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Psychosocial Correlates of Plastic Bottle Handling in a Sample of Residents of Metropolitan Lima, Peru
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Researchers surveyed 141 adults in Lima, Peru about their values, environmental concerns, and habits around using, reusing, and throwing away plastic bottles. Despite frequent daily contact with plastic bottles, most people did not reuse or recycle them often. Personal values and confidence in one's own actions were linked to different plastic use patterns, though many still felt individual efforts had little overall impact.
This study analyzes the correlation between the plastic bottle handling (use, reuse, and disposal) and variables such as values, environmental awareness and concern, self-efficacy, and pro-environmental behavior intention among citizens of Metropolitan Lima. To this end, 141 participants aged 18–65 years were asked about various psychosocial variables such as values, environmental concern, awareness of pollution impact, pro-environmental self-efficacy, and plastic bottle consumption habits. The results indicate that people do not integrate reuse and recycling practices into their daily lives despite a high level of daily contact with plastic bottles. Moreover, the study discusses how values of self-promotion and benevolence are related to plastic consumption patterns, while others such as universalism could reflect a greater intention to reuse. Furthermore, self-efficacy is associated with lower consumption, although the perception that individual actions have a limited impact overall persists.
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