Abstract
Consumers who wish to consider product attributes like carbon footprints in their purchasing decisions are often blocked from meaningful action by a lack of information. We conducted a randomized controlled trial at a grocery store to evaluate the effects of providing such product attribute and carbon footprint information via augmented reality (AR) displays on bottled water and breakfast cereal, two frequently purchased goods. Using an AR smartphone app that combines comparative and detailed product information into personalized data and recommendations, a 23% reduction in carbon footprint was found for bottled water, and non-significant reductions for breakfast cereal. However, AR informed choice lead to healthier cereal purchases with an average of 32% less sugar, 15% less fat, and 9.8% less sodium. This research suggests that AR techniques can help facilitate complex decision-making and lead to better choices.
Original language | American English |
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Article number | Article No. 064002 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Environmental Research Letters |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 23 May 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/JA-6A80-65565
Keywords
- Augmented reality
- carbon footprint
- consumer behavior
- nutrition