Using emotional appeal to encourage recycle and reuse behaviors

Based on a sample of U.S. adult participants (N = 1015), this messaging experiment reveals that a mock-up Instagram post highlighting the environmental impact of plastic waste was more effective in eliciting anger, disgust, and hopelessness than a message highlighting the health impact of plastic waste. These emotions, along with fear and anxiety, were positively associated with perceived risks of plastic waste to both human health and the environment. Together, emotional response to and cognitive evaluation of the risks motivated people to process the message in a thoughtful, deliberate manner, which contributed to attitudes and behavioral intention toward recycle and reuse. These findings suggest that persuasion intended to encourage recycle and reuse behaviors among American consumers should primarily focus on the environmental impact of plastic waste, while anger and disgust may be effective emotional appeals.