Need a bag? A review of public policies on plastic carrier bags – Where, how and to what effect?
Nielsen, Tobias Dan LU ; Holmberg, Karl LU
and Stripple, Johannes
LU
(2019)
In Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology
87.
p.428-440
- Abstract
The plastic carrier bag epitomises many of the features that have transformed plastics into a material that defines our contemporary modern culture. The versatility, durability, strength and low cost have made it into an indispensable companion for consumers. In parallel with plastic becoming an increasingly contested material, the plastic carrier bag has emerged as a controversial object in many jurisdictions. This paper explores where, how and to what extent public authorities in different cases across the globe regulate plastic carrier bags. The number of public policies on plastic carrier bags has more than tripled since 2010, and they are now found on all continents, ranging from the municipal to the intergovernmental level. They... (More)
The plastic carrier bag epitomises many of the features that have transformed plastics into a material that defines our contemporary modern culture. The versatility, durability, strength and low cost have made it into an indispensable companion for consumers. In parallel with plastic becoming an increasingly contested material, the plastic carrier bag has emerged as a controversial object in many jurisdictions. This paper explores where, how and to what extent public authorities in different cases across the globe regulate plastic carrier bags. The number of public policies on plastic carrier bags has more than tripled since 2010, and they are now found on all continents, ranging from the municipal to the intergovernmental level. They mainly come in the form of either bans or levies, with the former being predominant. There have been many examples of policies leading to reduced consumption of plastic carrier bags, however this paper also identifies key challenges, including resistance towards plastic carrier bag regulations, uncertainty in measuring the effects, and the undesired side-effects. Far from being a simple issue, public policies on plastic carrier bags highlight the complexity of governing plastics.
(Less)
- author
- Nielsen, Tobias Dan
LU
; Holmberg, Karl
LU
and Stripple, Johannes
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Bans, Environmental governance, Levies, Plastic bags, Pollution, Public policy
- in
- Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology
- volume
- 87
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85061715925
- pmid:31109543
- ISSN
- 0956-053X
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.wasman.2019.02.025
- project
- STEPS – Sustainable Plastics and Transition Pathways, Phase 1
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 1d61afec-c5cc-4bbf-9e82-9399bcda0f9d
- date added to LUP
- 2019-02-25 11:35:24
- date last changed
- 2025-03-06 11:59:18
@article{1d61afec-c5cc-4bbf-9e82-9399bcda0f9d,
abstract = {{<p>The plastic carrier bag epitomises many of the features that have transformed plastics into a material that defines our contemporary modern culture. The versatility, durability, strength and low cost have made it into an indispensable companion for consumers. In parallel with plastic becoming an increasingly contested material, the plastic carrier bag has emerged as a controversial object in many jurisdictions. This paper explores where, how and to what extent public authorities in different cases across the globe regulate plastic carrier bags. The number of public policies on plastic carrier bags has more than tripled since 2010, and they are now found on all continents, ranging from the municipal to the intergovernmental level. They mainly come in the form of either bans or levies, with the former being predominant. There have been many examples of policies leading to reduced consumption of plastic carrier bags, however this paper also identifies key challenges, including resistance towards plastic carrier bag regulations, uncertainty in measuring the effects, and the undesired side-effects. Far from being a simple issue, public policies on plastic carrier bags highlight the complexity of governing plastics.</p>}},
author = {{Nielsen, Tobias Dan and Holmberg, Karl and Stripple, Johannes}},
issn = {{0956-053X}},
keywords = {{Bans; Environmental governance; Levies; Plastic bags; Pollution; Public policy}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{428--440}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Waste Management: international journal of integrated waste management, science and technology}},
title = {{Need a bag? A review of public policies on plastic carrier bags – Where, how and to what effect?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2019.02.025}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.wasman.2019.02.025}},
volume = {{87}},
year = {{2019}},
}