When we want to reduce the consumption of plastic, solutions will be twofold. On the one hand, we need policies (like bans or taxes) and/or technological solutions (providing alternatives to plastic products). On the other hand, we need to take the psychological factors into account which are discussed in the sections on this page. This means we have to motivate people to reduce their own individual consumption by creating awareness, making them feel responsible and willing to change their habits. How we can obtain this goal is by using campaigns, which is explained in this section.
Here, one policy and one more technological solution are assessed that can reduce our plastic consumption.
A widespread policy to curb the consumption of plastic is the plastic bag ban. These bans have been proven to be effective but could induce more behavioral change. To make purchasing a plastic bag more costly, the price of plastic bags should be substantially increased. Changing the payoff scheme often results in people applying new habits more consistently. This is because a higher price works as an incentive to remember to bring your own bag. What also influences the intentions of customers to bring a reusable bag, is the way how a penalty is framed. Retailers can charge consumers either a ‘tax’ or a ‘fee’ for single-use plastic bags. Many people perceive a ‘tax’ as a mandatory requirement and a ‘fee’ as a voluntary contribution. As a result, a penalty framed as a ‘fee’ has proven to be less effective, exactly for people with low self-transcendence values, like low environmental awareness.
In addition to bans, providing alternatives to plastic products is important to reduce the consumption of plastic as a material. In the Netherlands, many people have a ‘Dopper’, a refillable water bottle which since its launch in 2010, increased in popularity. In 2016, the company already sold 2 million bottles in more than 24 countries. The bottle is not expensive, easy to clean and very durable. These are important prerequisites for products that try to compete with their plastic alternatives. Refillable bottles and reusable coffee cups are promising approaches to reduce the consumption of plastic when their benefit in terms of recyclability is greater than their cost in terms of less convenience and a higher price in comparison to plastic.
