New Pollster Data Informs Chemical Recycling Messaging

Still, despite the generally favorable baseline, advanced recycling isn’t destined to become a core issue to many Americans. And the public is easily persuadable when the topic isn’t near and dear to their heart. So Belcher and Gianiny advise that advocates of chemical recycling do two things. First, they should get out in front of the issue and drive the narrative; they can’t rest on the prior favorables since it’s a fragile sentiment that consumers aren’t likely to feel strongly about. Second, once the industry has begun undertaking the messaging campaign, they need to be very careful in which messages on which they choose to focus.When chemical recycling is explained impartially, it's received extremely favorably, regardless of political leanings.

“When you’re in a position of power, you don’t want to punch down,” Belcher says. “Advocates that punch down are usually losing—the baseline here is that advanced recycling is a positive thing so don’t go negative.”

Going negative, in this case, would be to denigrate other materials’ sustainability and recycling profiles—there’s no need to point out the tradeoffs associated with paper, aluminum, or glass. But beyond that, given this isn’t an issue that’s likely to inspire passion, advanced recycling advocates have to focus messaging on how advanced recycling is likely to affect the average American.

“Also, don’t get wonky. I’m sure the technology is really cool, and you could make my head spin in explaining the scientific breakthroughs you’ve made in unlocking chemical recycling. But your scientific prowess isn’t going to be seen as impacting the lives of regular Americans.”

There’s a sustainability and carbon footprint case to be made for advanced recycling, but that lands best with the more progressive side of the aisle, leaving out a big swath of persuadable Americans.These three messages in favor of chemical recycling are most potent across the political spectrum. Sustainability and circularity messaging should be targeted to more progressive pockets.

All these factors considered, Belcher and Gianiny’s polling revealed three primary messages that demonstrate to average consumers how advanced recycling can positively impact the lives of people of all political persuasions.

• Chemical recycling will keep seven billion pounds of non-recycled U.S. plastic out of landfills.
• Chemical recycling will generate 150 new facilities, and 48,500 new American jobs, with $12.9 billion in new economic output.
• Chemical recycling will create more new manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and not in foreign countries, like China.

“Stick with this messaging for the big picture,” Belcher advises chemical recycling proponents across the value chain. “You can get more granular, and focus on sustainability messaging in specific progressive pockets, but nationally, you can only really push two to three messages at a time. If you have 10 different messages, you have no message at all.” 

Belcher likens the public sentiment on chemical recycling today, to that of the organic food trend of a decade ago. "Like organics before Whole Foods, consumers want this," he says. "They just don’t know it yet.”

One last interesting note from the pollsters results: the industry has been indecisive in what to call this tech. It was thought that terms like chemical or molecular recycling would turn off the public, and many in the industry pivoted to the term advanced recycling. But Belcher and Gianiny’s polling indicate that chemical recycling polled just fine. PW