We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Closing the Intention-Action Gap: Behaviorally-Aligned Strategies for Effective Plastic Pollution Reduction
ClearFrom Awareness to Action: A Critical Review of Public Knowledge and Behavioral Gaps in Addressing Plastic Pollution
This review examined why high public awareness of plastic pollution has not led to meaningful action. Researchers found that people tend to focus on visible pollution like bottles and bags while overlooking less obvious sources such as microplastics from clothing and tires. The study concludes that bridging the awareness-to-action gap requires strategies that address specific behavioral barriers including convenience, cost, and distrust in recycling systems.
From Awareness to Action: A Critical Review of Public Knowledge and Behavioral Gaps in Addressing Plastic Pollution
This review examined why public awareness of plastic pollution has not translated into meaningful behavior change. Researchers found that most people focus on visible plastic items like bottles and bags but have limited knowledge about microplastics from clothing or tires. Key barriers to action include convenience, cost, social norms, and distrust in recycling systems, suggesting that education alone is insufficient without strategies targeting specific behavioral changes.
From Awareness to Action: A Critical Review of Public Knowledge and Behavioral Gaps in Addressing Plastic Pollution
This review examined why public awareness of plastic pollution has not translated into meaningful behavioral change. The study found that most people focus on visible plastic waste like bottles and bags but have limited understanding of sources like microplastics from clothing and tires, with key barriers to action including convenience, cost, social norms, and distrust in recycling systems.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices toward Plastic Pollution among Malaysians: Implications for Minimizing Plastic Use and Pollution
Researchers surveyed Malaysians about their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding plastic pollution. The study found that while most people were aware of plastic pollution problems, there was a significant gap between awareness and actual behavior change. The findings suggest that education campaigns alone are insufficient and need to be paired with practical infrastructure and policy changes to reduce plastic use.
Predictive Power of Goal-striving Reasons for Self-reported and Actual Plastic Consumption
This psychology study examined whether people's reasons for reducing plastic use can predict their actual plastic consumption behavior. Understanding the psychological drivers of plastic reduction could inform more effective public communication campaigns about microplastic pollution.
Using an extended model of the reasoned action approach to explore individual behavioral intentions regarding litter and plastic pollution prevention in a developing country
This study explored what motivates people in Ghana to prevent littering and plastic pollution, using a behavioral psychology framework. Researchers found that personal attitudes and moral beliefs were the strongest predictors of people's intentions to reduce littering, suggesting that public campaigns targeting these factors could be most effective.
Analysis of Factors of Single-Use Plastic Avoidance Behavior for Environmental Sustainability in China
A structural equation modeling study of 421 Chinese respondents found that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and policy intervention significantly influenced single-use plastic avoidance behavior, mediated by behavioral intentions and plastic-related environmental concerns.
The Effect of Environmental Education, Consumer Awareness, and Environmentally Friendly Practices on Plastic Waste Reduction in Indonesia
Researchers measured the effects of environmental education, consumer awareness, and environmentally friendly purchasing intentions on pro-environmental behavior, using structural equation modeling on survey data. Environmental education indirectly improved behavior through increasing awareness and purchase intention, suggesting that educational interventions are most effective when paired with behavioral prompts.
Self-reported behaviours and measures related to plastic waste reduction: European citizens’ perspective
Researchers analyzed Eurobarometer survey data on European attitudes toward plastic waste and found that while citizens recognize plastic pollution as a serious environmental problem, concern does not consistently translate into reduced plastic use behaviors, with women, younger adults, and higher-income respondents being most likely to act.
Attitudes towards Plastic Pollution: A Review and Mitigations beyond Circular Economy
This review examined attitudes of consumers, industries, and governments toward plastic pollution, identifying behavioral barriers and synthesizing mitigation strategies that go beyond circular economy frameworks to address systemic plastic over-consumption.
Risk, efficacy, and the moderating role of policy effectiveness in microplastic reduction intentions
A survey study examined how perceived risk severity, vulnerability, self-efficacy, and response efficacy influence people's intentions to reduce microplastic use, finding that perceived policy effectiveness moderated the relationship between these beliefs and pro-environmental behavioral intentions.
Extending the theory of planned behaviour to investigate the issue of microplastics in the marine environment
Researchers extended the theory of planned behaviour to investigate public attitudes toward marine microplastic pollution, finding that environmental awareness and perceived behavioral control significantly predicted consumers' intentions to reduce microplastic-generating product use.
Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption
Researchers surveyed 648 people to understand what psychological factors drive different plastic-reduction behaviors — switching to plastic-free products, political activism, and supporting policy. Personal moral norms predicted all three types of action, while feeling personally capable was the strongest driver of purchase decisions, suggesting that reducing plastic use requires addressing both values and practical barriers.
Knowledge, concerns and attitudes towards plastic pollution: An empirical study of public perceptions in Portugal
A survey of public knowledge, concerns, and attitudes toward plastic pollution found that awareness varied significantly across demographic groups, and that concern about plastic in different environmental compartments (air, water, soil) did not always translate into pro-recycling behaviors.
Surveys of Knowledge and Awareness of Plastic Pollution and Risk Reduction Behavior in the General Population: A Systematic Review
This systematic review examines public surveys about plastic pollution awareness and whether that knowledge leads people to change their behavior. Understanding what people know and do about plastic pollution is important because individual actions, like reducing single-use plastic, can meaningfully lower microplastic exposure for both people and the environment.
On the way to reduce marine microplastics pollution. Research landscape of psychosocial drivers
A review of psychosocial drivers of marine plastic pollution found that factors including consumer convenience preferences, low perceived personal responsibility, and weak norm activation explain why behavioral change around plastic use is slow, and that interventions combining social norms messaging with structural changes show the most promise.
Keep Your Litter in the Loop: Predicting Generation Z’s Intention to Recycle Single-use Plastic Waste
Researchers investigated the factors predicting Generation Z's intention to recycle single-use plastic waste in Indonesia, examining how government policy awareness, social movement influence, and behavioral determinants shape recycling intentions among young consumers amid growing plastic waste challenges.
Students’ Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Plastics and Microplastics Pollution: Implications for Vietnam
This Vietnamese study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior to survey students' attitudes and intentions regarding plastic and microplastic pollution. Attitude was the strongest predictor of pro-environmental behavioral intention (β=0.411), suggesting that awareness and attitude change through education are more effective levers than appeals to subjective norms.
The value of multi-proxy experiments to study pro-environmental behavior
This methodological study argues that pro-environmental behavior research should use multiple proxy measures rather than relying on a single behavioral indicator, since different measures capture different dimensions of environmental action. The recommendation is relevant to studies assessing consumer responses to plastic pollution and waste reduction initiatives.
Analysis of intention to purchase environmentally friendly packaging in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Despite its title referencing environmentally friendly packaging, this paper is a consumer behavior survey studying what factors drive Brazilians to intend to buy eco-friendly packaging — not original research on microplastic pollution or its effects. It examines environmental concern and personal values as predictors of purchasing decisions and is not directly relevant to microplastic contamination or human health.
A systematic literature review of voluntary behaviour change approaches in single use plastic reduction
This systematic review examines efforts to voluntarily reduce single-use plastic consumption through behavior change rather than legislation. The research finds that while government bans on plastics are effective, voluntary approaches that respect individual choice can also make a difference. Understanding what motivates people to reduce plastic use is key to tackling the microplastic pollution problem at its source.
Gaps between Attitudes and Behavior in the Use of Disposable Plastic Tableware (DPT) and Factors Influencing Sustainable DPT Consumption: A Study of Hong Kong Undergraduates
Researchers surveyed attitudes and actual behaviors toward disposable plastic tableware use in Hong Kong, finding significant gaps between stated environmental concerns and purchasing behavior that were amplified by the COVID-19 takeaway food surge, and analyzing barriers to behavioral change.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices towards Plastic Pollution among Malaysians
Researchers assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward plastic pollution among 294 Malaysian respondents via an online survey, using descriptive statistics, KAP scoring, and cross-tabulation to evaluate variation across sociodemographic groups. The study found that while awareness of plastic pollution was present, gaps between knowledge and actual waste reduction behavior persisted across the surveyed population.
The Role of Awareness of Consequences in Predicting the Local Tourists’ Plastic Waste Reduction Behavioral Intention: The Extension of Planned Behavior Theory
Researchers surveyed local tourists in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to understand what drives intentions to reduce plastic waste on beaches. The study found that awareness of environmental consequences, social norms, and perceived behavioral control all positively influenced intentions to reduce plastic waste. Interestingly, personal attitude alone was not a significant predictor, suggesting that community influence and awareness campaigns may be more effective than individual mindset shifts.