Intergenerational differences in the environmental concerns of plastic waste business owners: environmental knowledge, environmental risk exposure, and community connection as mediators

Abstract

Promoting environmental concern among plastic waste entrepreneurs is a crucial step towards addressing the issue of plastic pollution effectively. To comprehend the techniques for enhancing environmental responsibility within this demographic, it is essential to examine the intergenerational shifts in environmental attitudes, which can provide valuable insights. This study investigates the intergenerational differences in two types of environmental concerns (i.e., ecological worldview and local environmental issue concern) by taking two generations of plastic waste business owners in Wuzhen Town, China, as a case. The roles of post-materialistic values, environmental knowledge, environmental risk exposure via new media, and community connection in mediating the relationships between generation and environmental concern were also examined in light of the Mindsponge theory. A paired-sample survey (N = 102) was utilized to collect data. The results of path analyses showed significant intergenerational differences in ecological worldview but insignificant intergenerational differences in local environmental issue concerns. While nondaily environmental knowledge and environmental risk exposure via new media significantly and positively mediated the relationship between generation and ecological worldview, community connection significantly and negatively mediated the relationship between generation and local environmental issue concern. Although a significant difference was found in the post-materialistic values between the two generations of plastic waste business owners, this variable did not significantly predict environmental concern.