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No plastic bag campaign day in Malaysia and the policy implication

Author

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  • Irina Zen
  • Rahmalan Ahamad
  • Wahid Omar

Abstract

The weekly No Plastic Bag Campaign Day comprises of an added charge of MYR 0.20 (USD 0.06) per plastic bag in supermarkets and grocery stores. The objective is to reduce plastic bag consumption and save the environment. However, the campaign has provoked a range of reactions from the public including consumers, policy makers, environmentalists and the plastic industry. Considering consumers as the major consequence, this paper evaluates the impact of the campaign on consumer awareness, knowledge, attitude and behavior and discusses and explores the various implications of the policy. The study gathers a questionnaire survey from 262 households in the State of Johor and employs a semi-structured interview with the relevant stakeholders. A descriptive statistical analysis as well as T test and correlations analysis has been performed using the Statistical Software for Social Science. The T test analysis explains the complex relationship between attitude and behavior. Consumers are more supportive of the plastic bag ban in the supermarkets but not its extension to other types of public markets. The study records the consumers’ behavior-changing process in the three types of anti-consumer behavior, listed as (1) fully anti-consumption (67 %), (2) partial anti-consumption (33 %) and (3) no anti-consumption this last group comprising of those who resent and dissatisfy of the No Plastic Bag Campaign. The first type of fully anti-consumption behavior reveals the potential of reusable shopping bag practice to be implemented coupled with the educational Bring Your Own Shopping Bag campaign. The plastic bag levy in Malaysia can be seen as part of the government effort to create a sustainable consumption society; however, it needs a support from the regulatory or legislative framework that will provide clear guidelines and mechanisms for consumers, the retailers, supermarkets and the plastic industry. The implications of plastic bag usage for garbage bin liners as part of the basic requirement of the solid waste management reveal the urgency to look at the plastic bag levy from the solid waste management perspective. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:15:y:2013:i:5:p:1259-1269
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-013-9437-1
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    1. 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.
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    1. Sheng-Hsiung Chang & Ching-Hsien Chou, 2018. "Consumer Intention toward Bringing Your Own Shopping Bags in Taiwan: An Application of Ethics Perspective and Theory of Planned Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, May.
    2. Yong Li & Bairong Wang, 2021. "Go Green and Recycle: Analyzing the Usage of Plastic Bags for Shopping in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-10, November.
    3. Yongtao Gan & Jian Gao & Jiahao Zhang & Xia Wu & Tian Zhang & Mengjun Shao, 2022. "University Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Related to Marine Environment Pollution," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Erkan Arı & Veysel Yılmaz, 2017. "Consumer attitudes on the use of plastic and cloth bags," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1219-1234, August.
    5. Olavo Pinto & Beatriz Casais, 2023. "Multilevel implications for anti-consumption social marketing within the public policy framework for SDG realization: a systematic literature review," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 20(3), pages 605-634, September.
    6. Towhid Babazadeh & Haidar Nadrian & Mohammad Mosaferi & Hamid Allahverdipour, 2018. "Identifying Challenges and Barriers to Participating in the Source Separation of Waste Program in Tabriz, Northwest of Iran: A Qualitative Study from the Citizens’ Perspective," Resources, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-14, August.
    7. Muhammad Shahid Khan & Poramet Saengon & Amr Mohammed Nasser Alganad & Duangkamol Chongcharoen & Muhammad Farrukh, 2020. "Consumer green behaviour: An approach towards environmental sustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1168-1180, September.
    8. Luciano Ferreira Silva & Arnoldo José Hoyos Guevara & Ernesto D. R. Santibanez Gonzalez & Paulo Sergio Gonçalves Oliveira, 2019. "Evolution toward environment sustainable behavior: search for survival in the plastic industry in Brazil," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 1291-1320, June.
    9. Leticia Sarmento dos Muchangos & Akihiro Tokai & Atsuko Hanashima, 2019. "Greenhouse gas emissions and cost assessments of municipal solid waste treatment and final disposal in Maputo City," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 145-163, February.
    10. Nur Baizura Aini Abdullah & Nor Azwany Yaacob & Razan Ab Samat & Ahmad Filza Ismail, 2022. "Knowledge, Readiness and Barriers of Street Food Hawkers to Support the Single-Use Plastic Reduction Program in Northeast Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    11. Ka Ker Coco Chin & Janardan Mahanta & Tapan Kumar Nath, 2023. "Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices toward Plastic Pollution among Malaysians: Implications for Minimizing Plastic Use and Pollution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-13, January.
    12. 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.
    13. Bishal Bharadwaj, 2016. "Plastic Bag Ban in Nepal: Enforcement and Effectiveness," Working Papers id:11548, eSocialSciences.

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