Sustainable consumption is an important component of sustainable development, as it involves individuals’ responsible behaviour when purchasing, using, and disposing of products, as well as in the use of resources. Since consumer habits are formed early in life, it is important to examine the extent to which children and adolescents act in accordance with the principles of sustainable consumption in their everyday lives. The aim of this master’s thesis was to examine the extent to which primary school students in Grades 5 to 9 engage in sustainable consumption practices across different areas of everyday life, identify the factors they perceive as influencing their consumer behaviour, and explore which areas warrant greater attention from an educational perspective. The study was based on a quantitative research approach. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to a sample of 204 students and statistically analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics software. The results indicate that students demonstrated the highest levels of compliance with sustainable consumption recommendations in the areas of housing and resource use, waste management, and food consumption, whereas lower levels were observed in the areas of clothing and shopping. The findings also revealed that students frequently use sustainable modes of transport, such as walking, cycling, and public transportation, both when commuting to school and during their leisure time. Parents were identified as the most influential factor affecting students’ consumer behaviour. The results further showed that sustainable behaviour declines with increasing age, while female students demonstrate more sustainable behaviour than male students in certain areas. The findings confirm the importance of introducing sustainable consumption topics into the educational process at an early stage and in a gradual and systematic manner.
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