IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joamsc/v53y2025i2d10.1007_s11747-024-01041-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

(Un)intended spillovers of green government policies: The case of plastic regulations

Author

Listed:
  • Jenny Doorn

    (University of Groningen)

  • Hans Risselada

    (University of Groningen)

  • Stephanie M. Rizio

    (University of Groningen)

  • Mengfei Ye

    (University of Groningen)

Abstract

Governments enact various regulations to decrease the use of plastic. This raises the question of whether the effectiveness of such measures is restricted to the realm of the plastic products being regulated, or whether and how it ‘spills over’ on to the use of other plastic products. Leveraging scanner and survey data across 22 countries, the authors show that a ban or a charge on plastic bags strengthens descriptive social norms to avoid plastic, which in turn curbs the purchasing and use of plastic bottles, as well as of other plastics. Yet there is also a dark side to charging consumers for plastic bags, as a negative cueing effect can lower concerns about plastic pollution and make consumers less vigilant about their use of other plastic products. Taken together, this research shows that government regulation aimed at changing small common behaviors potentially has a much larger impact via spillover effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Jenny Doorn & Hans Risselada & Stephanie M. Rizio & Mengfei Ye, 2025. "(Un)intended spillovers of green government policies: The case of plastic regulations," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 490-512, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:53:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11747-024-01041-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11747-024-01041-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11747-024-01041-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11747-024-01041-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joamsc:v:53:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s11747-024-01041-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.