Factors Influencing Consumer Trust and Purchase Decisions for Sustainable Products Utilizing Recycled Plastics: Insights from Hungary

The paper explores the main factors influencing the trust and purcha-sing decisions of Hungarian consumers when choosing sustainable products. Combining secondary research through literature analysis with a non-rep-resentative quantitative empirical study conducted in the focus country, the ar-ticle provides a comprehensive analysis. The secondary research revealed that consumer trust has an immense impact on the success of brands and corpora-tions in the market. Key strategies such as third-party certifications, eco-labels, traceability, and brand advocacy, among others, can significantly contribute to building consumer trust. On the contrary, aspects like greenwashing and nega-tive media coverage can rapidly undermine trust or even result in its loss. Em-pirical analysis indicated that Hungarian consumers prefer to buy from well-known corporates and that their trust is positively correlated with the reputation of sustainable brands. The primary research also highlighted that demographic variables have a statistically significant effect on the importance of brand re-putation when purchasing this product group. In conclusion, this research pro-vides valuable insights for marketers and businesses seeking to enhance con-sumer trust in sustainable products and increase brand reputation, particularly in markets like Hungary.