Tackling the plastic problem: A review on perceptions, behaviors, and interventions

Lea Marie Heidbreder; Isabella Bablok; Stefan Drews; Claudia Menzel

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.437

Tackling the plastic problem: A review on perceptions, behaviors, and interventions

Sci Total Environ. 2019 Jun 10:668:1077-1093. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.437. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Authors

Lea Marie Heidbreder¹, Isabella Bablok², Stefan Drews³, Claudia Menzel⁴

Affiliations

¹ Interdisciplinary Research Group for Environmental Studies, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany; Personality, Psychological Assessment, and Psychological Methods, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.
² Interdisciplinary Research Group for Environmental Studies, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany.
³ Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany; Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
⁴ Social, Environmental, and Economic Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany. Electronic address: menzel@uni-landau.de.

PMID: 31018449
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.437

Abstract

The excessive production and consumption of plastic has serious consequences on the environment and human health. The reduction of plastic has therefore become a major global challenge. As technical solutions might be insufficient to curb the problem, a perspective highlighting the impact of human behavior is needed. The current literature review provides an overview of the existing social-scientific literature on plastic, ranging from risk awareness, consumers' preferences, and predictors of usage behavior to political and psychological intervention strategies. By reviewing the literature, we aim to identify potential factors for future interventions to reduce plastic consumption. The 187 studies reviewed show that people much appreciate and routinely use plastic, despite a pronounced awareness of the associated problems. Habits, norms, and situational factors seem to be especially predictive for plastic consumption behavior. Both political and psychological interventions are potentially effective, although long-term effects are often uncertain. The review closes with implications for behavior-based solutions and future research, which should combine interdisciplinary approaches and take into account cultural differences.

Keywords: Behavior-based solutions; Consumer behavior; Environmental psychology; Plastic pollution; Problem awareness.

Publication types

Review