Changes in policy and consumer preferences create opportunity for substrate products based on Lake Erie dredged sediments

Abstract Dredging is a usual operation in waterways, often necessary to maintain navigability and economic activity of ports. A recent change in the policy governing dredging operations in Ohio, United States, has pressed the investigation on reuse applications of Lake Erie dredged sediments (LES). From a value chain management perspective, this article explores marketing opportunities for substrate products formulated with LES. A mixed-mode research approach departs from a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with Ohio residents to investigate consumer preferences for hypothetical products that claim to aid Lake Erie’s environmental pressure. It also uses a case study methodology and performs a content analysis of archival records and interviews with members of the regional mulch and substrate industry. Results indicate that consumers are willing to pay for verified sustainability claims involving Lake Erie, although significant preference heterogeneity reduces the accuracy of findings. Qualitative results underscore the need for an overarching value chain marketing program and favor the development of a short chain. Three macro strategies and eleven actionable projects of interest to stakeholders were designed and validated to support LES reutilization and value aggregation. This article demonstrates how DCE and the case study methodology can be combined to examine emerging market-oriented sustainable chains.