Environmental Value Assessment of Plastic Pollution Control: A Study Based on Evidence from a Survey in China

A scientific environmental management decision is based on the correct assessment of environmental value. Aiming to objectively and accurately assess the environmental value of plastic pollution treatment, in this paper, we design a choice experiment with four item characteristic attributes consisting of source reduction, recycling, cleanup and remediation and price. With the research data of 450 interviewed residents, a choice experiment method (CEM) and numerical simulation were used to comprehensively assess the environmental value of plastic pollution treatment in China, incorporating discount rates and future price changes of environmental products into the study. The results showed that: (1) residents’ willingness to pay per capita for source reduction, remediation and recycling was CNY 32.79, CNY 25.27 and CNY 15.78, respectively; (2) from the perspective of compensation surplus, the residents were willing to pay CNY 147.68 per capita for environmental improvement; (3) the dynamic curve of the value of plastic pollution control displayed an increasing, then gradually declining trend, and its total economic value of 100a was CNY 21,259.97 per capita; and (4) the model simulated the possible trajectory of future changes in plastic pollution control (three scenarios of constant, decreasing and increasing rates of development of plastic pollution control services) and found that addressing the plastic pollution problem early is more conducive to improving the overall welfare of society. This study can provide a basis for scientific evaluation of the benefits of plastic pollution management and allocation of pollution management resources.