Title: Whose attitudes turn into action? Segmenting consumers based on their zero waste attitudes, intentions, and behaviours

Authors: Euodia Isabella Botha; Melanie Wiese; Michael Humbani

Addresses: University of Pretoria, Cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa ' University of Pretoria, Cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa ' University of Pretoria, Cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield, 0028, South Africa

Abstract: Working towards the United Nations' sustainable development goals is crucial from an environmental and economic perspective. The issue of sustainable consumption is critical owing to its significant impact on climate change and the valuable economic opportunities it presents. Understanding the different consumer groups taking part in zero waste behaviours and the extent to which they already engage in these behaviours could assist governments and firms in developing more effective strategies to promote a zero waste lifestyle. Therefore, this study aimed to segment South African consumers based on their zero waste behaviours (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot), attitudes and intentions. From a sample of 486 South Africans, applying the analytical hierarchy process and a two-step cluster analysis revealed three clusters of consumers: zero waste rookies, zero waste intermediates, and zero wasters.

Keywords: zero waste; ZW; analytical hierarchy process; cluster analysis; segmentation; transformative consumer research; TCR; sustainable development goals; SDGs; theory of planned behaviour; TPB; reduce; reuse; refuse; rot; recycle.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2026.152843

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2026 Vol.25 No.2, pp.185 - 214

Received: 01 Oct 2024
Accepted: 11 Nov 2025
Published online: 13 Apr 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article