Connecting consumers to production processes

Abstract

A growing body of research shows that consumers feel increasingly distant from the production processes of everyday commodities, particularly fast-moving consumer goods. Literature on psychological distance suggests that when individuals feel distant from events, such as climate change, their engagement and pro-environmental behaviour decline. However, while psychological distance has been widely studied, its application to production-consumption patterns remains unexplored. Moreover, despite numerous behavioural interventions, none address “distance from the production process” as a means of fostering sustainable consumption. Across three studies, one online and two laboratory experiments, this research explores how implicit and explicit packaging design interventions can frame production processes as either closer to or more distant from the consumer, and how such framings affect sustainability perceptions and disposal behaviour. Results demonstrate that short-distance framings enhance perceived packaging sustainability and encourage environmentally responsible disposal, directly or by strengthening consumers’ sense of connection to the production process. These findings highlight the role of design in connecting consumers to production processes as a novel and actionable pathway for sustainable behaviour.