Out of sight, out of mind: Plastic waste exports, psychological distance and consumer plastic purchasing

• Published in: Global environmental change 2019-09, Vol.58, p.101943, Article 101943
• Main Author: Barnes, Stuart J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Construal level theory; Consumer behavior; Consumer plastic purchasing; Consumers; Consumption; Exports; Government policy; Income; Low income groups; Multivariate statistical analysis; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastic waste exports; Plastics; Policy making; Pollution; Polymers; Psychological distance; Psychological factors; Public policy; Structural equation modeling; Visual perception; Waste disposal; Waste management industry; Wastes
• ISSN: 0959-3780; 1872-9495
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.101943

•Exporting plastic waste creates psychological distance from plastic waste pollution.•Exporting plastic waste creates an artificially cleaner local environment.•Artificially cleaner local environments encourage plastics consumption.•Level of plastic waste acts as a mediator in the relationship.•Examines policy aimed at reducing future plastics consumption and pollution. Per capita consumption of plastic continues to increase and remains at high levels in high-income countries, despite obvious contributions to the global problem of plastics pollution. This paper attempts to provide an explanation for this phenomenon based on construal level theory, positing that plastic waste is a problem that is perceived as “out of sight and out of mind” for consumers in high plastic consumption (typically high income) countries and that this is influenced by the export of plastic waste to other (typically lower income and lower consumption) countries for disposal – shifting the burden of mismanaged plastic waste and perceptions of plastics pollution in the countries creating the majority of plastic waste. The apparent lack of plastics pollution in a local environment becomes a mediator, influenced by the export of plastic waste, which may then contribute to further plastics consumption. The theory is tested using structural equation modelling using rare, available matched data for mismanaged plastic waste, plastic waste exports, and plastics consumption at an aggregate country level. All study hypotheses are supported. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and practice, including potential changes to government policy aimed at reducing future plastics consumption and pollution.