The production and consumption of single-use plastics (SUP) has disastrous consequences for the natural environment. Understanding which consumers are more likely to avoid SUP and why is crucial. Building on a comprehensive action determination model of ecological behavior, this study aims to specify the most relevant drivers and barriers to consumers' intentions to avoid SUP. The results of a qualitative study (N = 32) and a quantitative study (N = 3,000), conducted across multiple countries (United States, Russia, and Belgium), reveal that positive attitudes and subjective norms regarding SUP alternatives enhance consumers’ intentions to avoid SUP. Our analysis also shows the existence of four consumer segments—SUP addicts, SUP avoiders, the apathetic, and situation-driven SUP users—who differ in their intentions to avoid SUP and their motivations. While habits in using SUP, and situational constraints and hygienic concerns regarding SUP alternatives do not play a significant role in the whole cross-national sample, they represent crucial barriers for specific segments such as SUP addicts and situation-driven SUP users. The study concludes with several marketing and design recommendations for promoting and developing reusable alternatives for single-use plastics.

一次性塑料 (SUP) 的生产和消费对自然环境造成灾难性后果。了解哪些消费者更有可能避免 SUP 及其原因至关重要。本研究以生态行为的综合行动决定模型为基础，旨在明确与消费者避免 SUP 意图最相关的驱动因素和障碍。在多个国家（美国、俄罗斯和比利时）进行的定性研究（N = 32）和定量研究（N = 3,000）的结果表明，关于 SUP 替代品的积极态度和主观规范增强了消费者的意愿避免 SUP。我们的分析还显示了四个消费者群体的存在——SUP 成瘾者、SUP 避免者、冷漠者、和情境驱动的 SUP 用户——他们避免 SUP 的意图和动机不同。虽然使用 SUP 的习惯以及有关 SUP 替代品的情境限制和卫生问题在整个跨国样本中并未发挥重要作用，但它们代表了特定细分市场的重要障碍，例如 SUP 成瘾者和情境驱动的 SUP 用户。该研究最后提出了一些营销和设计建议，以促进和开发一次性塑料的可重复使用替代品。