The zero waste concept from young consumers’ perspective. Does gender matter?

Theoretical background: Sustainable development is a new widely desirable course in the economy of the 21st century. Its goals can be met by consumers implementing a zero waste concept understood as a lifestyle that assumes the maximum reduction of household waste production.Purpose of the article: The paper sheds a light on consumer awareness of the zero waste concept among young people, who face a long consumption life, and identifis the gender role in the process of applying this concept in practice.Research methods: To achieve the research goal, a survey was carried out among consumers aged 19–24, and the original consumer zero waste sensibility scale was proposed and employed to obtain results.Main findings: The outcomes suggest that the zero waste concept is more widely known among women, who show a higher level of consumer zero waste sensibility than men