Are climate change perceptions related with plastic policy support? Effects of climate change skepticism, guilt, and efficacy on the acceptance of the plastic tax

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0337327 December 29, 2025 24 / 30 Value-based patterns align with Stern’s [14] VBN theory, where environmentalism, altruism, and egalitarianism activate moral obligation toward collective action. Our study uniquely demonstrates that materialistic values create competing motivational frameworks, supporting post-materialist theory [64] while extending it to taxation contexts. Climate skepticism’s strong negative effect (β = −.122) and moderation patterns reveal motivated reasoning processes where ideological beliefs filter information processing [24]. Our contribution lies in demonstrating how skepticism interacts with materialism to strengthen opposition, suggesting policy communication must address both cognitive and motivational barriers simultaneously. The guilt and efficacy interactions represent theoretical advances in environmental psychology. Unlike previous studies focusing on direct effects [90], our research reveals boundary conditions where emotional and cognitive factors amplify or attenuate value-based motivations. Policy implications These findings have important policy implications requiring simultaneous consideration of multiple variables for plastic tax implementation. From a factor perspective, balanced mixes of values, risk perception, and planned behavior should be reflected in policy. First, introducing plastic tax requires educating the public about climate change risks. Although climate change risks

are visible, risk communication remains lacking. Therefore, we need to effectively communicate facts and present climate change evidence to the public. Second, environmentalism, trust, and climate change concerns have significant relationships with plastic tax acceptabil- ity. These variables differ in nature: environmentalism relates to values, trust to perceptions, and climate change skepti- cism to evaluative attitudes. Persuasive strategies should consider these attributes through three approaches: values-based persuasion using moral reframing strategies that align messages with recipients’ core values [114]; perception-focused strategies using visualization and narrative techniques making abstract risks concrete [115]; and attitude-targeted interventions leveraging existing positive attitudes as bridges to new behaviors [116]. Our main finding that climate change skepticism, guilt, and efficacy act as moderating variables suggests plastic tax implementation requires strategic efforts focused on overcoming skepticism, imposing responsibility, and increasing efficacy. Skepticism can be addressed through evidence-based communication strategies as demonstrated in Ireland’s successful plastic bag levy [117]. For imposing responsibility, the UK’s approach combined guilt messaging with corporate responsibility frames, resulting in 86% reduction in single-use plastic bags [118]. Efficacy was effectively built in Sweden through community-based initiatives showcasing tangible impacts [119].

Our findings confirmed the policy-relevant mechanism connecting public acceptance to plastic tax implementation and consumption reduction. Nielsen et al. [22] demonstrates that public acceptance is critical for successful plastic tax imple- mentation, minimizing political resistance and increasing compliance. When implemented, plastic taxes effectively reduce consumption – Homonoff et al. [11] documented 42% decrease in plastic bag use after taxation in Chicago, while Convery et al. [117] that Ireland’s plastic bag levy led to a reduction in usage by over 90%, demonstrating how strong public sup- port enabled effective implementation and substantial behavioral change. Implementation recommendations To strengthen policy relevance, we offer specific recommendations. First, targeted communication strategies address- ing psychological factors are essential. Rivers et al. [10] demonstrated that messages emphasizing collective efficacy increased environmental tax support by 37%, while Gifford et al. [111] showed guilt-framed messages were effective for environmentally-concerned citizens but counterproductive for skeptics. Phased implementation with initial focus on single-use items allows adaptive policy design. Xanthos et al. [120] found gradual introduction with 6–12 month prepara- tion periods substantially improved business compliance and public acceptance.