Reducing Plastic Bottle Use through Graphic Warnings: Evidence from an Online Experiment

Abstract

Abstract Single-use plastic consumption remains a major environmental challenge, prompting policymakers to explore new strategies to reduce demand. While financial incentives such as deposit fees have shown effectiveness, behavioral interventions, particularly graphic warnings, remain underexplored in the context of plastic waste reduction. This study examines whether warning labels on plastic packaging can influence consumer behavior related to single-use plastics. In a randomized controlled experiment, participants were assigned to one of three conditions: a control group, a text-only group, or a graphic warning label depicting wildlife harm caused by plastic pollution. Participants viewed mock plastic water bottle packaging and reported their purchase intention, recycling intention, and willingness to pay. The study also assessed emotional responses, attitudes toward plastic use, subjective norms, environmental concern, and plastic consumption behavior. Results show that the graphic warning label significantly reduced purchase intention compared to the control condition. Mediation analysis confirmed that this effect was driven by emotional responses, particularly disgust. No significant effects were found for recycling intention, and willingness to pay was unexpectedly lower in the text-only condition. These findings suggest that while graphic warnings may not influence all aspects of behavior, they can function as effective low-cost nudges to reduce demand for plastic products. Graphic warning labels should therefore be viewed as a complementary tool within broader policy strategies to address plastic pollution.