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What influences public support for plastic waste control policies and green consumption? Evidence from a multilevel analysis of survey data from 27 European countries
Summary
This multi-country survey across 27 European nations found that media use and country-level factors shape citizens' support for plastic waste policy and green consumption. People who consumed environmental news from diverse media sources were more likely to support plastic reduction policies and adopt green behaviors. The findings have implications for designing effective public communication strategies about plastic pollution.
Abstract Purpose This study investigates the influence of individual- and country-level factors on citizen members’ attitude and actions regarding plastic waste. At the individual level, it assesses the influence of the diversity of environmental news use from traditional media, online social networks, and other internet sources on the public’s support for policy and green behaviors related to plastic waste. Design/methodology/approach We utilized secondary survey data collected from 27 European countries by Eurobarometer. Results The two-level analysis show that several individual factors including gender, age, political ideology, risk perception, and most importantly diversity of sources in environmental news use , from all three types of media sources, was positively associated with participants’ policy support and green behaviors related to plastic waste. This research also found the influence of several country-level variables on green behaviors toward plastic waste. Implications When assessing support for plastic waste control, various factors at both levels (i.e., country and individual) need to be considered to mobilize the public. Findings suggest extending the theoretical model of social cognitive theory to include more country-level factors especially in cross-national comparison. Originality/value This study shed lights on understanding factors that could influence public policy support and green behaviors with regards to plastic waste.