Key factors to explain recycling, car use and environmentally responsible purchase behaviors: A comparative perspective

•A multidimensional approach is proposed to analyze different citizens’ environmental behaviors as recycling, purchase and reducing car use.•The environmental attitudes and beliefs and the environmental sensitivity are the aspects most influential on the behavior process.•Socio-demographic and economic factors are less relevant to explain the citizens’ decision.•Localized strategies promoting responsible environmental behaviors are suggested.

This study proposes a multidimensional approach to promoting pro-environmental behaviors. Specifically, the model proposed examines the impact of: (a) environmental attitudes and beliefs, (b) certain socio-demographic factors, (c) economic characteristics and d) environmental sensitivity variables in the development of three environmentally responsible behaviors: purchase, recycling and reducing car use. The data are provided by a survey carried out in 2012 by the Centre for Sociological Research in Spain. Overall, the results show, in the first place, the importance of activism, environmental attitudes and beliefs, and the interest for environmental information to explain the development of the three pro-environmental behaviors. Second, they reveal that demographic and economic characteristics, such as age, educational level or place of residence, have less relevance in this decision process. From a comparative perspective, their effects differ little according to the particular behavior analyzed. Finally, the results reveal the importance of constructing complex models including situational and psychological factors when it comes to analyzing pro-environmental behavior.