appreciate the aesthetics of interior design, as well as inherited and recycled items in their homemaking |
| EEB (2017) | ME2. I maintain/plan to maintain furniture to extend its useful life | Generation Z consumers are planning to maintain furniture | |
| EUSC (2022) | ME3. I would like to purchase furniture that allows for rearrangement or modification | The European furniture industry is known for its innovation, particularly in product design, suggesting a market for customised furniture that meets Generation Z’s needs for adaptability | |
| Varpa et al. (2024) | ME4. I am willing to furnish my home with used furniture | Generation Z consumers are willing to furnish their homes with second-hand furniture | |
| EEB (2017) | ME5. I would like to buy more furniture made of recycled materials | The potential of the furniture sector to promote circular economy practices, including the use of recycled materials, appeals to environmentally conscious consumers | |
| Utility consumption reduction (MED) | Grzyb and Wawrzala (2023) | MED1. I plan to reduce my water consumption at home | Generation Z consumers are planning to reduce their water consumption at home |
| Jaska (2022) | MED2. I plan to reduce my electricity consumption at home | Generation Z uses more mobile applications to reduce their energy consumption at home | |
| Boogen and Winzer (2025) | MED3. I am willing to slightly lower the temperature at my home during winter | Willingness to turn down their heat pump when faced with extremely high electricity prices that could be expected during future electricity shortages | |
| Extending the lifespan of equipment (S) | Šostar and Ristanović (2024) | S1. It is very important to me that the equipment that I buy is durable | The durability of the product is a significant factor that influences consumer preferences for socially responsible products |
| Roskladka et al. (2025) | S2. I choose home equipment that can be repaired | Consumer movements advocating for the “right to repair” are supported by environmental policies like the EU CEAP | |
| Mason et al. (2022) | S3. I plan to reduce the frequency of buying new smartphones | Generation Z consumers are addicted to smartphones and purchase new smartphones impulsively | |
| Transport restrictions (T) | Konietzka and Neugebauer (2023) | T1. I am willing to forgo owning or planning to own a car | Generation Z is increasingly moving away from traditional car ownership and less frequently and opts for bicycles more often compared to previous generations |
| Konietzka and Neugebauer (2023) | T2. I am willing to reduce car usage in favour of traveling by public transport | Generation Z is increasingly moving away from traditional car ownership and less frequently and opts for bicycles more often compared to previous generations | |
| Owen and Büchs (2024) | T3. I am willing to reduce car usage in favour of cycling, using a scooter or walking | Generation Z has smaller carbon footprints compared to the generation before them at a similar stage in life in transportation | |
| Rossmanek and Chen (2023) | T4. I am willing to forgo owning or planning to own private transport in favour of using shared vehicles | Recent studies suggest that Generation Z in Europe is increasingly open to renegotiating private car ownership in favour of shared mobility options | |
| Travel restrictions (P) | Prandner and Hasengruber (2025) | P1. I am willing to limit air travel to reduce my personal carbon footprint | Generation Z has a growing demand for action among student organisations that advocate for sustainability |
| Bassi and Martín (2024) | P2. I plan to spend my holidays in destinations that can be reached without flying | Generation Z changed their travel and tourism habits towards a socially responsible behaviour | |
| Hansmann and Binder (2019) | P3. For environmental reasons, I am willing to reduce my travel | Generation Z in Europe exhibits higher pro-environmental attitudes compared to Generation X | |
| New clothing purchases reduction (O) | Masserini et al. (2024) | O1. I plan to buy less clothing than I currently do | Generation Z consumers are more inclined towards sustainable or ethical purchases compared to other segments of the population |
| Johnstone and Lindh (2022) | O2. I extend/plan to extend the lifespan of shoes and clothing through careful maintenance | Generation Z promotes socially responsible behaviours, including clothing repair and maintenance | |
| Šimek and Sadílek (2024) | |||
| Johnstone and Lindh (2022) | O3. I plan to repair clothing more often (self- or with the help of a tailor) | Social influences and environmental awareness play an important role in shaping your clothing consumption behaviours, including the propensity to repair and maintain clothing | |
| Falke et al. (2022) | O4. I would like to buy more recycled clothing | Generation Z who exhibits frugality and a future-oriented mindset is more inclined to engage in green consumption behaviours, including the purchase of recycled clothing | |
| Šimek and Sadílek (2024) | O5. I purchase/am willing to purchase second-hand clothing | Generation Z has a greater interest in acting sustainably and buying second-hand clothing | |
| Intention to reduce consumption (RED) | Ziesmer (2021) | RED1. I would like to buy fewer new things out of concern for the environment | Reducing consumption levels among materially rich individuals, including Generation Z, is emerging as a strategy for socially responsible behaviour |
| Wilson and Bellezza (2022) | RED2. I would like to have fewer things than I currently own | Generation Z prefers to own few possessions, a sparse aesthetic and thoughtfully curated consumption | |
| Seegebarth (2016) | RED3. I plan to buy fewer items of all kinds to reduce my material footprint (carbon and water) | Anti-consumption lifestyles, involving purchasing fewer products, can enhance consumer well-being and contribute to environmental sustainability |
| Variables adopted in the study | Source | Statements | Reasons for selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1. I take/plan to take action to reduce food waste in my household | The perceived values of consumers positively affect their attitude towards reducing food waste, which is significantly associated with their intentions to reduce food waste | ||
| F2. I intend to limit food purchases to minimise food waste in my household | The Food Waste Tracking Survey 2022 collected evidence on attitudes, knowledge and food waste behaviour, providing information on the actions taken to reduce food waste | ||
| F3. I intend to share food more often with others to reduce waste | The Food Waste Trends Survey 2019 by | ||
| F4. I plan to reduce meat consumption | Behaviours that reduce food waste in households include sharing food with others | ||
| F5. I intend to buy more local food products | Consumers who reduced meat consumption, providing insight into this behaviour | ||
| F6. I plan to reduce the consumption of food products originating from distant countries | Generation Z intends to reduce the consumption of food products originating in distant countries as part of socially responsible food behaviours | ||
| M1. I would be willing to live in a place where some parts of the building (e.g., drying room, children’s playroom, workspace, attic) are shared with other residents | Generation Z is interested in sharing space in private housing to reduce carbon emissions and participate in shared activities | ||
| M2. I would like to move into a multifamily building co-built with a group of friends, where certain parts are shared | Generation Z prefer customised and shared living experiences, which could translate into co-built living arrangements with friends | ||
| M3. I would like to live in the future with my friends in a specially designed flat or building | Generation Z lives with their friends in a shared apartment to share the community and sustainability spirit | ||
| M4. I would be willing to cultivate a shared vegetable or flower garden with neighbours on my block or on a residential estate | Participation in community gardens can positively impact physical health and social connectivity, which could appeal to Generation Z interested in communal gardening | ||
| ME1. I plan to buy fewer new furniture items in the future | Generation Z consumers appreciate the aesthetics of interior design, as well as inherited and recycled items in their homemaking | ||
| ME2. I maintain/plan to maintain furniture to extend its useful life | Generation Z consumers are planning to maintain furniture | ||
| ME3. I would like to purchase furniture that allows for rearrangement or modification | The European furniture industry is known for its innovation, particularly in product design, suggesting a market for customised furniture that meets Generation Z’s needs for adaptability | ||
| ME4. I am willing to furnish my home with used furniture | Generation Z consumers are willing to furnish their homes with second-hand furniture | ||
| ME5. I would like to buy more furniture made of recycled materials | The potential of the furniture sector to promote circular economy practices, including the use of recycled materials, appeals to environmentally conscious consumers | ||
| MED1. I plan to reduce my water consumption at home | Generation Z consumers are planning to reduce their water consumption at home | ||
| MED2. I plan to reduce my electricity consumption at home | Generation Z uses more mobile applications to reduce their energy consumption at home | ||
| MED3. I am willing to slightly lower the temperature at my home during winter | Willingness to turn down their heat pump when faced with extremely high electricity prices that could be expected during future electricity shortages | ||
| S1. It is very important to me that the equipment that I buy is durable | The durability of the product is a significant factor that influences consumer preferences for socially responsible products | ||
| S2. I choose home equipment that can be repaired | Consumer movements advocating for the “right to repair” are supported by environmental policies like the | ||
| S3. I plan to reduce the frequency of buying new smartphones | Generation Z consumers are addicted to smartphones and purchase new smartphones impulsively | ||
| T1. I am willing to forgo owning or planning to own a car | Generation Z is increasingly moving away from traditional car ownership and less frequently and opts for bicycles more often compared to previous generations | ||
| T2. I am willing to reduce car usage in favour of traveling by public transport | Generation Z is increasingly moving away from traditional car ownership and less frequently and opts for bicycles more often compared to previous generations | ||
| T3. I am willing to reduce car usage in favour of cycling, using a scooter or walking | Generation Z has smaller carbon footprints compared to the generation before them at a similar stage in life in transportation | ||
| T4. I am willing to forgo owning or planning to own private transport in favour of using shared vehicles | Recent studies suggest that Generation Z in Europe is increasingly open to renegotiating private car ownership in favour of shared mobility options | ||
| P1. I am willing to limit air travel to reduce my personal carbon footprint | Generation Z has a growing demand for action among student organisations that advocate for sustainability | ||
| P2. I plan to spend my holidays in destinations that can be reached without flying | Generation Z changed their travel and tourism habits towards a socially responsible behaviour | ||
| P3. For environmental reasons, I am willing to reduce my travel | Generation Z in Europe exhibits higher pro-environmental attitudes compared to Generation X | ||
| O1. I plan to buy less clothing than I currently do | Generation Z consumers are more inclined towards sustainable or ethical purchases compared to other segments of the population | ||
| O2. I extend/plan to extend the lifespan of shoes and clothing through careful maintenance | Generation Z promotes socially responsible behaviours, including clothing repair and maintenance | ||
| O3. I plan to repair clothing more often (self- or with the help of a tailor) | Social influences and environmental awareness play an important role in shaping your clothing consumption behaviours, including the propensity to repair and maintain clothing | ||
| O4. I would like to buy more recycled clothing | Generation Z who exhibits frugality and a future-oriented mindset is more inclined to engage in green consumption behaviours, including the purchase of recycled clothing | ||
| O5. I purchase/am willing to purchase second-hand clothing | Generation Z has a greater interest in acting sustainably and buying second-hand clothing | ||
| RED1. I would like to buy fewer new things out of concern for the environment | Reducing consumption levels among materially rich individuals, including Generation Z, is emerging as a strategy for socially responsible behaviour | ||
| RED2. I would like to have fewer things than I currently own | Generation Z prefers to own few possessions, a sparse aesthetic and thoughtfully curated consumption | ||
| RED3. I plan to buy fewer items of all kinds to reduce my material footprint (carbon and water) | Anti-consumption lifestyles, involving purchasing fewer products, can enhance consumer well-being and contribute to environmental sustainability |
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