Criteria of product environmental quality in students’ perception

Today, the question of making consumption more eco-friendly is important both for consumers interested in purchasing environmentally friendly products (EFPs) and for producers interested in expanding the market for such products. However, there are still many “white spots” in this area, starting with the criteria for classifying products as environmentally friendly. The aim of this study is to identify the criteria for the environmental quality of products as perceived by the youth, using first-year students at the University of Tyumen as an example. The methodological basis of the research is the works of Russian and foreignscolars, revealing the characteristics inherent in EFPs, as well as the results of a survey of 741 students on types of EFPs and their attributes. The EFP concept is interpreted ambiguously in Russian-language sources – from a narrow understanding as products safe for human health to a broad understanding that also considers the impact of the product on the environment at different stages of its life cycle. Foreign sources have comprehensive definitions of EFP, as well as detailed lists of criteria for classifying products as environmentally friendly. The survey results show that students associate EFP with certain materials (obtained from plant raw materials, easily recyclable, produced from secondary raw materials). The main criteria for eco-friendliness in the students' responses are the following: multiple uses of the product, biodegradability, the possibility of recycling product waste, reducing the consumption of raw materials and pollution of the environment with harmful substances at the stage of production and use of the product, and reducing waste generation. Misconceptions about classifying certain products as EFP are also identified, leading to the conclusion that ecological education is necessary. The catalog developed to systematize students' responses, which includes 196 characteristics of EFP, can be used to study the understanding of EFPs by consumers in different market segments and to develop strategies to improve the ecological quality of products.