Season 2, Episode 7: The Language of Plastics—Why Words Matter
Update: 2025-03-11
Description
🗣️ How do words shape the way we think about plastics? In this episode of Crazy About Packaging, the C.A.P. Pack sits down with Dr. Joanna Gavins, a cognitive linguist from the University of Sheffield, to explore how language influences public perception of plastic, recycling, and sustainability.
🎧 Tune in to learn:
- How a study of 4.5 million words revealed a major disconnect between consumers, brands, and policymakers on plastic discussions.
- Why companies’ sustainability messaging can unintentionally alienate consumers—and what to do instead.
- The surprising power of clear, direct language (and why telling people what not to do is sometimes more effective).
- How overusing eco-friendly buzzwords can actually make consumers less likely to trust a brand’s sustainability claims.
- Strategies to shift the narrative around plastics from “waste” to “resource.”
💡 Whether you're in packaging, marketing, or sustainability, this episode is packed with insights on how language can be a tool for real change.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or our website, and join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X. Subscribe to stay up to date with the latest discussions shaping the packaging industry!
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