Abstract
A Single-Use Carrier Bag Charge (SUCBC) requires bags to be sold for a small fee, instead of free of charge. SUCBCs may produce ‘spillover’ effects, where other pro-environmental attitudes and behaviours could increase or decrease. We investigate the 2011 Welsh SUCBC, and whether spillover occurs in other behaviours and attitudes. Using the Understanding Society Survey (n = 17,636), results show that use of own shopping bags increased in Wales, compared to England and Scotland. Increased use of own bags was linked to increases in six other sustainable behaviours, although changes were significantly smaller in Wales for three of these behaviours. Increased own bag use was linked to stronger environmental views, but effects were weaker in Wales for two out of three measures. We conclude that the Welsh SUCBC effectively encouraged bag re-use, but with minimal changes in other environmental attitudes and behaviours, due to the external motivation to change behaviour.
Highlights
IntroductionResults of plastic bag charge policies have seen varied results, often with large variation in the size of the charge levied, the length of time the charge remained in place, and whether the customer or the retailer paid the charge (Ritch, Brennan, & MacLeod, 2009)
We find that the frequency of taking own shopping bags significantly increased in Wales, compared to England and Scotland, which is most likely an effect of the Single-Use Carrier Bag Charge (SUCBC)
We evaluated the potential for the SUCBC to promote positive or negative ‘spillover’ effects, where the change in the targeted behaviour may have led to an increase, or even a decrease, in other behaviours
Summary
Results of plastic bag charge policies have seen varied results, often with large variation in the size of the charge levied, the length of time the charge remained in place, and whether the customer or the retailer paid the charge (Ritch, Brennan, & MacLeod, 2009). One successful example is the Irish plastic bag levy introduced in 2002, which reduced plastic bag use by approximately 94%, and has proved popular among the general public (Convery, McDonnell, & Ferreira, 2007). Plastic bag use in Ireland has increased since the levy was introduced and an increase in the levy in 2007 (from V0.15 to V0.22) appeared to further reduce bag use, suggesting that charges for bags may need to be revised for effectiveness (Clarke, 2014)
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