A professor at the Harvard Business School found that when people used reusable shopping bags, they were more likely to purchase organic foods.

los angeles, CA, United States - August 18, 2016 /PressCable/ —

Most consumers carry along reusable shopping bags in order to be environmentally conscious and do their part in taking care of the earth. And that’s important as more and more research shows that plastic bags are seriously impacting the health of the Earth. But in addition to the environment benefits, a professor at Harvard Business School found that there are other more personal advantages to carrying the multiple use shopping bags.

Professor Uma Karmarkar found that when people take their own reusable shopping bags to the grocery store, they tend to buy foods that are healthier. “On the trips where people brought their bags,” she says, “they seemed more likely to buy organic.”

And that makes sense because if someone is conscientious enough to think about environmental issues, they’re also likely to be aware of the importance of healthy eating.

But her studies also showed a surprising outcome that occurs when people choose to use the shopping bags. Consumers who carried their own bags were also likely to fall into a behavior pattern known as the “Licensing Effect.” The theory behind this behavior is that when people do something that they perceive as good, they are more likely to allow themselves to indulge in something that isn’t considered as good. In this instance, according to Karmarkar, “They were also more likely to put an indulgence in their basket, and we defined indulgence as cookies, ice cream, and potato chips,”

In other words, while carrying reusable shopping bags, people are more likely to purchase good for the body organic foods, but also indulge in a reward type treat.

Karmarkar was baffled by the connection because being environmentally consciences and giving yourself a reward typically aren’t connected behaviors. She summed up her findings like this, “You do something good for society in the morning, and you might be a little more likely to have an extra donut in the afternoon.”

About: MJH Innovations is seller of quality products that make people’s lives easier. It is their company philosophy that good products shouldn’t cost a fortune, and they work hard to provide quality products to consumers for reasonable prices. Shoppers can find many of their products listed on Amazon Prime.

For more information, please visit http://www.lapopdesigns.com/

Contact Info:
Name: Matthew Hesser
Organization: Majon International
Address: P.O. Box 880, Arroyo Grande, CA 93421
Phone: 805-534-9800

Release ID: 128614