[M-IS21] プラスチック汚染の実態把握と対策

[MIS21-10] Consumer preferences for recycled products made from ocean plastic

岸本 朋也¹、*竹内 憲司¹ (1.京都大学)

キーワード：海洋プラスチック、リサイクル製品、オフセット、支払い意思額

For economically sustainable recycling, it is crucial to understand whether consumers are willing to pay a higher premium for recycled products made from ocean plastics. This study aims to investigate consumer preferences for recycled products made from ocean plastic. To achieve this, we conducted a choice experiment using a questionnaire survey to explore willingness to pay (WTP) for products made from plastic materials with various characteristics. In the choice experiment, product material was included as an attribute to compare recycled products made from ocean plastics to conventional recycled products. Furthermore, this study incorporates plastic offsets as an alternative to recycled materials. Plastic offsetting is a voluntary system in which companies can purchase plastic credits instead of using recycled plastic in their products and offset the use of oil-based plastics. Based on an analysis of survey responses from 969 participants, this study found that many consumers positively evaluate recycled products made from ocean plastics and consider them equivalent to conventional recycled products. This study also found that preferences for products with plastic offsets exhibited considerable heterogeneity, with a substantial proportion of consumers expressing negative evaluations. The analysis suggests that this heterogeneity in consumer preferences can be attributed to perceptions of corporate environmental initiatives. Consumers' skepticism toward corporate environmental initiatives might be a factor in their limited acceptance of offset products.