Consumer Attitudes and Perceptions on Bioplastic Containers in the Horticulture Industry

The objectives of this study were to assess horticultural consumer attitudes and willingness to pay for bioplastic containers as an alternative to the unsustainable petroleum-based plastic containers currently available. Consumers’ attitudes and willingness to pay were accessed through the use of in-person surveys and consumer preference studies. The surveys were conducted in 2015 at 3 different locations in Iowa and 2 locations in Nevada while the consumer preference studies took place in 2016 in various retail greenhouses in Iowa. Surveys queried consumers on such matters as to whether they were a frequent plant buyer, what kinds of container characteristics they considered when buying a plant from a garden center or greenhouse, whether they’d be willing to pay more for a plant in a bioplastic containers, and how much more they would be willing to pay for the plant in a bioplastic container with attributes such as biodegradability, renewability, and fertilizer effect. 287 total horticultural consumers were surveyed with the results of the survey being overtly positive for the future marketability of bioplastic containers. Consumers indicated that they were most influenced by price (94% of respondents), ability to degrade in home compost or soil (78% and 80%, respectively), recyclability (67%), and fertilizer effect (67%). Further data analysis revealed that there was a strong correlation between an individual’s willingness to pay and their age or annual family income which has implications for the segmentation and marketing of bioplastic containers.