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Behavioural Response To Plastic Bag Legislation In Botswana

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  • JOHANE DIKGANG
  • MARTINE VISSER

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of charges and standards in dealing with a common externality, plastic litter from shopping bags in Botswana. The country passed a plastic bag tax (effective 2007) to curb the plastic bag demand. Interestingly, the legislation did not force retailers to charge for plastic bags, which they did voluntarily at different prices. We assessed the environmental effectiveness and efficiency of the plastic bag legislation by analyzing consumers’ sensitivity to the improvement of the plastic bag and related price charges. The introduction of the plastic bag levy led to a significant decline in the consumption of plastic bags per 1,000 Botswana pulas of shopping. The partial success of the Botswana levy was due to the constantly high prices of the bags.
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Suggested Citation

  • Johane Dikgang & Martine Visser, 2012. "Behavioural Response To Plastic Bag Legislation In Botswana," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 80(1), pages 123-133, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:sajeco:v:80:y:2012:i:1:p:123-133
    DOI: j.1813-6982.2011.01289.x
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1813-6982.2011.01289.x
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. The impact of taxing plastic bags
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2010-07-16 19:46:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Thornton Matheson, 2022. "Disposal is not free: fiscal instruments to internalize the environmental costs of solid waste," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(4), pages 1047-1073, August.
    2. Jingze Jiang, 2016. "Peer Pressure in Voluntary Environmental Programs: a Case of the Bag Rewards Program," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 155-190, June.
    3. Irina Zen & Rahmalan Ahamad & Wahid Omar, 2013. "No plastic bag campaign day in Malaysia and the policy implication," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(5), pages 1259-1269, October.
    4. Ms. Thornton Matheson, 2019. "Disposal is Not Free: Fiscal Instruments to Internalize the Environmental Costs of Solid Waste," IMF Working Papers 2019/283, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Richard J. Kish, 2018. "Using Legislation To Reduce One†Time Plastic Bag Usage," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(2), pages 224-239, June.
    6. Tobias D. Nielsen & Jacob Hasselbalch & Karl Holmberg & Johannes Stripple, 2020. "Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), January.
    7. Isaac Omondi & Misuzu Asari, 2023. "Impact of Policy Design on Plastic Waste Reduction in Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Dikgang, Johane & Leiman, Anthony & Visser, Martine, 2012. "Analysis of the plastic-bag levy in South Africa," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 59-65.
    9. Kornhauser, Lewis & Lu, Yijia & Tontrup, Stephan, 2020. "Testing a fine is a price in the lab," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    10. Doris Knoblauch & Linda Mederake & Ulf Stein, 2018. "Developing Countries in the Lead—What Drives the Diffusion of Plastic Bag Policies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-24, June.
    11. Okto Irianto & Kosuke Mizuno & Safri Burhanuddin & Ninasapti Triaswati, 2022. "Formulating an Excise Duty on Plastic: A Strategy to Manage Marine Plastic Waste in Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Shosh Shahrabani, 2025. "The Long-Term Impact of Policy Intervention on Intention to Reduce Plastic Bag Usage in Israel: A Mediation Model Approach to Consumer Behavior and Environmental Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Rajendra Kumar Foolmaun & Dinkar Sharma Chamilall & Girish Munhurrun & Anand Sookun, 2021. "Was Mauritius really successful in banning plastic carry bags, after promulgation of the regulation prohibiting plastic bags usage?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 11660-11676, August.
    14. Yong Li & Bairong Wang & Yunyu Li, 2023. "The Influence of the Big Five Personality Traits on Residents’ Plastic Reduction Attitudes in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-12, May.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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