Modifying Consumer Behaviour Sustainable Development Environmental Sciences Essay

Published Date: 23 Mar 2015

The use of plastic bags warrants attention in the sustainable consumption debate, especially when packaging accounts for a significant amount of the resources consumed and waste generated by our consumer lifestyles. Governments, retailers and manufacturers are striving to improve sustainability performance by finding ways to reduce plastic bag use.

The authors have done sufficient research in providing a global perspective through approaches adopted by different countries in reducing their plastic use. For example, India banned the use of plastic bags while voluntary action is on the part of consumers and the business community to reduce plastic bag use in the UK. References obtained by the authors are credible and reliable as information was based on recent data and reputable sources.

The authors also present a balanced view of both advantages and disadvantages of plastics bags. They are energy efficient to produce, cost-effective, convenient to store and easy to use. However, they have adverse impacts in terms of waste disposal and one significant problem is that plastic bags are non-biodegradable and take at least hundred years to decompose. When they break down in size, they kill marine animals which mistake the plastic bags for food and ingest them (Aldred, 2007). Plastic bags clog drainage systems and create pollution where discarded plastic bags float in oceans. Large amounts of money also have to be spent on cleaning up the plastic bags and the damages caused by them (Russo, 2012).

However, the claim that many countries spend a substantial amount on cleaning up the plastic bags and the damages caused by them is not justified. In many cases, these claims are merely guesses by advocates instead of data based on actual studies, and cost is often thrown in as a justification after bans are enacted for political reasons (…). Science also does not support the fact that plastic bags do any genuine harm. Plastic bags end up doing less damage than other alternatives and the benefits that the bags offer far outweigh their cost. Independent studies also show that plastic bags are environmentally preferable to paper because plastic bags have a lighter environmental footprint than paper and when they are reused, they are preferable to the reusable plastic totes. In addition, current plastic bags use 70% less plastic than those of 20 years previously and account for less fuel to transport, fewer emissions than paper bags. Nevertheless, moderate reuse; plastic totes made from polypropylene are better for the environment even though plastic bags are a more environmentally friendly choice than paper bags and reusable totes.

Due to the damaging environmental effects which plastic bags have, countries like Taiwan banned the use of plastics bags to reduce environmental issues such as litter and landfill. With a ban on plastic bags, funds would be redirected to infrastructures. Consumer demand shift toward other alternatives, creating more opportunities for entrepreneurs to come up with alternatives to plastic. Companies that manufacture reusable bags could also expand their product lines and create more jobs (..).

However, research by … revealed that banning of plastic bags would lead to an increase in paper bag production, resulting in a greater amount of methane being released in landfill. Other research also revealed that banning plastic bags does not help the environment as it increase carbon emissions and other environmental problems. Research by Lane showed that even though most of the waste in landfill sites comes from packaging, plastic bags form only a small fraction of the litter stream. They occupy lesser of the landfill space, leading to lesser greenhouse gases and pollution, as compared to wood and paper (British Retail Consortium News, 2007).

I agree with the authors' assumption that plastic-bag bans would not lead to a long-term solution in saving the environment. The use of materials and energy should not be restricted where only unnecessary use of plastic bags is avoided. Instead, there should be a sustainable use of everything which includes the reinforcement of public awareness and motivation to reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs) to resolve environmental problems. Therefore, some countries like UK do not support an outright ban on plastic and seek other possible alternatives such as reusable totes or paper bags or having a tax imposed on plastic bags. Prendergast et al. (2001) found that consumers are more likely to reuse a paper bag an average of 2.7 times whereas a plastic bag will be reused 1.6 times and retaining a paper bag over a plastic bag leads to increased re-usage. However, alternatives such as reusable totes and paper bags have a worse effect on the environment than plastic bags. Plastic bags require 40 percent less energy than paper bags and that paper bag manufacturing creates 70 percent more air pollution and 50 percent more water pollution (…). Alternatives to plastic bags may not be practical because in many cases, efforts to increase bag recycling have shown minimal success to date (…). Furthermore, when governments outlaw plastic bags to encourage consumers to use other environmentally damaging products, more pollution is actually created. There might also be society and economic impacts on the less affluent in terms of employment loss, due to reduced plastic bag manufacturing

Another possible alternative which the authors did not consider could be the recycling of plastic bags in recycling centers where plastic is melt and polymers are reused to carpets or clothes. However, plastic recycling has proven to be difficult to process mechanically as plastic bags are made of polyethylene where it is often labour intensive and cost intensive to sort plastic waste.

A key assumption made by the authors is that plastic bags bans are beneficial for the environment.

Therefore, the issue of banning plastic bags still remain a controversy as many variables are at play and the process of changing consumer behaviour in relation to plastic bag use can be a complex one. There are different perspectives as to how such consumption should be modified. For countries such as Bangladesh and India, flooding and public health concerns resulted in the use of legislation to ban the use of plastic bags. Plastic bag bans can prevent flooding in urban areas and human health problems. In the UK, voluntary action is on the part of consumers and the business community to reduce plastic bag use. Consumers are urged to reduce their use of plastic bags while manufacturers and retailers are expected to introduce measures to encourage consumers to act responsibly. Other countries like Italy, Ireland and Denmark prefer to impose tax to encourage consumers to reduce plastic bag use and taxes collected can help raise revenue for further environmental improvement.

To conclude, the use of plastic bags have a great impact on sustainable consumption and changing consumer behavior through voluntary action, legislation banning the use of plastic bags, or taxing their use can make an effective contribution to a more sustainable future.