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Environmental movements in a material world. A relational perspective on single-use plastic in Penzance, UK
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This case study in Penzance, UK, examines how environmental movements have engaged with the issue of single-use plastics through community organizing and advocacy. The research highlights how local activism shapes public understanding and policy responses to plastic pollution.
In the discursive battle about the big and important ideas, some topics are considered more important than others and more likely to mobilize society. More recently, marine plastic pollution has become a key topic for environmental movements. In this study, we aimed to contribute to a more detailed understanding of how specific issues of sustainability are brought forth. Conceptually, we argue that recourse to relational theories from science and technology studies might help to strengthen the conceptualization of social movement research. By drawing on the concept of “boundary objects”, we extend the range of social movement approaches in order to better understand how the process of framing is put to work materially. The focus on boundary objects can therefore explain the selective formation of environmental discourses and policies when applied to the field of environmental protection and sustainability.
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Taking Action against the Rising Tide of Marine Plastic Pollution. A Case Study of the Surfrider Foundation.
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This thesis analyzes marine plastic pollution as a complex policy problem and examines how NGOs like the Surfrider Foundation mobilize public action and advocate for regulatory change. The work highlights both the structural drivers of single-use plastic culture and the strategies that civil society groups use to counter it.
Power to the individual : a case study of a Dutch NGO and its strategy to fight plastic pollution
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This political science case study examines the strategy of a Dutch environmental NGO working to reduce plastic pollution in waterways and the ocean, focusing on its approach to mobilizing individual behavior change as a lever for systemic social change. Researchers assessed the effectiveness of the individual-empowerment strategy relative to more systemic governance approaches. This is a governance and NGO strategy study with no direct connection to microplastic science.
Sea of plastic: representations of the sea and pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors regarding marine plastic pollution in Peru and Chile
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Researchers explored pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors regarding marine plastic pollution through 44 semi-structured interviews with Peruvian and Chilean citizens, examining how sea-related representations shape environmental engagement. The study found that positive connections to the sea were associated with stronger motivation to reduce plastic pollution.
Integration of plastic recycling within a smaller community: Reducing Plastic Pollution in the Environment
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This study investigated how plastic recycling could be integrated into smaller communities through workshops and awareness campaigns, addressing the reality that over 90% of plastic is not recycled. The work provides practical strategies for increasing local recycling participation and reducing plastic pollution from the ground up.
How does embracing an outdoor lifestyle and sense of responsibility impact plastic reduction efforts?
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A survey of 972 individuals in Cornwall, UK found that perceptions of responsibility for litter management significantly influence participation in plastic reduction activities, with individuals who viewed national governments, businesses, and volunteers as responsible being more likely to engage in beach clean-ups and other outdoor plastic reduction efforts. Attributing responsibility to local councils or NGOs was negatively correlated with some forms of participation, suggesting that broader societal responsibility framing is more effective at motivating behavior.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.