When hotels replace single-use toiletries with refillable dispensers, or companies strip unnecessary items from product bundles to cut waste, they may expect consumers to hail these changes as environmentally responsible.
However, a new study has identified what the authors call 'sustainable additive bias' - a tendency for consumers to view businesses as more sustainable when they add eco-friendly items rather than remove them, even when removal leads to lower waste and a smaller environmental footprint.
However, a new study has identified what the authors call 'sustainable additive bias' - a tendency for consumers to view businesses as more sustainable when they add eco-friendly items rather than remove them, even when removal leads to lower waste and a smaller environmental footprint.
Professor Giampaolo Viglia, from the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Portsmouth, said: "Consumers tend to notice what companies add, rather than what they take away. A new eco-friendly product gives people something tangible to judge, whereas removing unnecessary items can be harder to recognise as a positive environmental choice."
Consumers tend to notice what companies add, rather than what they take away. A new eco-friendly product gives people something tangible to judge, whereas removing unnecessary items can be harder to recognise as a positive environmental choice.
Professor Giampaolo Viglia, Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Portsmouth
The studies examined consumer perceptions across hotels, consumer products, conferences, festivals and trade shows. In a hotel experiment involving 302 guests, rooms with a larger selection of eco-friendly amenities were rated as more sustainable than those with fewer items.
The researchers found this was partly because consumers interpreted additional green features such as reusable bottles, organic toiletries and sustainable gift items as evidence that a company was making a greater effort to protect the environment. By contrast, removing products offered fewer visible signals of commitment, even when the decision was intended to reduce waste.
The study also found that the bias could be reduced by clearly communicating the reasons for removing products and retaining recognisable sustainability features, such as refillable bottles, which help consumers identify an offering as environmentally friendly.
Professor Viglia added: "Businesses need to explain the environmental benefits of providing less, whether that means cutting unnecessary packaging, removing products that customers do not need, or replacing multiple disposable items with a reusable alternative. Otherwise, companies that prevent waste may receive less credit than those that simply add another green feature.
Recognising the value of doing less could help businesses and consumers focus more on preventing waste and conserving resources.
Professor Viglia , University of Portsmouth
"Recognising the value of doing less could help businesses and consumers focus more on preventing waste and conserving resources."
The findings could have implications for businesses and policymakers seeking to encourage more sustainable consumption. If consumers place greater value on visible eco-friendly additions, companies may feel pressure to keep introducing products rather than prioritising waste prevention and resource efficiency.
The study highlights the importance of looking beyond the number of eco-friendly features a product or service offers and considering the environmental impact of the whole offering.
