Image-Boost vs. Greenwashing? Communicating the ... · 29.11.2016 / Plastics Heritage / Slide 6...

Image-Boost vs. Greenwashing?

Communicating the Opportunities

and Challenges of innovative

BioplasticsJulia-Maria Blesin, Miriam Jaspersen & Wiebke Möhring

29.11.2016 / Plastics Heritage / Slide 2 Julia Blesin, Miriam Jaspersen & Wiebke Möhring

Introduction: Communicating the Research Findings

regarding Bioplastics

BiNa (www.biokunststoffe-nachhaltig.de)

Julia-Maria Blesin

Project Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Wiebke Möhring(until February 2016: Hochschule Hannover; as of March 2016: TU Dortmund)

• Focusing on the public’s perception of bioplastics

• Funded by BMBF• Research models:

• website analysis • guided interviews • public opinion survey (online)

• Focusing on product

communication of bioplastics

• Funded by BMEL

• Research models:

• analysis of advertising material

• guided interviews

• Three focus groups in April & six focus

groups in May 2016

• 8 participants/group in Hannover

• Quota by age, gender, level of

education, environmental awareness

• Research focus: associations

and attitudes towards bioplastics

and products made of bioplastics

among consumers and the

general public

FNG (http://fng.ifbb-hannover.de)

Miriam Jaspersen


Plastics Heritage: From a modern Miracle to a Threat

for the EnvironmentImage Source: Appendix

Sources: Braun, 2013; Kotte, 2014; Plastics Europe, 2015, VDI-Informationszentrum, 2015


Plastics Heritage: Consumer Concerns about

Petroleum-based Plastics

Plastic’s

Image

Resource Basis

Fossil-based, non-

renewable Resources

Waste Disposal

Garbage

• Marine Littering

Recycling

Price

affordable

Characteristics

unhealthy

worthless

hygienic

convenient

“[…] And when one sees those pictures

of baby seals with six pack rings around

their throats… Pictures like that burn

themselves into a person‘s memory

forever.“ Jessica (33)

“[…] sometimes things smell

terrible when they‘re taken

out of the package.

Household goods, clothing,

all sorts of things...“

Dana (38)

“[…] natural resources aren‘t

infinite. At some point there

won‘t be any more oil…“

Carsten (43)

Sources: BiNa 2016a, FNG, 2016; BMEL, 2012; BMUB, 2014


Bioplastics – The Solution?

Source: European Bioplastics


7.1%

36.3%

56.7%

Yes, I have heard of Bioplastics, and I knowexactly what they are.

Yes, I have heard of them before.

No, I have never heard of them.

Challenge I – Lack of Awareness

We would like to find out, if you’ve ever heard of

Bioplastics? (BiNa, 2016b, Online-Access-Panel; n=1673)

The quantitative and qualitative survey results are coherent and

complement one another.


• Organic cultivation of raw

materials („bio“)

• Use of plant-based residual

material

• Oil conservation

Waste reduction through

composting

Plant-based raw materials

Associations with

Bioplastics

Resulting

Expectations


in general

Insufficient Familiarity with Bioplastics

Challenge II – High expectations which reality is

unable to fulfill

Biodegradable

• „Non-toxic“ & non-hazardous products

• Environmentally friendly & fair working conditions

• „Product upgrade“: Reduction of negative characteristics & emphasis on

functionality (e.g. enhanced portability, odorless)

Resulting

Expectations

regarding the

Products

Possible

ReactionsUNCERTAINTYACCEPTANCE

INFORMATION INPUT ABOUT STATUS QUO


Challenge II – High expectations which reality is

unable to fulfill

Possible

Reactions

UNCERTAINTY

• Concerns about competition

with food sources

• Suspicion of „greenwashing“

• Disappointment with product

• No effect on product selection

ACCEPTANCE

• Endorsed by Research &

Development

• Recognition as an alternative

• Influence on product selection


„[…] misuse of food sources, because corn and

other types of plants are used for Bioplastics.“

Katharina (23)

„What‘s ‚bio‘ about that? It

contaminates the earth too.“

Carsten (43)

„I would have thought that

Bioplastics were more

environmentally friendly, because

they are biodegradable. Now I‘m a

bit shocked.“ Peter (62)


Associations with

Bioplastics

Resulting

Expectations


in general

Insufficient Familiarity with Bioplastics

Challenge III – Prevailing low Expectations

„The consumer pays

the bill.“

Resulting

Expectations

regarding the

Products

Short-lived

„Bio“ = expensive

• Fossil resources less

expensive than

renewable resources

• Industry investment

necessary

Biodegradable

• More brittle and

damageable

• Less appealing

visually

Possible

ReactionsUNCERTAINTYACCEPTANCE


„It would probably be

expensive to develop and

thus ultimately expensive for

the end-user.“ Philip (25)

„It‘s possible that bioplastics

are not as durable,

as I would like.“ Farid (47)


The Consumer’s Viewpoint: How to communicate

more effectively…

Seite 10

• Accurate information based on facts

(not generic, stereotypical slogans)

• By offering more intensive and detailed

information platforms

• By communicating the central

message: „Without crude oil“

• By keeping the public informed on R&D

• By avoiding exaggerated, sermonizing

communication

III III


Conclusion: Image-Boost vs. Greenwashing? It’s not

just a question of communication...

Seite 11

III III

Plastic’s

Image

Resource Basis

Fossil-based, non-renewable

Resources

Waste Disposal

Recycling

(Marine) Littering

Price

afford-able

Character-istics

unhealthy

worthless

hygienic

convenient

• Consumers perceive

potentials associated with

characteristics such as

„biodegradable“ and „bio-

based“

• The challenge for the

stakeholders is to create

the right conditions for

capitalizing on this potential

• Effective communication

campaigns can fulfill a

support-/mediation-function

in achieving this end


Conclusion: Main Objectives regarding Communication

with Consumers

WHAT?

Increase Familiarity and general

Knowledge

HOW?

Reduce complexity

Seite 12

Establish realistic Expectations

and Acceptability

Dispel incorrect expectations – both

positive and negative

Communicate decisive advantages,

e.g. organic basis and its

independence from petroleum

Provide transparency regarding the

social and ecological sustainability with

respect to LCA/SLCA

Introduce alternate terms


We would like to thank you for your attention!

Prof. Dr. Wiebke Möhring

[email protected]

Julia-Maria Blesin, M. A

[email protected]

Miriam Jaspersen, Dipl.Medienwiss.

[email protected]

Hochschule Hannover

Expo Plaza 12

30539 Hannover


Bibliography

• Braun, D. (2013). Kleine Geschichte der Kunststoffe. München: Carl Hanser Verlag.

• BiNa (2016a). Ergebnisse von Gruppendiskussionen zur Bevölkerungswahrnehmung von Biokunststoffen im April 2016.

Unveröffentlichte Studie an der Hochschule Hannover.

• BiNa (2016b). Ergebnisse einer bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Online-Acces-Panelbefragung im Juli 2016. Unveröffentlichte

Studie an den Hochschulen Hannover und Weihenstephan-Triesdorf.

• Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (2012). GfK-Umfrage im Auftrag des BMEL zu biobasiertem

Wirtschaften. Checked October 10th 2016 under http://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/Landwirtschaft/Bioenergie-

NachwachsendeRohstoffe/BiobasierteWirtschaftInfomappe/INFOTEXT_Umfrage.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

• Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, Bau und Reaktorsicherheit und Umweltbundesamt (2014). Umweltbewusstsein in

Deutschland 2014. Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Bevölkerungsumfrage.

Checked October 10th 2016 under http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/publikationen/umweltbewusstsein-in-deutschland-2014

• FNG (2016). Ergebnisse von Gruppendiskussionen zur Konsumentenwahrnehmung von Biokunststoffprodukten im Mai 2016.

Unveröffentlichte Studie an der Hochschule Hannover.

• Kotte, H.-H. (2014). Die Wiederkehr des Verdrängten. Warum greifen wir beim Plastik immer noch so gerne zu? Interview mit

einem Konsumexperten. In: Fluter (52), S. 18–21. Checked October 10th 2016 under http://www.fluter.de/de/139/thema/13153/

• Plastics Europe (2015). Plastics – the Facts 2015. An analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data. Last

checked October 10th 2016 under http://www.plasticseurope.org/documents/document/20151216062843-

plastics_the_facts_2015_final_30pages_14122015.pdf

• VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH (Hrsg.) (2015). Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen, Senken und Lösungsansätze, Mögliche

Handlungsfelder für die Forschung. Last checked October 10th 2016 under http://

http://www.fona.de/mediathek/pdf/Plastik_in_der_Umwelt_Forschung.pdf

http://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/Landwirtschaft/Bioenergie-NachwachsendeRohstoffe/BiobasierteWirtschaftInfomappe/INFOTEXT_Umfrage.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

http://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/publikationen/umweltbewusstsein-in-deutschland-2014

http://www.fluter.de/de/139/thema/13153/

http://www.plasticseurope.org/documents/document/20151216062843-plastics_the_facts_2015_final_30pages_14122015.pdf

http://www.fona.de/mediathek/pdf/Plastik_in_der_Umwelt_Forschung.pdf


Image Sources

Slide 1:

- PLA Rezyklat, Marina Mudersbach, http://ifbb.wp.hs-hannover.de/bina/

Slide 3:

- left: http://www.nwhm.org/blog/throwbackthursday-vintage-commercials-and-advertisements-part-2/

- right: Midway: Message from the Gyre (2009 – Current), Chris Jordan,

http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/midway/#CF000313%2018x24

Slide 5:

- http://www.european-bioplastics.org/bioplastics/materials/

Image-Boost vs. Greenwashing? Communicating the ... · 29.11.2016 / Plastics Heritage / Slide 6...

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