tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/carrier-bags-31247/articlesCarrier bags – The Conversation2023-05-04T09:05:07Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1994222023-05-04T09:05:07Z2023-05-04T09:05:07ZKenya banned plastic bags 6 years ago, but they are still in use - what went wrong<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/523028/original/file-20230426-742-rf88zm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A shopper risks arrest in Nakuru, Kenya, for carrying groceries in banned plastic bags in 2022.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Kenya <a href="https://www.nema.go.ke/images/Docs/Awarness%20Materials/Gazette_legal_Notice_on_carrier_bags.pdf">banned the use of plastic carrier bags</a> in 2017, prompted by environmental and health costs. At the time, more than <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/kenya-announces-breakthrough-ban-plastic-bags">100 million</a> single-use plastic bags were handed out every year, making them the most commonly used carrier bags for shopping. Most traders and end users have complied with the ban, but the bags have <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/52132/kenyas-fifth-plastic-ban-anniversary-effective-implementation-is-required/">never been completely eliminated</a>. Jane Mutheu Mutune, who researches on environmental governance and management, reflects on the policy hits and misses – and the opportunities to do better.</em></p>
<h2>Why were plastic carrier bags banned and what are the penalties?</h2>
<p>Discarded plastic carrier bags were a visible problem across Kenya. This was not just a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/04/02/plastic-pollution-health-poverty">menace to the environment</a> – it also contributed to health issues for both inland and aquatic animals. Human health was affected, too. Plastic bags clogged water drains and proliferated mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, and the burning of plastic bags has been associated with the release of chemicals with carcinogenic effects. A <a href="http://www.nema.go.ke/images/Docs/Mediacentre/Publication/Plastic%20waste%20in%20livestock%20rumens%20publication.pdf">study sanctioned by the National Environment Management Agency</a> in 2018 found that 50% of livestock slaughtered in Nairobi’s abattoirs had ingested plastic bags.</p>
<p>The ban came with a <a href="https://nema.go.ke/images/Docs/Awarness%20Materials/Gazette_legal_Notice_on_carrier_bags.pdf">jail term of four years</a> or a fine of Sh4 million (US$29,300) for offenders. Initially, the ban was greeted with cynicism because the government had <a href="https://ke.boell.org/en/2022/11/24/long-war-against-plastic-carrier-bags">tried before</a> to ban plastic bags. A ban that targeted lightweight carrier bags with a thickness of less than 30 microns proved hard to regulate. The current ban covers all single-use plastic carrier bags. However, it <a href="http://www.nema.go.ke/images/Docs/Notices/Clarification_on_plastic_ban.pdf">exempts</a> materials used for industrial primary packaging, disposable bags for handling of biomedical and hazardous waste, and garbage bin liners.</p>
<p>The Kenya Association of Manufacturers <a href="https://ke.boell.org/en/2022/11/24/long-war-against-plastic-carrier-bags">had opposed</a> the ban on the grounds that it would wipe out <a href="https://ke.boell.org/en/2022/11/24/long-war-against-plastic-carrier-bags">60,000 jobs</a>. The association claimed at the time that the ban would force the closure of 176 manufacturers and deny the country revenue from plastic bag exports.</p>
<p>No proper structures of monitoring were put in place to track the environmental benefits of banning plastic carrier bags for an accurate before-and-after picture. This lack of scientific evidence makes it harder to monitor progress or demonstrate the benefits.</p>
<h2>What is the level of compliance?</h2>
<p>Plastic carrier bags never really completely disappeared from the start. The government’s own assessment two years after the ban placed <a href="https://nema.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=296&catid=2&Itemid=451">compliance at 80%</a>. This was <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2021-12-28-plastic-ban-95-fruitful--nema/">revised to 95%</a> two years later in 2021.</p>
<p>But traders could still access plastic bag carriers six years after the ban. Numerous infringements have been reported from <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001465579/no-more-warnings-as-nema-cracks-on-plastic-bags">time</a> to <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/western/2022-09-25-nema-warns-traders-importing-plastic-bags-from-uganda/">time</a>. As recently as April 2023, the Nairobi county government <a href="https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/realtime/2023-05-01-sakaja-declares-crackdown-on-plastic-paper-bags/">warned</a> about the continued use of banned bags by traders in the capital.</p>
<p>On this evidence, the use of banned bags in petty trade has persisted. My <a href="http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/bitstream/handle/11295/154868/Geoffrey%20E.O_Revisiting%20Kenya%E2%80%99s%20Ban%20on%20Plastic.pdf?sequence=1&amp;isAllowed=y">study</a> in 2019 found that small traders in Nairobi’s informal settlement of Kibera continued to use banned bags. These traders included food vendors, petty retailers and wholesalers. At the time, 30% of those interviewed in Kibera supported the ban. In the neighbouring rich suburb of Karen, support stood at 60%. </p>
<h2>What must Kenya do to make the policy a success?</h2>
<p>Getting rid of plastic carrier bags is just the tip of the iceberg. The ban was partial – affecting secondary packaging only – as manufacturers use plastic packaging for a wide range of consumer goods, such as bread and processed meats.</p>
<p>Plastic bottles used for carbonated soft drinks, fruit juices, dilutable drinks and water are another problem. They were to be banned after the carrier bags, but that has not happened yet due to court cases attributed to inadequate stakeholder consultations. Instead such bottles were <a href="https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/kenya-bans-single-use-plastics-protected-areas#:%7E:text=Following%20a%20presidential%20directive%20on,or%20straws%20into%20protected%20areas.">prohibited</a> in national parks, forests and beaches in 2020.</p>
<p>As such, plastic pollution remains a challenge. Plastic waste management in Kenya is largely informal – it’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920300070?via%3Dihub">collected by hand</a>, sorted and packed for sale to recyclers. Volumes could increase gradually after the 2019/20 budget <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001329755/2019-budget-is-a-boost-to-manufacturing">provided incentives</a> for plastic recycling by exempting VAT and corporate tax cuts for new recycling plants.</p>
<p>To bolster these efforts, Kenya is also moving towards imposing <a href="https://kam.co.ke/kam/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KPAP_Document-pages.pdf#page=61">extended producer responsibility</a> for the waste. This means manufacturers would be made to assume responsibility for the entire life cycle of the plastics they put into the market.</p>
<h2>What about bringing the public on board?</h2>
<p>Studies have shown that the more times a product can be used, <a href="https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/35109/ASUP.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y#page=7">the lower the environmental impact</a>. Therefore, it’s not enough for consumers to switch to reusable shopping bags. They must also commit to reusing them and avoid littering.</p>
<p>A 2021 <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348174980_A_study_on_consumer_consciousness_and_behavior_to_the_plastic_bag_ban_in_Kenya">Kenyan study</a> found that the ownership of reusable bags tripled to 12 bags per household on average since the ban. But consumers were disposing reusable bags too prematurely to achieve the optimal environmental benefits.</p>
<p>Going forward, the government should engage the public more. Change is in the mindset and once you change the mindset, compliance becomes easier. The messaging around the impact of plastic on the environment has to be clear, targeted and justified.</p>
<p>Just as important is environmental education, which is a pathway to attitude change and a sense of responsibility. Environmental education should be integrated in all levels of the education system to raise people’s sensitivity to sustainability concerns. This will create champions and agents of change for sustainable development.</p>
<p><em>Elmah Odhiambo contributed to the research on which this article is partly based.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199422/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nothing to disclose</span></em></p>No scientific monitoring was put in place to track the environmental benefits of banning plastic carrier bags.Jane Mutheu Mutune, Lecturer, Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies, University of NairobiLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1184622019-06-11T15:49:54Z2019-06-11T15:49:54ZAre retailers ‘bagging’ the 5p plastic carrier bag charge?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278893/original/file-20190611-32321-1w2ol94.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6016%2C3998&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/human-hand-holding-farmer-market-bag-705425626?src=5ym0hfsvDbIi6HjcD3nESA-1-3">GLRL/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve ever forgotten your bag for life at the shop till and had to buy a plastic bag, you may have wondered where that money goes. The carrier bag levy of five pence (5p) was rolled out on October 5 2015 in England. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities">Retailers are expected to donate the proceeds to good causes</a> that would benefit society and the environment, and to report that information to the government.</p>
<p>We looked at <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479718314129">how the scheme has been implemented since then</a>. The regulation was intended to limit the number of people using single-use plastic carrier bags, so that fewer end up as litter around the UK. These bags <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/silent-killers-the-danger-of-plastic-bags-to-marine-life-1881783599.html">can also ensnare and choke wildlife</a> and <a href="https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/what-do-sea-turtles-eat-unfortunately-plastic-bags">some species mistake them for food</a>. The ensuing levy has succeeded in curtailing single-use plastic bags – according to government figures, plastic bag sales in Britain’s largest supermarkets <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plastic-bag-sales-in-big-seven-supermarkets-down-86-since-5p-charge">were down by 80% three years on</a>.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=309&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=309&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=309&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278894/original/file-20190611-32335-1gndxxj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Plastic bags persist for years in the environment, where they can cause harm to wildlife.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hungry-gull-finds-itself-plastic-bag-630931349?src=ulM40yHMlWs5Kg3MeM6Dtw-1-13">Photography by Adri/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>A drop in the ocean</h2>
<p>The benefits of the 5p levy are clear, but there’s still the question of where the money goes. The charge isn’t a tax, so the government doesn’t collect it – and can’t dictate where the money goes, so can only recommend shops donate it. While most retailers commit some funds to charitable causes, the amount donated tends to vary.</p>
<p>Every retailer has its own policy for managing the levy and can decide how much of the proceeds from it are donated. Retailers must report <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities">what they do with the proceeds from the levy</a>, but not how much. And the publication of information on donations is voluntary. Based on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/carrier-bag-charge-summary-of-data-in-england/single-use-plastic-carrier-bags-charge-data-in-england-for-2017-to-2018">data published by the government for 2017-2018</a>, only around 60% of retailers voluntarily gave information on donations they had made to good causes. There is no way to tell what happened to the remaining 40% – it’s possible that some did not donate at all.</p>
<p>Several stores discourage people from buying 5p carrier bags in favour of more durable but more expensive options that are re-usable, such as “bags for life”. The more expensive bags are usually prominently displayed at checkouts, while the 5p bags are often just out of sight. </p>
<p>Bags for life aren’t “single-use” in the legislation, so the proceeds from their sales don’t have to be donated to charity. In other words, retailers can consider such sales as an additional source of income. While retailers can encourage shoppers to retain and reuse these bags, there is an opportunity for some to profit from their sale to shoppers who buy a new one each time. This suggests that the main beneficiaries of the carrier bag levy in England may well be the retailers themselves.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/278895/original/file-20190611-32347-1rsfkuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Retailers aren’t obliged to donate the proceeds from reusable bag sales.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/customer-hold-reusable-green-shopping-bag-1257013726?src=4LEvJCuBWhmK1VXCrvJfzg-1-1">Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Very few retailers advise customers that they <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/carrier-bag-charges-retailers-responsibilities">can get a free replacement</a> for used carrier bags. Customers can bring their old, used carrier bags from a shop and have them exchanged for new ones for free at the same shop. There weren’t signs to convey this to customers in any of the stores that we surveyed. Many shoppers are unaware that they can avoid the 5p charge altogether by exchanging the 5p bags for free when they are worn out. Unfortunately, retailers are doing little to educate their customers on how to recycle the bags.</p>
<p>We found that the more expensive the store, the more likely customers will pay for carrier bags rather than reuse old ones, so reducing the number of carrier bags being bought may depend to a certain extent on the value of the goods. Advertising the bag replacement scheme could have more effect, then, in department stores and places selling more expensive goods.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-5p-carrier-bag-charge-has-paved-the-way-for-other-waste-reduction-policies-64911">The 5p carrier bag charge has paved the way for other waste reduction policies</a>
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<p>Prior to the levy, the cost of designing and manufacturing these single-use bags fell directly on the stores, with no profit margin. Now that stores charge customers for single-use bags, the revenue from the sale can provide them with extra resources to invest in the design and quality of reusable bags for life.</p>
<p>We found that the design of these reusable bags has considerably improved since the levy came into effect, with more colourful and eye catching designs that carry the logo and name of sponsors. Customers end up carrying these sponsor messages to a broader audience and are inadvertently acting as brand ambassadors for these stores.</p>
<p>What we found when we dug into the plastic bag levy suggests it has been managed in a way that can confuse customers and leave them unaware of the levy’s purpose or their option to return used bags. If customers believe their 5p is going to good causes but discover it’s actually going into marketing spend for retailers, they may lose confidence in the scheme. The levy has been a remarkable success so far, it would be a shame for it to let down customers through a lack of accountability and transparency.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118462/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Surendranath Jory conducted this research with Abdelhafid Benamraoui, Jose Luis Ruiz-Alba and Ioannis Christodoulou from the University of Westminster and Nnamdi Madichie from Bloomsbury Institute London, UK.</span></em></p>Ever wondered where the 5p you pay for plastic bags in the UK goes?Surendranath Jory, Associate Professor of Finance, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/903272018-01-19T13:57:06Z2018-01-19T13:57:06ZPlastic ban isn’t enough so let’s take another look at personal carbon accounts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202563/original/file-20180119-80176-rc5a9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pointing in the wrong direction.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">andriano.cz/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>A recent call from MPs to put a 25p levy <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42564948">on disposable coffee cups</a>, and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/15/iceland-vows-to-eliminate-plastic-on-all-own-branded-products">bans on plastic products</a> cropping up across the country, show that the UK is getting serious about tackling collective individual behaviour which threatens the environment. </p>
<p>Large-scale programmes aimed at changing people’s behaviour are rare – but they do happen. Take Britain’s various carrier bag charges, for example, which led to plastic bag use in England <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-5p-carrier-bag-charge-has-paved-the-way-for-other-waste-reduction-policies-64911">falling by 80%</a> in just one year. But while these initiatives are definitely needed, we need to look at other, broader, solutions too. That’s why, in October 2017, the Welsh Assembly supported a feasibility study to look at piloting an environmental behavioural policy across Wales: personal carbon accounts.</p>
<p>Personal carbon accounts are a very simple idea: each month the government adds free carbon points to each person’s carbon account. The number you get is <a href="http://www.thecarbonaccount.com/static/files/full_explanation.pdf">typically calculated</a> using factors such as car usage and the type of house you live in. Every time petrol, diesel, electricity, gas or heating oil is purchased, a carbon debit card is used and the account balance reduced. </p>
<p>There is no limit to the amount of fuel a person can buy, but if the points run out, the price of the fuel would be increased according to the price of extra points. So if you start with 100 points and use them all up, you would automatically buy say, five extra points, when filling up the car to use on that purchase. On the other hand, if you only used 85 of your 100 points, the extra 15 points could be sold on to other account holders. </p>
<p>It seems like an easy-to-use initiative that could yield results. Yet in 2008 a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/personal-carbon-allowances-budgets">previous government idea</a> to use carbon allowances was dropped – so what is to say it will work 10 years on? To explain the logic behind the account, we need to look at the very nature of human behaviour and why initiatives such as the carrier bag charge worked so well to change our minds.</p>
<h2>Keeping in credit</h2>
<p>Broadly speaking there are three types of social conforming behaviours (“norms”), which when aligned and triggered can change behaviours permanently. The first is descriptive norms: we do things because others do them. Closely linked to these are injunctive norms. These are actions taken because we believe they are publicly approved as “the right thing to do”. And finally there are personal norms – what we believe in as a result of our upbringing, education or experiences. If policymakers can align these three norms and find a trigger, then people’s habits can be overridden and real changes made.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202561/original/file-20180119-80206-1yjpv9h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Carbon consumption.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/carbon-tax-160526636?src=qKwGTSqlcfAmQj2xt7_IjQ-1-71">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Looking at the plastic bag charge, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.09.001">research shows</a> that most people’s personal norms consider waste to be bad. So they will save bags if the two public approval norms can be stimulated. The publicity campaign introducing the charge stressed the harm that plastic bags can do to animals as well as the visual impact of litter. This primed people to appreciate that avoiding plastic bag use was the “right thing to do” as well as being publicly approved.</p>
<p>There only remained one aspect to establish: subtly persuading individuals that most people bring their own bags to stores. Making this standard practice socially reinforces individual actions, becomes habit-forming and is likely to be sustained. The introduction of the 5p charge and the awkward conversation with the shop assistant about paying for bags triggers a loss-aversion process, which subliminally reinforces that buying plastic bags is neither normal nor “the right thing to do”. The pieces of the puzzle were assembled and the result has been terrific.</p>
<h2>Making it work</h2>
<p>So how can we use the success of this one initiative to drive a new carbon scheme? Two main types of emissions-reducing carbon pricing schemes have been proposed internationally: carbon taxes and personal carbon accounts. Carbon taxes raise fuel prices to depress consumption and are straightforward. However <a href="https://www.flemingpolicycentre.org.uk/publicacceptability.pdf">research shows</a> that people soon forget the reasoning behind higher fuel prices and the tax is mentally absorbed in the price of the fuel – making behaviour changes highly unlikely.</p>
<p>Personal carbon accounts, on the other hand, employ personal norms (we inherently dislike waste), as well as injunctive norms – we know that saving energy reduces pollution as well as being the “right thing to do”. And it involves everyone. Others are perceived to be managing their energy consumption, increasing the likelihood we will too. </p>
<p>The trigger is to avoid paying for more points. As with plastic bags, the intention is not to penalise households severely for excess consumption, but to use the growing understanding of behavioural patterns to change individual habits for the benefit of us all.</p>
<p>Users will mentally separate fuel from other spending and consume the monthly “free” points – which reduce over time – more carefully. It will bring carbon pollution to the forefront of people’s minds, and the framework makes it likely that the population will demand steady changes to regulations to aid them staying within the points allowance, facilitating greater energy saving.</p>
<p>It’s simple and can be effective, besides being another initiative that Wales can prove works for Britain. It was the first nation to introduce a carrier bag charge – and has statutory targets that have made it the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/11/wales-household-waste-recycling-england">second-best household recycler in the world</a> behind Germany. If a pilot scheme proves that personal carbon accounts can be as effective as they should be, it could be only a matter of time before they are rolled out across the country.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90327/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martin Burgess receives funding from the ESRC via WISERD. </span></em></p>A scheme in Wales to introduce personal carbon accounts could point the way to reduce emissions.Martin Burgess, PhD Researcher, Aberystwyth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/649112016-09-29T05:22:03Z2016-09-29T05:22:03ZThe 5p carrier bag charge has paved the way for other waste reduction policies<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/137781/original/image-20160914-4972-108nihu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A mandatory plastic bag charge has been a huge success across the UK.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-419263519/stock-photo-a-lot-of-colorful-plastic-bags.html?src=Lr0cO-wUvPCvKZpPdXcb0Q-3-24">Pabel Kubarkov/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nearly a year ago, England implemented a five pence charge on plastic carrier bags in an attempt to cut down on their usage, which had become embedded into how people shopped.</p>
<p>In 2014, <a href="http://www.wrap.org.uk/2015_carrier_bag_figures">8.5 billion single-use plastic bags</a> were used by customers in British supermarkets alone. This is more than 58,000 tonnes of plastic, most of which will have ended up in landfill or as litter along roads and in <a href="https://theconversation.com/eight-million-tonnes-of-plastic-are-going-into-the-ocean-each-year-37521">waterways</a>. The environmental consequences of this are clear: synthetic plastic bags <a href="http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/how-long-do-biodegradable-bags-take-decompose">can take centuries to decompose</a> while those that block waterways and drainage systems have a more immediate effect, causing harm to wildlife who may ingest or get entangled in them.</p>
<p>It is not surprising therefore that governments and organisations around the world have tried to curb their use through bans or mandatory charges – but have these tactics been successful?</p>
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<p><a href="http://orca.cf.ac.uk/94652">Our research</a> has found that, yes, the five pence charge has been effective in reducing plastic bag use across the country. Not only that, it has also made people think more about the environment, and as a result they have become more supportive of other environmental policies.</p>
<h2>Popular policy</h2>
<p>Mandatory bag charges have been shown to be <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2013.09.001">popular among the public</a>, because people think that their declining use will help the environment. The economist Frank Convery and colleagues even call the Irish plastic bag levy <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10640-006-9059-2">the most popular tax in Europe</a>. They say the “plastax” is so popular it would be politically damaging to remove it.</p>
<p>The environment is a devolved policy area in the UK, and so the regional governments have introduced charges at different times over the past five years. Wales was the first to introduce a five pence single-use carrier bag charge in October 2011, followed by Northern Ireland in April 2013, and Scotland in October 2014. England then introduced its charge on single-use plastic bags sold by large retailers in October 2015.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/139398/original/image-20160927-14618-1vpdtbe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">In just one year plastic bag use has dropped by nearly 80% in England.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-235351681/stock-photo-reusable-shopping-bag-full-of-groceries-isolated-on-white-background-clipping-path.html?src=c7rTyn7Kk-vcv67vGP2QZQ-1-22">sumire8/www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>The plastic bag charge is a good example of how devolution can be an opportunity to develop policies in one part of the UK before rolling them out to other parts. In effect, the UK has become a ready-made <a href="http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publications/devolution-policy-laboratory">natural laboratory</a> to test which policies work. We took this idea and used it to examine how the English plastic bag charge <a href="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/project/2F02609D-27F5-46CB-BA70-A4FBD17A645B">has changed shopper behaviour</a>. Our researchers conducted nationally representative surveys, and asked participants to keep a diary after which we interviewed them about their shopping habits. We also observed shoppers leaving supermarkets. We did this before and after the plastic bag charge was introduced in England, and then compared the results with Wales and Scotland where charges were already in place.</p>
<p><a href="http://orca.cf.ac.uk/94652">We found that</a> the charge was highly effective. The majority of supermarket shoppers in England (57%) used single-use plastic bags beforehand, but this fell to only 21% after the charge was introduced – the same level as in Wales (18%). Most of the shoppers replaced single-use plastic bags with reusable “bags for life” after the policy was implemented.</p>
<p>It was surprising to see how quickly the change took place. Already one month after the introduction of the charge, plastic bag use in England was indistinguishable from plastic bag use in Wales and Scotland. So how was this tiny charge so effective in changing behaviour? </p>
<h2>Charging ahead</h2>
<p>A plastic bag charge is usually seen as an <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2011.572859">economic instrument</a>, that is, an <a href="https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=723">incentive to incorporate</a> an environmental cost into the household budget. Indeed, we found that some people changed their behaviour to avoid paying the charge, which, if paid, would lead to them increasing their expenditure. For most people, however, the charge acted as a “habit disruptor”. Before its implementation many shoppers would just simply forget to bring their own bag to the supermarket. We found that the charge made people stop and think about waste, and whether they really need to use a single-use plastic bag for their shopping.</p>
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<p>It also appears that plastic bag charges become more popular after they are introduced. In England, a majority (52%) already supported the charge before it was introduced, and support increased to 60% one month after. A similar effect was found in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.05.008">Wales in 2011</a>. One reason why people became more positive was that it is easy for them to adapt to the charge. Shoppers quickly found new routines, such as keeping bags in the boot of the car, to help remember to take them to the supermarket.</p>
<p>There were some other, unexpected effects too: not only did people become more supportive of a plastic bag charge after they experienced it, they also became more supportive of other charges to reduce waste. Support for a hypothetical charge on water bottles increased from 34% to 40% across the UK, for example. In particular, those who changed their opinion about the plastic bag charge also changed their opinion about other charges. </p>
<p>And so it seems that the plastic bag charge may have also paved the way for other measures to reduce waste. Now may therefore be the right time to trial other waste reduction policies, such as a <a href="http://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/content/drinks-cash-deposit-scheme-scotland-%E2%80%93-new-report-explores-options">deposit return scheme</a> for drinks cans and bottles or a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37250957">charge on disposable coffee cups</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/64911/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wouter Poortinga receives funding from the ESRC, National Institute for Health Research, the Leverhulme Trust, Welsh Government, and Carmarthenshire County Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Elena Sautkina receives funding from the ESRC, MRC/CSO, Department of Health, The Scottish Government and The NHS Health Scotland. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gregory Thomas receives funding from the ESRC. </span></em></p>The 5p plastic bag charge is making society more eco-friendly than ever before.Wouter Poortinga, Professor of Environmental Psychology, Cardiff UniversityElena Sautkina, Researcher, Environmental and Social Psychology, Cardiff UniversityGregory Thomas, Research associate, Environmental and Social Psychology, Cardiff UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.