Plastic blindness: Lifting the blindfold through citizen science

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of a nationwide citizen science campaign on participants’ plastic waste behaviours, environmental attitudes, and political engagement. Drawing on three integrated data sources, The Big Plastic Count (a citizen science initiative involving over 160,000 UK households), a linked attitudes survey (N = 8130), and a natural experiment tracking petition signatures, we analyse how participation influenced awareness and action. Despite many participants reporting efforts to choose recyclable packaging, soft plastics, rarely recycled in practice, were the most frequently discarded items. Participants also significantly underestimated their overall plastic consumption, a disconnect we term plastic blindness, particularly pronounced among those shopping online. By making plastic waste visible, the campaign increased awareness, concern, and support for circular economy practices such as reuse and refill. Participation was also associated with a marked increase in petition signatures, suggesting that citizen science can not only be used to collect data and drive behavioural change, but also mobilise political action. This suggests that citizen science participation can serve as a catalyst for policy engagement, influencing public support for international environmental negotiations, such as the Global Plastics Treaty.