Exploring the influence of environmental motivations on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions toward upcycled foods

Food loss and waste (FLW) present pressing environmental and economic challenges. Upcycling technologies provide a sustainable pathway by transforming food by-products into value-added products; however, consumer acceptance remains a critical barrier. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study investigates how environmental motivations influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward milk enriched with upcycled peanut skins. Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of 1,488 U.S. adults. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test hypothesized relationships among motivational constructs, and cluster analysis was used to identify consumer segments based on motivational profiles. The results show that intrinsic motivation and identified regulation positively influence attitudes, while identified and integrated regulation enhance purchase intentions. Amotivation negatively affects both attitudes and intentions, whereas introjected regulation has no significant effect. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct consumer segments with divergent motivational patterns. These insights highlight the importance of value-driven marketing strategies to enhance consumer engagement with upcycled foods. This study contributes to understanding consumer behavior in sustainable food choices and provides practical implications for promoting upcycled food products.