Consumer and expert behaviour towards biobased wood-polymer building products: A comparative multi-factorial study according to theory of planned behaviour

Novel wood-plastic composites (WPC) have been on the market as façade panels for years, but they are rarely used. This study surveyed both building planners and laypersons about their attitude towards WPC façades and their willingness to apply them in commercial or private projects. By means of 24 items on product attributes, significant and measurable effects were identified by logistic regression analysis and categorised according to the theory of planned behaviour. Significantly different attitude characteristics were found for most of the items tested. It was shown that experts are strongly influenced by corporate-normative factors and base their decisions on fewer criteria, mainly from the field of product certification. Laypersons, on the other hand, are oriented on far more aspects regarding product and manufacturer. Experience with WPC was not an issue for both groups. The results guide manufacturers towards a more target group-specific product development.