Ban the Bag: Support for Plastic Bag Reduction Strategies in Northeast Ohio

Bartolotta, Jill; Hardy, Scott D.

doi:10.1111/j.1936-704x.2021.3361.x

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Referring to that, our findings support the idea of " structive quitting", which is perceived as a new growth strategy [54] to build someth better [55]. The results of the survey, which revealed that customers support business legislation reducing the unlimited accessibility to plastic carrier bags with a fee or [56], can have an impact on putting the idea into practice. The choice of a specific scen to focus on in policy making also depends on the national priorities, although it is li The present study has limitations, which should be considered in future research.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

Socioeconomic Impacts of Sustainability Practices in the Production and Use of Carrier Bags

Lekavičius,

Bobinaitė,

Balsiūnaitė

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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Although the negative environmental impact of plastic carrier bags has long been known, their use in Europe continues undiminished. Lithuania stands out for its high use and production of plastic bags. Governments and sustainability-driven businesses are taking various measures to reduce the environmental impact. Such measures include strategies to replace conventional plastic bags with paper or bioplastic bags, to reduce plastic bags by encouraging consumers to reuse them, and similar strategies. In contrast to the environmental impact of plastic bags, the socioeconomic effects of strategies to reduce their use have been much less studied in the scientific literature. Therefore, this paper analyses the impact of sustainability practices in the producing and using of carrier bags on Lithuania’s gross domestic product (GDP), employment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study uses the CleanProdLT computable general equilibrium model based on the latest available data for 2020. The model allows for analysis of economy-wide effects by considering cleaner production and more sustainable consumption scenarios at different levels of detail. The results of the analysis show that while the analysed substitution of plastic bags with bioplastic (BioPlastic scenario) or paper bags (PaperBags scenario) has positive socioeconomic impacts, the overall best results can be achieved by reducing their consumption (ConsReduction scenario). In detail, it is estimated that the GDP could increase by EUR 18 million under the PaperBags scenario, by EUR 47 million under the BioPlastic scenario, and by EUR 64 million under the ConsReduction scenario. At the same time, employment increases by 213 jobs, 891 jobs, and 449 jobs, respectively. While the PaperBags and the BioPlastic scenarios reveal increases in GHG emissions of 4.5 ktCO2eq. and 29 ktCO2eq., respectively, the ConsReduction scenario demonstrates a decrease in GHG emissions of 4 ktCO2eq.. These findings suggest that the recent policy decision to charge for plastic bags in supermarkets will have positive environmental and socioeconomic impacts in the future.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

Socioeconomic Impacts of Sustainability Practices in the Production and Use of Carrier Bags

Lekavičius,

Bobinaitė,

Balsiūnaitė

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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“…This supported the importance of combined instruments of knowledge, fees, charges, and levy campaigns in Malaysia, Portugal, and the USA, where the addition of choice along with the ban may create positive responses and nudge consumers' behavior more than a single banning policy [12,20,[54][55][56][57]. The application of economic tools is delicate as a small fee for SUPs may acknowledge the consumers' awareness to pay for the unnecessary disposable materials [58], whereas high-priced bags create the perception of punishment or "buck-passing", which refers to a business strategy metaphor of avoiding responsibility by delegating it to someone else [59].…”

Section: Economic Incentive and Value Approachesmentioning

confidence: 80%

The First Step of Single-Use Plastics Reduction in Thailand

et al. 2022

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Single-use plastics reduction is the primary mission of SDG promotion in Thailand. This study discusses the implementation and challenges of plastics reduction campaigns through interviews and field investigations focusing on stakeholder participation and perceptions of policy approaches in Bangkok. Convenience and economic factors are the major challenges for reduction practices in addition to insufficient financial support and the weak participation of stakeholders, all of which lead to the avoidance of penalties, reliance on voluntary collaborations, and market-led measures. The implementation of a ban without preparation guidelines for alternatives, practices, and an unequal regulatory scope has created tensions for consumers and businesses. Suasive instruments drawing on consumer merit, emotion, and ethics, in addition to incentives that lead to the perception of benefits related to single-use plastics reduction, could provide a motivation for society and shift current behaviors. Policymakers need to collaborate with academics and NGOs to provide the private sector and consumers with detailed, suitable, and short- and long-term strategies that promote pro-environmental behavior, encourage reuse, and discourage single-use practices—including clear duration times, targets, detailed guidelines, and facilities. The combination of a ban and a penalty, while still offering a fee as an alternative option and maintaining acknowledgment and communication with stakeholders, would result in better consumer feedback.

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