From Linear to Circular: Consumer Perspectives on Breaking Free from Single-Use Plastics in Taiwan

Plastic is ubiquitous, found around us and within us. Plastic pollution represents a critical global environmental challenge, with single-use plastics driving the triple planetary crisis and impacting all nine planetary boundaries. While the circular economy emerges as a sustainable alternative to the linear economy, interconnected barriers such as cultural, market, regulatory, and technological exist. Cultural challenges are frequently highlighted as critical impediments to the transition to a circular economy. This study aims to identify topical circular economy attributes, evaluate their importance and real-world performance, and reveal high priority circular economy attributes through importance-performance analysis in Taiwan. The analysis identified key attributes requiring immediate attention from the policymakers in Taiwan, including implementing no single-use plastics policies at restaurants, night markets, and shops; creating government-directed policies; providing financial incentives for consumers; improving government-business collaborations; and enhancing awareness campaigns. Based on the findings, we recommend empowering consumers to adopt a zero waste lifestyle, increasing learning hours for environmental education, setting up reusable cutlery stations at night markets, subsidizing for-profit businesses that engage in the circular economy, and reducing the price of reusable tableware through targeted subsidies, among others. Achieving a successful transition to a circular economy requires a cultural shift in consumer behaviour, emphasizing awareness, affordability, and the accessibility of reusable products. Consumers are key stakeholders in driving real-world impact by reducing consumption, refusing unnecessary products and practices, recycling, choosing eco-friendly and sustainable products, and supporting circular business models.