Analysis of pro-environmental awareness and approach to making decisions in the context of sustainability

Purpose: The aim of the study is to analyze environmental awareness among employees of companies producing plastics, and subsequently to draw conclusions about the level of their pro-environmental awareness. The motive for the implementation of pro-environmental awareness research in plastics-producing plants was their harmful impact on the environment. Design/methodology/approach: The research was a survey that was carried out among 44 workers of plastics enterprises located in south-eastern Poland in the first quarter of 2018. During the selection of companies for research, it was included: their location (south-eastern Poland), long-term operation (more than 30 years), the same type of activity (production of plastics), and whether pro-environmental activities were practiced. Findings: It was concluded that the level of awareness of the employees of plastic industry employees was on a low level. Research limitations/implications: The research sample is only a preliminary sample. It is planned to obtain data from a larger number of companies and verify the data. Practical implications: Enterprises should focus on meeting customer needs and maintaining high-quality products, but taking into account pro-environmental measures that should be a priority. This is possible if pro-environmental awareness is continually shaped. Social implications: The pro-environmental awareness is small among employees from the enterprises, in which pro-environmental actions were not practiced. Employees do not know how the processes are carried out in the company and whether they have any impact on the natural environment. Additionally, the employees of companies not used pro-environmental activities are unaware of the threats resulting from the activities of their company and do not know that other companies about the same activities already apply such activities. Originality/value: These results will allow better decisions in the context of sustainability and improvement actions to achieve a higher level of awareness among the plastic production companies' employees.