Effectiveness of banning plastic straw real and the compare of pros and cons

Effectiveness of banning plastic straw real and the compare of pros and cons

1. Research questions

• What are plastic straw real?
• What is the policy environment for plastic straw real?
• What is the impact of plastic straw real on the environment?

2. Annotated Bibliography

Lam, Chung-Sum, et al. “A comprehensive analysis of plastics and micro-plastic legislation worldwide.” Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 229.11 (2018): 345.

Lam and colleagues portend that both aquatic and land-based plastic pollution has resulted in severe health concerns for animals and humans on a global scale. The authors acknowledge the myriad of legislative steps instituted to mitigate and control plastic usage, with a majority of the policies focusing on levies, banning plastic, and voluntary efforts championed through reuse and reduced campaigns. Moreover, the researchers advance both the positives and negatives of the existing legislation on plastic use. In conclusion, the study determines that there is a need for a conventional management strategy focusing on the existing legislation on the use and management of plastic.

Bharadwaj, Bishal. “Plastic bag ban in Nepal: Enforcement and effectiveness.” The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics Working Paper 111-16 (2016).

Bharadwaj posits that single-use plastic is a major pollutant across Asia. Consequently, a number of Nepal municipalities have instituted partial bans on single-use plastics with uncertain effectiveness of the policy. The researcher sampled retailers and consumers across fourteen Nepal municipalities that exhibit different levels of plastic ban. The research determined that the partial ban is ineffective while a complete subjective ban significantly reduced plastic use and a consequent rise in the use of reusable bags. Furthermore, a partial ban was uneconomical in implementation and that it has the potential of having retrogressive effects if it is not implemented with a subjective total ban.

Mustafa, Hasrina, and Ronzi Mohd Yusoff. “Measuring the Long-Term Effectiveness of a Compulsory Approach to Behaviour Change: Analysis of the ‘Say No to Plastic Bag-Campaign at the Universiti Sains Malaysia.” Journal of Education for Sustainable Development 5.2 (2011): 233-244.

Mustafa and Ronzi delve into the effectiveness of a compulsory approach to plastic ban on achieving and maintaining desired behavior, both overtime and off-campus, among students. The research focused on the effectiveness of a campaign at the University Saints Malaysia regarding a compulsory ban on the use of disposable plastic, and a total of 300 first years students were sampled for in-depth interviews after two years together with two students who also participated in earlier studies. The researchers determined that the effect of the campaign was moderate dependent on the level of knowledge, attitude, and the practice of the students.

Hasson, Reviva, Anthony Leiman, and Martine Visser. “THE ECONOMICS OF PLASTIC BAG LEGISLATION IN SOUTH AFRICA 1.” South African Journal of Economics 75.1 (2007): 66-83.

The researchers analyze the short-term effects of legislation enacted to reduce the amount of plastic litter in South Africa through the use of combined standards and price‐based economic instruments. The researchers assessed the bag consumption data of four retailers representing specific consumer markets and determined from their price elasticities that the demand for a plastic bag portended a relative price inelasticity, implying that the tools or policies employing price exclusively would not be sufficient in effectively reducing plastic litter. Noteworthy, the research also determined that the policy mix of both standards and pricing was effective in curbing the use of plastics and that the effectiveness of the legislation declined over time.

Romero Mosquera, Marcela. “Banning Plastic Straws: The Beginning of the War Against Plastics.” Environmental and Earth Law Journal (EELJ) 9.1 (2019): 1.

Romero posits that plastic has extensively pervaded the daily lives of individuals across the world through the use of plastic in vehicles, clothing, and even in electronic devices. Consequently, the production of plastic has exponentially grown through the decades to up to eight percent, with approximately 8.3 billion metric tons being produced. Noteworthy, the researcher quotes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which reports that “every bit of plastic ever made still exists” due to their non-biodegradable nature resulting in an environmental hazard. The researcher determines that a ban on single-use plastic results in both positive and negative consequences, with the positive consequences outweighing the negatives.

Rukani, Pauline. Plastics and circular economy: an analysis of the environmental regulations’ effectiveness in plastic waste management and the integration of circular economy in Harare, Zimbabwe. MS thesis. University of Twente, 2019.

Rukani posits that plastic waste accumulation is a hazard to the environment, to animals and human beings, marine life, and the climate. Moreover, the author suggests plastic waste has the potential of polluting groundwater and if incinerated portends air pollution. In Zimbabwe, there are several regulations on the environmental use of plastic waste through the fine imposition of fines. The author employs the Contextual Interaction Theory (CIT) to analyze the attributes of the designers and implementers of policies through a mixed-method approach to address the integration of Circular Economy principles in waste management policies and framework in Zimbabwe. The research employed interviews and direct observations in primary data collection. The research determined that the policies were ineffective in addressing plastic wastage even though they were ethical and adhered to human rights principles in theory.

Martinho, Graça, Natacha Balaia, and Ana Pires. “The Portuguese plastic carrier bag tax: The effects on consumers’ behavior.” Waste management 61 (2017): 3-12.

Martinho and colleagues posit that marine litter caused by lightweight plastic bags is a problem on a global scale that requires a solution. The aim of the research was to examine the impact of a plastic bag tax implemented in Portugal to aid in the reduction in marine plastic litter four months from its implementation in February of 2015. Moreover, the study determined the effect of coastal proximity on opinions and behavior. The research determined that the plastic bag tax resulted in a 74% reduction of plastic bag consumption and a simultaneous 61% increase of reusable plastic bags. Also, proximity to coastal areas had no effect on attitudes and behavior.

Dauvergne, Peter. “Why is the global governance of plastic failing the oceans?.” Global Environmental Change 51 (2018): 22-31.

Dauvergne posits that the

re is evidence

that global governance measures on the use of plastic are improving on a significant scale. Moreover, Curbside recycling and measures such as community cleanups are on the rise. However, despite these improvements, projections of plastic emissions into oceans are pegged at almost double between 2010 and 2025. The researcher portends that the rise can be attributed to fragmented authority, weak and uneven regulations, and international institutions. Thus, the research determines that the global governance landscape mirrors the resistance of government regulations and policies, deflection of accountability, and supports for corporate self-regulation hence the need for the scaling of international plastics treaties at the local levels.