Does a Paradoxical Frame Encourage Green Behavior in Consumers?

Green consumption presents a unique challenge: While it advocates for environmental protection through purchasing choices and consumption habits, it can also create a psychological tension by merging two long-standing sociocultural opposites, namely, consumption and environmental stewardship. Leveraging the paradox theory, we investigate whether the ability to navigate such a tension predicts green consumption. Our framework underwent testing in two studies. Study 1 scrutinizes Italian respondents (n = 1029), while Study 2 replicates the framework on a larger scale across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland (n = 5124), focusing on clothing. Both studies reveal that consumers capable of grappling with such a tension are more likely to engage in green consumption, including sharing and purchasing second-hand, responsible use and disposal, and repairing. By introducing a new cognitive frame for green consumption that accommodates the plurality of goals and quantifying its impact, this research unveils the power of embracing tensions in consumption for the benefit of the planet.