Bioplastics, as innovative and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastics, present a promising solution to pressing environmental issues such as plastic waste and carbon emissions. Understanding consumer acceptance is essential for promoting sustainable bioplastic consumption in Japan. This study investigates how targeted information provision influences both willingness to pay (WTP) and purchase intention (PI) for bioplastic bottles, using a large-scale online survey conducted in March 2024 with 2,554 respondents in Japan. Participants were randomly assigned to either an information-provided group or a control group. An extended norm activation theory (NAT) framework was employed to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting consumers’ WTP and PI for plant-based and biodegradable plastic bottles. The results reveal that consumers exhibit a slightly higher WTP for both plant-based and biodegradable plastic bottles compared with conventional plastic bottles at 150 yen, with average WTP reaching 157.32 yen (4.88% increase) and 156.78 yen (4.52% increase), respectively. NAT constructs, particularly personal norm, exert a stronger influence on PI in the absence of information provision, whereas extended constructs, especially subjective knowledge, become more influential when information is provided. These findings highlight the significance of integrating psychological strategies with informational interventions to foster the adoption of bioplastic products in Japan.
Cao et al. (2026) studied this question.