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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to On the way to reduce marine microplastics pollution. Research landscape of psychosocial drivers
ClearExploring 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.
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.
Next steps for research on society and microplastics
This perspective paper outlined priority directions for social and behavioral science research on microplastics, building on the established contributions of social sciences to understanding policy, stakeholder views, and public behavior around plastic pollution. The authors called for greater integration of social science methods to address governance gaps and support effective microplastic management.
The human dimension: how social and behavioural research methods can help address microplastics in the environment
This paper outlines how social and behavioral science research methods — including surveys, interviews, and behavioral experiments — can be applied to understand human dimensions of the microplastic pollution problem. Addressing plastic pollution requires not just environmental science but also understanding why people produce, use, and dispose of plastics as they do.
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.
Next steps for research on society and microplastics
This perspective paper assessed the contributions of social and behavioral sciences to microplastics research, covering policy analysis, public education, and stakeholder engagement. The authors argue for greater integration of social science methods to understand and reduce plastic pollution at the human systems level.
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.
How plastic is our plastic culture? Reducing our consumption of single-use plastics
This paper examines the cultural and economic forces that have made single-use plastics so embedded in modern life, making them difficult to reduce despite known environmental harms. Understanding the social dimensions of plastic consumption — not just technical solutions — is essential for effectively reducing the microplastic pollution they ultimately generate.
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.
‘Solutions’ versus sustainability
This chapter examines societal, financial, and geographic barriers to sustainable plastic behavior change, analyzing the tension between technological waste management solutions and the behavioral shifts needed to reduce microplastic pollution at source.
Enhancing marine citizenship as a strategy to promote the reduction of single-use plastics consumption in different cultures
Researchers studied single-use plastic (SUP) consumption behaviors and the concept of 'marine citizenship' — personal responsibility for ocean health — across different national cultures to evaluate whether promoting marine citizenship can reduce SUP use and drive adoption of sustainable alternatives. The study examined how cultural context shapes the effectiveness of marine citizenship-based intervention strategies for reducing plastic pollution at the consumer level.
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.
Explicitly and Implicitly Measured Valence and Risk Attitudes Towards Plastic Packaging, Plastic Waste, and Microplastic in a German Sample
This psychology study measured both explicit and implicit attitudes toward plastic packaging and microplastics in German consumers, finding that people simultaneously appreciate the convenience of plastic while expressing concern about pollution. The gap between attitudes and behavior helps explain why plastic consumption continues despite public concern about microplastics.
Preferences for microplastic marine pollution management strategies: An analysis of barriers and enablers for more sustainable choices
This survey-based study examined Australian consumers' preferences for microplastic marine pollution management strategies, finding that cost and product trust are key barriers to adopting lower-microplastic products, and that willingness to pay for marine protection has limits.
Microplastics in marine ecosystems: Sources, effects, and mitigation strategies
This review examines the sources, environmental pathways, ecological impacts across trophic levels, and mitigation strategies for microplastic pollution in marine ecosystems, synthesizing current evidence on biological harm and evaluating policy frameworks, technological solutions, and individual behavioral changes aimed at reducing marine microplastic loads.
Analysis of Waste Separation Drivers in Urban Centers Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model
Not relevant to microplastics — this study uses behavioral theory to identify what motivates residents of Balikpapan, Indonesia to separate household waste, finding that accessible facilities and past behavior are the strongest drivers, with no direct connection to microplastic research.
The impact of values and social norms on consumers’ intention to avoid cosmetics containing microplastics: The mediating role of risk perception and personal norm
This research examined how consumer risk perception of cosmetics containing microplastics, shaped by personal values and social norms, influences the intention to avoid such products. The model found that environmental concern and social norms were key drivers of avoidance behavior.
Drivers of green purchasing behaviour: a systematic review and a research agenda
This systematic review of 41 studies found that environmental concern, health consciousness, social influence, and perceived value are the strongest drivers of green purchasing behavior. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant to understanding what motivates consumers to choose plastic-free or reduced-plastic products.
Do attitude towards behavior, subjective norms, and perceived control behavior matter on environmentally friendly plastic purchasing intention?
This study investigated whether attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predict consumer intention to purchase environmentally friendly plastic products, using questionnaire data collected via social media platforms. The findings provide empirical support for the Theory of Planned Behavior as a framework for understanding sustainable plastic purchasing decisions.
Plastic Debris and the Marine Environment: Integrating Transformational Strategies in Achieving a Sustainable Environment
This review examines the sources, environmental pathways, and ecological impacts of marine plastic debris, and discusses transformational strategies including policy intervention, improved waste management, and alternative materials to achieve sustainable ocean management.
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.
From 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.
Our life with plastic, a review of plastic product abuse in the age of consumerism
This review examines the psychology, sociology, and culture of plastic consumerism alongside the scientific evidence for microplastic health harms, arguing that social sciences should complement natural science research by promoting rational product choices and awareness.
Making sense of microplastics? Public understandings of plastic pollution
Researchers conducted focus groups to explore public understanding of microplastics and plastic pollution. Most participants were unaware of microplastics, and few connected their personal plastic use to ocean pollution, instead associating the issue with distant images like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The study suggests that the invisible scale of microplastics, limited scientific understanding, and deeply embedded cultural habits around plastic use present significant barriers to behavior change.