Reducing the Usage of Plastic Bags Through a Social Marketing Approach

Over the last three decades, consumers' tendency of using plastic bags for packing and carrying goods in stores - has increased globally. Presently, the average global consumption of plastic bags is a few hundred-billions per year. Causes of this increase are the advantages attributed to plastic bags, their low market price and their free of charge distribution by retailers. However, plenty of bags find their way to the environment, polluting soil, water and air, harming animals and plants and reducing open spaces by enhancing waste volume. Due to this, efforts have been made around the world to reduce people's use of plastic bags and to promote the use of environmental alternatives.

 

This research examines a way of contributing to the reduction of plastic bags usage in the town of Kiriat Gat, through Social Marketing - a strategic approach for persuading and generating behavioral changes.

 

Research's findings offer a few important aspects and insights regarding the issue:

a) A deep understanding of how consumers perceive the costs, benefits and barriers of reducing plastic bag usage and of using alternatives; b) Consumers' positive stands and intentions towards reducing plastic bag usage are not enough, since certain barriers to this behavioral change need to be taken away or reduced; c) people are ready to give up plastic bags, providing that this step is "dictated from above", i.e - a governmental policy imposes on everyone to act so, and providing that they are offered alternatives not inferior to plastic bags in terms of perceived qualities and advantages.