MENDES, J.N.S.; MENDES, Jéssica Narjara Silva.
Resumo:
The environmental crisis has been the subject of increasing discussion relevant and on the
world stage and gave rise to the need for a new development model that seeks, in addition to
economic viability, protection of the environment and social justice, called Sustainable
Development. A major objective of this proposal is to modify current patterns and levels of
consumption society, considered unsustainable due to the overexploitation of natural
resources that do not consider the finiteness of natural systems, by themselves exceed the
assimilative capacity of the tailings and the environment access to the riches produced be
unfair and inequitable. Thus, there is a need to assess consumer behavior and trends for the
adoption of standards and levels of sustainable consumption. In this sense, the aim of this
study is to analyze the behavior of consumers in the areas of housing, transportation, food and
durable goods and nondurable goods, in terms of sustainable consumption in the city of
Campina Grande - PB. The rationale for conducting this research is faced with the need to
understand the relationship between consumption and the environment and consumer
behavior regarding their consumption practices to drive the adoption of strategies for
sustainable practices. In this perspective, the main theoretical concepts needed for a better
understanding of consumer behavior in the face of sustainability issues are the origin and
evolution of the consumer society, the contemporaneities of environmental issues and the
proposed Sustainable Consumption and Development, as well as consumer behavior and
influencing factors of consumption, all addressed in the development of this study. In
methodological terms, we carried out a survey of quantitative and descriptive, in order to
observe, record and describe consumer practices used by consumers in the city of Campina
Grande, from a random sample obtained by accessibility. The results show that consumers
surveyed still do not have the mind totally focused on environmental preservation in their
consumption practices. Such evidence demonstrates the need for changes in consumer
behavior, and the existence of incentives and structures that facilitate these changes so that we
can harmonize the relationship between society and the environment.