Public Perceptions and Behavioral Impact of Single-Use Plastic Reduction Policy in Palu City: a Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract
Introduction: Single-use plastic waste significantly challenges environmental sustainability and public health worldwide. As one of the most significant contributors to marine plastic waste, Indonesia has enacted policies to reduce single-use plastics, but their influence on individual behavior is poorly understood. This study evaluates the impact of Palu City’s plastic reduction policy by examining public perceptions and their influence on plastic use behavior.
Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed, with data collected from 399 respondents using a structured questionnaire covering five aspects: policy advantage, compatibility, complexity, feasibility, and benefits visibility. Chi-square tests were used to assess the relationship between these perceptions and plastic reduction behavior
Results: The study found significant relationships between positive perceptions of the policy and plastic use behavior. Among respondents, 93.1% reduced plastic use when the policy was perceived as effective (p < 0.001). Similarly, 91.4% reduced plastic use when the policy was viewed as compatible with their lifestyle (p = 0.004). Regarding ease of implementation, 93.3% reduced plastic use when the policy was considered easy to follow (p < 0.001). Feasibility also played a key role, with 92.5% reducing plastic use when alternatives were easy to try (p < 0.001). Finally, 91.2% reduced plastic use when the policy's benefits were visible (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of public perception in the success of environmental policies and suggest that enhancing communication and education strategies can increase policy adoption. This study provides recommendations for policymakers in Palu and offers insights for other Indonesian cities in developing behavior-based approaches to address plastic pollution.
Full text article
References
1. Jambeck JR, Geyer R, Wilcox C, Siegler TR, Perryman M, Andrady A, et al. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science (1979). 2015 Feb 13;347(6223):768–71.
2. World Health Organization. Microplastics in drinking-water [Internet]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019 [cited 2024 Sep 29]. 101 p. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516198
3. Geyer R, Jambeck JR, Law KL. Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Sci Adv. 2017 Jul 7;3(7).
4. Nielsen TD, Holmberg K, Stripple J. Need a bag? A review of public policies on plastic carrier bags – Where, how and to what effect? Waste Management. 2019 Mar;87:428–40.
5. Lestari P, Trihadiningrum Y. The impact of improper solid waste management to plastic pollution in Indonesian coast and marine environment. Mar Pollut Bull. 2019 Dec;149:110505.
6. Yuliyawati Y, Kamaluddin M. Persepsi Konsumen Terhadap Kebijakan Kantong Plastik Berbayar. SOSFILKOM: Jurnal Sosial, Filsafat dan Komunikasi. 2021;15(01):48–54.
7. Miliute-Plepiene J, Hage O, Plepys A, Reipas A. What motivates households recycling behaviour in recycling schemes of different maturity? Lessons from Lithuania and Sweden. Resour Conserv Recycl. 2016 Oct;113:40–52.
8. Cowan E, Booth AM, Misund A, Klun K, Rotter A, Tiller R. Single-use plastic bans: exploring stakeholder perspectives on best practices for reducing plastic pollution. Environments. 2021;8(8):81.
9. MacDonald A, Allen D, João E. A Pilot Assessment of a ‘Plastic Free Community’Initiative, Respective Community Actions and Residents’ Behavior. Microplastics. 2021;1(1):47–66.
10. Steinmetz Z, Wollmann C, Schaefer M, Buchmann C, David J, Tröger J, et al. Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation? Science of the total environment. 2016;550:690–705.
11. Heidbreder LM, Bablok I, Drews S, Menzel C. Tackling the plastic problem: A review on perceptions, behaviors, and interventions. Science of The Total Environment. 2019 Jun;668:1077–93.
12. Ulfah A, Jumiati J. Implementasi Peraturan Walikota Padang Nomor 36 Tahun 2018 Tentang Pengendalian Penggunaan Kantong Belanja Plastik di Kota Padang. Jurnal Manajemen dan Ilmu Administrasi Publik (JMIAP). 2021 Feb 23;3(1):84–90.
13. Fadillah N, Reza M, Ardi US. Sustainable Challenges: Community Response to the Policy Restricting the Use of Plastic Shopping Bags in Jambi City. JKMP (Jurnal Kebijakan dan Manajemen Publik). 2024;12(1):11–23.
14. Bland JM, Altman DG. Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Int J Nurs Stud. 2010;47(8):931–6.
15. Heidbreder LM, Bablok I, Drews S, Menzel C. Tackling the plastic problem: A review on perceptions, behaviors, and interventions. Science of The Total Environment [Internet]. 2019;668:1077–93. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719309519
16. Nielsen TD, Holmberg K, Stripple J. Need a bag? A review of public policies on plastic carrier bags – Where, how and to what effect? Waste Management [Internet]. 2019;87:428–40. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X19300960
17. Xanthos D, Walker TR. International policies to reduce plastic marine pollution from single-use plastics (plastic bags and microbeads): A review. Mar Pollut Bull. 2017 May;118(1–2):17–26.
18. Clayton CA, Walker TR, Bezerra JC, Adam I. Policy responses to reduce single-use plastic marine pollution in the Caribbean. Mar Pollut Bull. 2021;162:111833.
19. Cornago E, Börkey P, Brown A. Preventing single-use plastic waste: Implications of different policy approaches. 2021;
20. Carlson JM, Kaull H, Steinhauer M, Zigarac A, Cammarata J. Paying attention to climate change: Positive images of climate change solutions capture attention. J Environ Psychol. 2020 Oct;71:101477.
21. Walker TR, McGuinty E, Charlebois S, Music J. Single-use plastic packaging in the Canadian food industry: Consumer behavior and perceptions. Humanit Soc Sci Commun. 2021;8(1):1–11.
22. Nguyen HV, Le MTT, Do LT. Intrinsic motivation for reducing single-use plastics: The compensation effects of basic psychological needs. Resour Conserv Recycl. 2022;185:106482.
23. Sara A, Nurit C. Pro-environmental behavior and its antecedents as a case of social and temporal dilemmas. Br J Educ Soc Behav Sci. 2014;4:508–26.
24. Wei F, Abbas J, Alarifi G, Zhang Z, Adam NA, de Queiroz MJ. Role of green intellectual capital and top management commitment in organizational environmental performance and reputation: Moderating role of pro-environmental behavior. J Clean Prod. 2023;405:136847.
25. Krause RM. Why are we doing this? Issue framing, problem proximity, and cities’ rationale for regulating single-use plastics. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning. 2021;23(4):482–95.
26. Cristi MA, Holzapfel C, Nehls M, De Veer D, Gonzalez C, Holtmann G, et al. The rise and demise of plastic shopping bags in Chile–broad and informal coalition supporting ban as a first step to reduce single-use plastics. Ocean Coast Manag. 2020;187:105079.
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Muhammad Syukran, Mohamad Andri, Ahmad Yani, Indra Afrianto
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.