Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A study on consumer consciousness and behavior to the plastic bag ban in Kenya

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • 6th 3R International Scientific Conference (6th 3RINCs 2020)
  • Published:
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Single use plastics pose environmental and socioeconomic problems in our life and ecosystems. After a 14 year attempt, Kenya successfully adopted a plastic bag ban for secondary packaging in August 2017. Globally, the impact of plastic bag policies are limited or not documented. Using a questionnaire survey, this study explored consumer consciousness towards the ban, reusable bag usage behavior, and estimated plastic bag consumption before the ban. Results indicate that the ban has favorable support of about 67% from consumers. The perceptions towards cleanliness and waste management were different between urban and rural respondents. This highlighted differences in awareness creation and enforcement of the ban. Behaviorally, ownership of reusable bags tripled to 12 bags per household. Plastic reusable bags were the most owned and most discarded bags within 6 months. Moreover, a report estimates that 300 million bags (8.3–6.7 bags person−1 y−1) were consumed annually in 2005 and 2017 before the ban, the current study estimates the ban potential eliminates about 6.2 billion bags (138 bags capita−1 y−1) from the waste stream. It is thus important to incorporate usage frequency, reusable bags standards, waste and health factors in policy formulation. Proper usage of reusable bags prevents waste and lowers their environmental burden.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Geyer R, Jambeck R, Law K (2017) Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Sci Adv 3(7):1–5. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. UNEP (2018a) Single-use plastics: a roadmap for sustainability. International Environmental Technology Centre, Osaka

    Google Scholar 

  3. Jambeck R, Geyer R, Wilcox C, Siegler R, Perryman M, Andrady A, Narayan R, Law L (2015) Marine pollution. Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean. Science 347(6223):768–771. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1260352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Synthia J, Kabir S (2015) An investigation of consumer attitudes towards new varieties of shopping bags: exploring eco-awareness and the possibility of behavior change. J Dev Areas 49(5):183–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lange C, Inganga F, Busienei W, Nguru P, Kiema J, Wahungu G (2018) The prevalence of plastic bag waste in the rumen of slaughtered livestock at three abattoirs in Nairobi Metropolis, Kenya and implications on livestock health. Livest Res Rural Dev 30:184

    Google Scholar 

  6. Koelmans A, Nor M, Hermsen E, Kooi M, Mintenig M, De France J (2019) Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: critical review and assessment of data quality. Water Res 155:410–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.02.054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Smith M, Love C, Rochman M, Neff A (2018) Microplastics in seafood and the implications for human health. Curr Environ Health Rep 5(3):375–386. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-018-0206-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. EU (2018) Assessment of measures to reduce marine litter from single use plastics Final report and Annex. European Union, Luxembourg

  9. PWMI (2016) An introduction to plastic recycling. Plastic Waste Management Institute, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  10. Neufeld L, Stassen F, Sheppard R, Gilman T (2016) The new plastics economy: rethinking the future of plastics. World Economic Forum, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  11. UNEP (2018b) Legal limits on single-use plastics and microplastics: a global review of national laws and regulations. UN Environment, Nairobi

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kiprop V (2017) Finally, Kenya effects ban on plastic bags. http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/Kenya-effects-ban-on-plastic-bags-/2560-4086512-10oy0x4/index.html Accessed 15 Mar 2019

  13. NEMA (2019) Plastic bag ban portal. http://www.nema.go.ke/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102&Itemid=121 Accessed 4 Mar 2019

  14. UNEP (2005) Selection, design and implementation of economic instruments in the solid waste management sector in Kenya. The case of plastic bags. United Nations Environment Programme, New York

  15. KNCPC (2005) A comprehensive plastic waste management strategy for the city. National Cleaner Production Centre, Nairobi

    Google Scholar 

  16. Civancik-Uslu D, Puig R, Hauschild M, Fullana-i-Palmer P (2019) Life cycle assessment of carrier bags and development of a littering indicator. Sci Total Environ 685:621–630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Wilson D, Smit M (2002) The plastic bag regulations 2003—an overview of the possible impacts on the industries in the plastic bag value chain. MBA Dissertation, University of Cape Town

  18. Knoblauch D, Mederake L, Stein U (2018) Developing countries in the lead—what drives the diffusion of plastic bag policies? Sustainability 10(6):1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061994

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhu Q (2011) An appraisal and analysis of the law of “Plastic-Bag Ban.” Energy Proc 5:2516–2521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2011.03.432

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. MOEF (2019) National sustainable waste management policy. http://www.environment.go.ke/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Revised_National_Waste_Policy5_2019.pdf. Accessed 20 Aug 2020

  21. Joseph N, Kumar A, Majgi M, Kumar S, Prahalad Y (2016) Usage of plastic bags and health hazards: a study to assess awareness level and perception about legislation among a small population of Mangalore city. J Clin Diagn Res 10(4):LM01–LM04. https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2016/16245.7529

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Dikgang J, Visser M (2012) Behavioural response to plastic bag legislation in Botswana. South Afr J Econ 80(1):123–133. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1813-6982.2011.01289.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Dikgang J, Leiman A, Visser M (2012) Analysis of the plastic-bag levy in South Africa. Resour Conserve Recycl 66:59–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2012.06.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Thomas G, Poortinga W, Sautkina E (2016) The Welsh single-use carrier bag charge and behavioural spillover. J Environ Psychol 47:126–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.05.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Sharp A, Høj S, Wheeler M (2010) Proscription and its impact on anti-consumption behaviour and attitudes: the case of plastic bags. J Consum Behav 9(6):470–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. KNBS (2018) Based on 2015/16 Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS). Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Nairobi

    Google Scholar 

  27. FSD Kenya (2016) 2016 FinAccess Household Survey. https://fsdkenya.org/publication/finaccess2016/ Accessed 13 Feb 2019

  28. Enge G (2018) The Kenyan ban on plastic bags: a study of attitudes and adaptation in Nairobi. Thesis, Norwegian University of Life Sciences

  29. Koros K, Kitetu J, Kebenei J (2019) Influence of polythene bag alternatives on compliance to environmental legislation on polythene bag ban in Rongai Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya. Open Access Libr J 6(10):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  30. Danish Environmental Protection Agency (2018) Life cycle assessment of grocery carrier bags. Danish Environmental Protection Agency, Copenhagen

    Google Scholar 

  31. Kimmel D, Robert M (2014) Life cycle assessment of grocery bags in common use in the United States. Clemson University Press, Clemson

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sherrington C, Hogg D, Jones P, Doswell B, Cullen C, Cole G (2012) Assistance to the commission to complement an assessment of the socioeconomic costs and benefits of options to reduce the use of single-use plastic carrier bags in the EU. Kättesaadav

  33. Saidan N, Ansour M, Saidan H (2017) Management of plastic bags waste: an assessment of scenarios in Jordan. J Chem Technol Metall 52(1)

  34. Eunomia (2018) Plastic packaging waste flows in Kenya. Eunomia Research & Consulting Bristol

Download references

Funding

The author(s) disclose receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by the African Business Education (ABE) Initiative Scholarship Fund from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anchor Network Service Inc, Tokyo, Japan

    Isaac Omondi

  2. Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto, Japan

    Misuzu Asari

Authors
  1. Isaac Omondi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Misuzu Asari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Misuzu Asari.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author(s) declare no conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (PDF 35 kb)

Supplementary file2 (PDF 359 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Omondi, I., Asari, M. A study on consumer consciousness and behavior to the plastic bag ban in Kenya. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 23, 425–435 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-020-01142-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-020-01142-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation