The packaging industry's significant role in plastic production and environmental pollution underscores the need for more sustainable alternatives. Bioplastics emerge as a promising solution, yet consumer understanding of this innovative material often lags, particularly in emerging markets. This study thus aims to explore effective marketing strategies for communicating bioplastic packaging to shape consumer adoption and disposal practices in such markets. Through a case study approach, we examine the role of ecolabels as a marketing tool across key sectors of the bioplastic packaging supply chain. Drawing upon the signalling theory, we identify key characteristics of effective signals, including costly signalling, visibility, clarity, fitness, consistency and credibility, which should be integrated into a broader context of ecolabels design in order to encourage consumer adoption and responsible disposal. Our study also identifies instances where noises from the environment may have little impact and where communication gaps hinder feedback loops between consumers and producers.

中文翻译：

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探索生态标签作为营销策略的功效：来自新兴生物塑料包装市场的见解


包装行业在塑料生产和环境污染中发挥着重要作用，这凸显了对更可持续替代品的需求。生物塑料成为一种有前途的解决方案，但消费者对这种创新材料的了解往往滞后，特别是在新兴市场。因此，本研究旨在探索有效的营销策略，以传播生物塑料包装，以塑造此类市场中消费者的采用和处置实践。通过案例研究方法，我们研究了生态标签作为生物塑料包装供应链关键部门的营销工具的作用。利用信号理论，我们确定了有效信号的关键特征，包括昂贵的信号、可见性、清晰度、适用性、一致性和可信度，这些特征应整合到更广泛的生态标签设计背景中，以鼓励消费者采用和负责任的处置。我们的研究还确定了环境噪音可能影响很小以及沟通差距阻碍消费者和生产者之间的反馈循环的情况。