AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS ON THEIR ROLES IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION THROUGH CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

The aim of this study is to investigate the awareness and perception of university students on sustainable consumer behavior.The study was conducted with students of a private university located in Nicosia, the capital of Northern Cyprus, based on the principles of qualitative research methods.In the study designed as a case study, interviews were conducted with 30 students from different departments and different levels.The study used a structured interview form consisting of two parts and prepared by the researcher, and the collected data were analyzed with content analysis.The findings in this study showed that there was high awareness and sufficient perception among students on sustainable consumer behavior.The study also showed that there was sufficient understanding on the impact of sustainable consumer behavior practices.However, the study found that the number of students with sustainable consumer behavior was lower than the students who were conscious about sustainable consumer behavior and its impact on the environment.The students also mentioned the difficulties they experienced regarding the high cost of environmentally friendly products or the lack of awareness of business owners.