Factors That May Influence the Purchasing Behavior of U.S. Consumers in Relation to Bioplastic Plant Containers

The horticulture industry is reliant on nonrenewable, petroleum-based containers for growing and selling plants. Although a limited infrastructure exists for recycling such containers, the reality is that over 95% of nonrenewable plant containers end up in landfills. Our team has been developing and testing biorenewable, bioplastic plant containers as alternatives to petroleum-based containers, and is interested in factors that may influence the market for different versions of these sustainable containers. We developed a survey tool that would help us answer the following questions: 1) are consumers likely to purchase plants in bioplastic containers; 2) for which container attributes are consumers more likely to pay extra; and 3) which factors may be predictors for likelihood to purchase and willingness to pay extra for plants in different bioplastic container types. In May 2015, we used the Survey Monkey Audience™ tool to survey a subset of the U.S. adult population with an interest in gardening. We received 1,524 usable surveys from all major geographic regions of the U.S. Most respondents were between 25 and 64 years of age (91.5%; n=1,394) and were white (81%; n=1,234).  Seventy percent (n=1,067) were homeowners, and 63% (n=960) were female. Over half (51%; n=777) had household incomes under $50,000 annually, with a range from under $25,000 to over $200,000. Greater than three-fourths of respondents (77%; n=1,180) had at least some college experience. Our results suggest that greater than 90% of gardening consumers would purchase plants in bioplastic containers if they were available. Most consumers would be willing to pay a premium (extra amount) for plants grown in bioplastic containers, but the premium amount varied based on container type and characteristics. The premium that consumers would pay for plants in containers that provide a fertilizer effect was greater than the premium they would pay for plants in containers that biodegrade in soil or that decompose under composting conditions (p<0.005). Containers that are compostable, but not biodegradable in soil, were less popular than other bioplastic container types, but will appeal to a niche market comprised of “environmentally sensitive” consumers. Along with improving sustainability of the industry, use of bioplastic containers may provide a greater profit margin by fetching a price premium above that of plants grown in standard petroleum-plastic containers.