Public Perceptions of Legislative Action to Reduce Plastic Pollution: A Case Study of Atlantic Canada

Shen Molloy,Sarah J Saunders,Andrew S Medeiros,Tony R Walker

doi:10.3390/su14031852

Shen Molloy, Sarah J Saunders + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031852

Copy DOI

Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Feb 6, 2022
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Dalhousie University, World Wildlife Fund Canada

Abstract

Government-led legislation is a key strategy to reduce plastic pollution; however, societal perception can heavily influence government intervention for environmental issues. To understand the public acceptability of government action to reduce plastic pollution, we examine the perception of existing and upcoming legislative action on single-use plastics (SUPs) by means of a structured survey with additional semi-structured interviews. Our focus is on the four Atlantic provinces of Canada, which was the first region in Canada to implement provincial-wide legislation for plastic reduction at the consumer level in 2019. Results show strong public support (77%, n = 838) for bans of SUP bags at the consumer level, and for further plastic pollution reduction legislation. However, the level of support differed between regions and by demographics. Semi-structured interviews show that decision makers should increase efforts in raising consumer awareness and standardizing regulations across jurisdictions for smoother transitions prior to legislative action.

Highlights

Plastic pollution is gaining recognition among the public as a global contaminant that requires government intervention
There was a high level of support (77%, n = 838 of participants supporting a plastic bag ban (Figure 1)
Community survey and semi-structured interviews from Atlantic Canada suggest that public perceptions of plastic bag bans are generally positive

Summary

Introduction

Plastic pollution is gaining recognition among the public as a global contaminant that requires government intervention. As plastic pollution is progressively becoming a mainstream concern for the public, a global movement has motivated government legislative intervention, through bans and other forms of regulation, to reduce plastic use and disposal [6,7,8,9]. Public support is a key component to ensuring the compliance and acceptance of legislation to control plastic pollution [10,11]. As such, understanding public perceptions is a critical component in directing future plastic reduction legislation, especially since plastic production has doubled every decade, driven largely by single-use plastic (SUP) consumer items [4]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion