Sustainable packaging practices of local coffee shops and its influence on customer behavior

Abstract

With the rise of emerging coffee shops in the industry, the aspect of sustainability in packaging is often overlooked. Among the myriad choices available to customers, it remains unclear whether their patronage is driven by businesses' sustainable packaging practices or other factors. This study aimed to explore how sustainability impacts customer behavior and to identify gaps in this relatively unexplored area, focusing on the interplay between sustainable packaging practices and customer actions. A total of 100 customers across Iloilo City participated in this study, selected through quota sampling based on age, sex, occupation, educational attainment, and monthly income. Descriptive statistics, such as frequency counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations, were employed to assess sustainable packaging practices—reusing, reducing, and recycling—and customer behavior in obtaining, consuming, and disposing. The Mann-Whitney U Test was applied to determine significant differences in these variables across demographic groups. The majority of respondents are female, self-employed or unemployed, tertiary-educated, and earning below Php 25,000 per month. Results revealed that the sustainable packaging practices of local coffee shops significantly influenced customer behavior, highlighting the interconnectedness of these factors. This study contributes to understanding the role of sustainability in shaping consumer preferences and actions within the coffee shop industry.