What is it about?

Why do consumers push back against plastic bag bans even when they accept the bans as good for the environment? This paper explains why people resist interventions that aim to encourage consumers to be more sustainable, and offers guidance to policy makers and social marketing professionals on how to prevent and minimize consumer resistance.

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Why is it important?

As the challenges of the environmental crisis make themselves more salient, governments increasingly search for solutions to reduce the negative impact of economic activity. A popular measure has been the banning of items used in retail, such as single-use plastic bags and containers. Such bans may seem like an easy way to cut on plastic pollution, but more often than not, they are met with strong pushback by consumers, retailers, and other members of society. For such sustainability interventions to be effective, it is important to understand how to prevent and minimize consumer resistance to them.

Perspectives

Our article has actionable takeaways for policy-makers and social marketers involved in designing and implementing sustainability interventions. If you are considering a ban of single-use plastics in your community, or struggling to accept how such a ban changes your practices as consumer, this paper will make for a great read!

Daiane Scaraboto
University of Melbourne

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: “How Do I Carry All This Now?” Understanding Consumer Resistance to Sustainability Interventions, Journal of Marketing, April 2021, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0022242921992052.
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