[M-IS21] Understanding plastic pollution: The reality and countermeasures

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

Tomoya Kishimoto¹, *Kenji Takeuchi¹ (1.Kyoto University)

Keywords:Ocean plastic, Recycle products, Plastic offset, Willingness to pay

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.