From laissez-faire to action? Exploring perceptions of plastic pollution and impetus for action. Insights from Phu Quoc Island

Abstract

Vietnam is at the heart of the marine plastic pollution challenge, as a worldwide hotspot for post-consumption plastics leaking into the oceans. Plenty of global recommendations on how to combat land-based sources of plastic pollution exist, but how local actors experience, understand and respond to local actors has been studied surprisingly little.Taking Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam’s tourism magnet, as a vivid case in point, this paper explores ‘whose problem is plastic pollution and why’ by grounding it on qualitative data, using a risk perception approach and research into waste governance as an analytical frame.The paper shows how high visibility, haptic experiences and greater knowledge of plastic impacts make plastic waste-associated risks increasingly tangible. By this, the overall increasing visible everyday waste pollution and the ill-equipped waste governance come into focus. Interviews reveal a linkage between the observation of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ disposal practices with distinct perceptions of island places and waste pollution responsibilities. That, in turn, shapes both response strategies to combat plastic pollution and to improve the island’s overall waste governance. This research points to the complexity of waste governance, especially when convenience and ignorance clash with attempts to protect the environment. Action repertoires range from beach clean-ups, awareness-raising, and usage of eco-friendly reusable materials to managerial waste infrastructure improvements. Yet, hierarchies, budget constraints, the absence of an environmentally sound waste collection and treatment system and inadequate environmental knowledge limit perceived agency, genuine commitment and ultimately an effective waste governance.