Delivering sustainable food: exploring college students' willingness to pay for carbon labels in China via a choice experiment.

The rapid expansion of online food delivery has intensified concerns about packaging waste and carbon emissions, making sustainable consumption an increasingly important component of the sector's low-carbon transition. Whether environmental information disclosure can shift consumers' choices toward lower-carbon alternatives is therefore an important issue for improving the sustainability of digital food-delivery platforms. This study estimates the preferences of university students, who constitute one of the most intensive user groups of online food-delivery services, and willingness to pay (WTP) for carbon-footprint information and packaging materials on online food-delivery platforms. Data from 692 surveys conducted among university students in the Sichuan-Chongqing region in August 2023 were analyzed using a discrete choice model. This analysis examined how the disclosure of carbon footprint (CF) and other environmental attributes affects consumer preferences. Key findings include: Firstly, compared with high-carbon-footprint takeaways, university students show a significant positive preference for low-carbon-footprint alternatives, with an estimated WTP of an additional $1.65 per order. Meanwhile, consumers also prefer takeaways with environmentally friendly packaging. Secondly, male students, those with a proactive environmental stance, and those with greater awareness of environmental knowledge were more inclined to opt for takeaways with lower carbon footprints. Greater environmental knowledge also led to a preference for eco-friendly packaging options. The findings underscore the critical role of carbon label disclosures in steering university students towards environmentally friendly choices in food delivery, thereby charting a feasible pathway towards achieving low-carbon goals. This aligns with the promotion of efficient takeaway dietary habits among young generations.