Assessment of Consum...

As the world tends towards embracing the concept of circular economy (CE), the level of awareness and perception towards the ideal remains an important factor in its adoption. Considering the CE principles towards its adoption, the study considers the extent of consumer awareness of CE principles and practices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nigeria. The respondents (400) of the study entail the respondents randomly selected from eight districts across the AMAC (Phase I and II). The data gathering was done with the aid of a questionnaire while data analysis made use of descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentage and mean value. Most respondents were not aware or heard of the term circular economy before (46.4%) while those that had heard about the term suggested to have heard about the circular economy through social media (50.0%) and news articles/blogs (25.0%). Most respondents do not fully understand CE practices (21.9%), although they are familiar with terms such as reusing products (34.9%), repairing damaged products (21.4%) and recycling (22.1%). The finding indicated that most respondents are not aware of any brands or businesses in FCT promoting CE practices (61.2%), never attended any CE practices program (85.2%), and not aware of government and media support on awareness of CE practices (60.2%); however, they are interested in learning more about circular economy and its applications (89.6%). There is a low level of awareness of CE practices and principles among consumers; hence, there is a need for enhanced awareness campaigns that incorporate various communication channels and develop targeted educational programs.