Voters Express Concern About Plastic Pollution, Strongly Support Mitigation Proposals
By Grace Adcox and Kevin Hanley
Recent polling conducted by Data for Progress demonstrates that likely voters are concerned about plastic pollution and its impact on our environment and oceans, and feel as though they are doing what they can do individually to combat pollution. However, voters believe that the plastics industry has the greatest responsibility and the most opportunity to combat plastic pollution, but lack confidence that the industry will enact change without standards for accountability. Consequently, we find strong support for a variety of measures that would reduce plastic pollution.
Concerns Around Plastic Pollution
More than three-quarters of voters (78 percent) report being “somewhat concerned” or “very concerned” about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and our oceans. Democratic voters (87 percent) are more likely to report being concerned about plastic pollution than Independent (81 percent) or Republican voters (68 percent), yet strong concerns persist across partisanship.
Many respondents report they are doing what they can to cut down on their personal plastic waste. In particular, 70 percent of voters report they recycle household products, while 62 percent report they reduce their usage of plastic bags, bottles, and containers.
Indeed, voters think that actors throughout society share some responsibility for addressing plastic pollution. When asked about the responsibility that different stakeholders have to manage plastic pollution, 65 percent of voters say the plastics industry has “a lot of responsibility,” in contrast with the recycling industry and the federal government, which are seen as having a lot of responsibility by 52 percent and 49 percent of voters, respectively. Forty-one percent of voters also say that both they themselves and their communities have a lot of responsibility to address plastic pollution.
However, most voters think individuals and their personal actions are not principally responsible for plastic pollution — but rather the responsibility lies with the plastics industry. When asked who could have the most impact in addressing plastic pollution, a plurality of voters (41 percent) choose the plastics industry, followed by 18 percent who select the federal government and 13 percent who select the recycling industry.
Despite this belief that the plastics industry could have the greatest impact on pollution, there is a general lack of trust that industries will take action without accountability. Sixty percent of respondents — including half of Republicans — have little to no confidence in major industries and manufacturers to address plastic pollution without government enforcement.
Attitudes Toward Plastic Pollution Mitigation Policies
Plastic pollution is a visible and salient issue for voters, and Data for Progress finds strong support for mitigation measures. Most respondents (69 percent) support a ban on single-use plastics in their communities after reading about how such plastics generally can’t be recycled. While Democrats (82 percent) are most in favor of a single-use plastics ban, majorities of Independents (68 percent) and Republicans (60 percent) also back the idea. A majority of voters (62 percent) also support a proposed Skip-the-Stuff Bill, which would prohibit restaurants from providing single-use plastics without customer request.
Programs that encourage the reuse of materials like beverage containers, such as the public-private partnership implemented in Seattle, also test well. A strong majority of voters (78 percent) support such programs, including 72 percent of Republicans. Additionally, voters resoundingly back the goals proposed by the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution. These goals include reducing plastic production and consumption, setting durability standards for plastics, and implementing eco-friendly waste management processes. An overwhelming majority (82 percent) of voters would support the U.S. implementing legislation modeled on this framework, including 76 percent of Republicans, 83 percent of Independents, and 89 percent of Democrats.
In another test of plastic pollution mitigation proposals, respondents were randomly assigned to read one of two descriptions of the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021, a bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Alan Lowenthal. This bill seeks to reduce the amount of plastic produced while also reforming national waste and recycling systems. When using standard policy message framing, the bill garners significant support, with 78 percent of voters in favor. When employing a messaging frame focused on corporate accountability, the proposal maintains similar overall levels of support (77 percent), but gains support among Independents, who shift from a +58-point margin of support to a +69-point margin.
Plastic pollution is a visible threat both to Americans’ physical health and the well-being of the environment. A majority of voters see this plastic pollution as a crisis of shared responsibility, but one that primarily must be addressed by the industries that produced the problem in the first place. With clear support for mitigation proposals that tackle plastic pollution and hold corporations accountable, the U.S. should move forward on bold policies that ensure our environment and our health are safe for generations to come.
Grace Adcox (@GraceAdcox) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.
Kevin Hanley (@kebhanley) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.