Behavioral Change for Plastic Waste Management : A Synthesis

Overview & Synopsis

This report examines how behavioral factors shape the effectiveness of plastic waste management systems, emphasizing that infrastructure alone is insufficient to improve outcomes. Drawing on case studies from nine countries across five regions, it identifies behavioral barriers across the plastic value chain, including low trust in waste services, limited participation, affordability constraints, and convenience-related frictions. The report highlights evidence from surveys, experiments, qualitative research, and observational exercises involving over 14,000 participants. It recommends behaviorally informed strategies such as localized messaging, improved choice architecture, incentives, and trust-building measures to strengthen source separation, collection reliability, recycling, recovery rates, and pollution reduction.