There's got to be more to this theory because it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense on the surface. There aren't that many instances where consumers are given a choice about the plastic content of the products they buy or the packaging they come in. And consumers that can afford to pay more to avoid plastic seem to do so, not for any environmental reason but because wood, metal, glass, cotton are perceived as higher quality.
It doesn't really seem that consumers as the end buyers of goods need to be convinced when we're mostly takers of goods.
In the mid-1970s, the growing environmental movement tried hard to tax or ban plastics, especially plastic packaging. The plastics industry responded by promoting recycling purely for its public-relations value. It was never economical, and often isn't even practical, even today.
I.e. An Exxon VP in 1994: "We are committed to the activities, but not committed to the results." [1]
It makes a lot of sense. Corporations make more money the more junk they produce.
If you have 10 minutes I recommend watching this video about how the lobby groups invented the whole idea of recycling plastic with the little numbered resin identification code that looks like a recycling symbol.
https://youtu.be/PJnJ8mK3Q3g
It doesn't really seem that consumers as the end buyers of goods need to be convinced when we're mostly takers of goods.