Braz. political sci. rev.2026;20(2):e0008.

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Political Dynamics and Strategies of the Pro-Plastic Advocacy Coalition in Brazil

Isabela Ribeiro Borges de Carvalho , Isabella de Carvalho Vallin , Cristiane Kerches da Silva Leite , Sylmara Francelino Lopes Gonçalves-Dias

DOI: 10.1590/1981-3821202600020008

Abstract

This article analyzes the political dynamics and strategies of the hegemonic coalition advocating for the interests of Brazil’s plastics value chain. This is a central issue in global debates on the causes of environmental crises and climate change. More specifically, the article examines this coalition’s strategies, tactics, and narratives, using the pattern identified across 15 countries on five continents in the Changing Markets Foundation’s report ‘Talking Trash’ as a reference. This qualitative study draws on secondary data from government reports, trade associations, civil society organizations, and academic studies to create a descriptive mapping of the coalition’s key actors and the dominant interpretive frame in the plastics field. Thus, drawing on theoretical frameworks from public policy and the theory of strategic action fields (FLIGSTEIN and McADAM, 2012), the article examines how the strategic actions of the dominant coalition in the field. Advocating for the interests of Brazil’s plastics value chain, how are configured and the extent to which the coalition’s strategies, tactics, and narratives, which exhibit a consistent pattern across countries, shape the interpretive frame of the plastics field in Brazil.