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Single-use plastic bags given to shoppers by retailers have increasingly become a key target for sustainability initiatives, with bans being introduced around the world. The rationale for such bans is based on the environmental impact of single-use bags, compared to their multi-use alternatives. The arguments for bans are underpinned by assumptions about how consumers will respond to the changes, yet do not account for the known patterns of buyer and consumer behaviour from the social sciences. This lessens the delivery of desired outcomes and hampers implementation strategies. This chapter draws upon this established knowledge to demonstrate how such marketing knowledge of fundamental buyer and consumer behaviour is critical when developing and implementing a public policy programme, using the example of a retail ban on the use of single-use plastic bags in Australia. It illustrates how these known patterns hold in this context and shows how social marketing can be used to help shape programme implementation and uptake and the reinforcement of new positive behaviours.

This chapter focuses on discussing the Malaysian government's ‘No Plastic Bag Day’ campaign. This is due to the fact that consumers are accustomed to use plastic bag in their daily life activities. However, considering the hazardous impact on the environment, the government has banned the use of plastic bag in most of the states. While many consumers accepted this new rule whole-heartedly, many are still struggling to adopt it. This chapter highlights its journey of implementation and challenges pertaining to this sustainability marketing campaign in Malaysia.

Undeniably, plastic usage is predominant in our daily lives, featuring in an endless list of items such as bottles, disposables, packaging and fabric. At prima facie, plastic disposal causes irreversible damage to the natural environment, especially oceans. However, it also impacts human health and wellbeing, especially since its toxins or microplastics find themselves in the food chain. Since plastic causes a myriad of negative effects on the natural environment and human health, the urgency to ban it has been addressed by international organizations and the European Union (EU). Being the smallest member state within the EU, Malta presents an insightful case study of how different levels of governance and a plethora of state and non-state actors engage in a game-like interaction. To this effect, this chapter sheds light on the implications of plastic pollution vis-á-vis sustainability and wellbeing, addressed through multi-level governance. The research core revolves around an investigation on the institutional intricacies in addressing the wicked problem of single-use plastic by mapping out the different layers of policy-making mechanisms that are involved, ranging from local to European and international governance, and from governmental to civil society centric strategies. A positivist ontology is activated to underpin the exploratory nature of this study. Through the application of content analysis of selected documentation, the extent of coordination and synergies among the different policy actors across a multi-layered governance platform is put under scrutiny. Quantitative findings are utilized to validate or contradict the original set of hypotheses and to propose a number of policy and governance recommendations that are useful to researchers and practitioners in the fields of public policy, politics, environmental science, public health and wellbeing, as well as insurance and risk management.

India generates a massive 9.4 million tonnes of plastic waste annually; out of which approximately 5.6 million tonnes go for recycling and 3.8 million tonnes are left uncollected or leaked from after-use collection systems. Reckless production and consumption of non-biodegradable plastic has serious implications, especially for developing nations where plastic use is predominant for fulfilling needs of increasing population and rapid urbanisation. Despite the harmful impacts of plastic, its desirability is inevitable due to its versatility. For the stringently growing economies, affordable and durable solutions will always be priorities over mindfulness. Imprudent plastic waste has precipitated the ban-change-collect challenge. Options like banning single use plastic (SUP), using alternative bio-benign products and improving waste collection systems are not proactively embraced by businesses and governments. Also, user-awareness and behaviour change for make-use-dispose is not instantaneous and easy. Optimistically, the government, NGOs and industry units have started exhibiting sensitivity to the cause and the emergence of start-ups is decentralising waste management in India. Inclusion of informal waste pickers in the formal waste management system has increased the reach and social impact of start-ups in India, imparting a distinctive and promising twist to the waste management sector. This chapter investigates the plastic waste management scenario in India through extensive literature review. It scrutinises the social aspects associated with the plastic waste management sector and attempts to comprehend connotations of ‘socially responsible plastic’ through semi-structured interviews with service providers in the sector. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data. The research indicated the initiation of systemic efforts towards formalisation of the sector. It emphasised the importance of role of waste pickers and their recognition as enablers of the system. Need of an ecosystem approach to nurture start-ups and facilitate better transparency and integration in the waste management system is also illustrated in this research.

In 2017, global plastic production reached 348 million tonnes. Despite growing concerns about the environmental challenges associated with both plastic production and plastic waste, recent estimates suggest that plastic production and subsequent waste is expected to double by the year 2035 (European Commission, 2018). To help reduce the amount of plastic waste that litters the oceans and damages the environment, the European Union has recently commissioned a study about the feasibility of levying a tax on plastic products (New Economic Foundation for the Rethink Plastic Alliance, 2018). However, very few academic articles currently exist that critically examine the arguments for or against a plastic tax and thereby enlighten government and regulators on the subject. This chapter investigates whether plastic taxes can be used as an economic disincentive for plastic products and explores its advantages and disadvantages within a circular economy. It explores whether a plastic tax is the right economic instrument to limit the use of plastics, generate design and technical innovations for bio-based materials and degradable/recyclable plastics, create other economic incentives to optimize the value of plastic and its waste collection, and increase public awareness and responsibility. We find that a plastic tax may be a suitable solution as it is likely to influence the design, production, consumption, and waste sectors if designed properly. Yet, the tax should be carefully implemented and combined with other instruments to obtain the desired outcomes and reduce the occurrence of unfavorable side effects.

This chapter highlights the overwhelming situation of plastic pollution in the Nigerian tourism sector. While plastic waste pollution is detrimental to the ecological system, it also has a direct negative effect on Nigeria's economic sectors including tourism. Approximately, 8% of the world's carbon emissions are caused by tourism-related activities. Tourism activities have contributed enormously to the improper disposal of trash, raw sewage and toxic chemicals into Nigeria's environment. However, there is a lack of comprehensive initiative or policy to curb the gigantic waste pollution in Nigeria, specifically in the Nigerian tourism sector. This has caused more confusion among the consumers and the tourism practitioners. Therefore, this chapter outlines the current situation, the implication for the businesses and the responsibility of the stakeholders.

Plastic has been a very useful material which is very cheap, easy to carry and is resilient to biodegradation. That is why plastic has been used, sometimes reused, and overused due to the reasons mentioned above. As a result, landfills and oceans are full of plastic. But if we consider all the negative health effects, environmental / ecological effects it has in present times, we can understand that it is environmentally very expensive to use plastic. Bangladesh is a relatively young country with dense population and limited resource. Proper management of plastic remains an issue with the country. Considering these, this chapter focuses on how plastic is used, how it is treated as waste and what can be possible solutions in reducing the amount of plastic in Bangladesh.

On completion of the case, the students will be able to understand the concept and importance of sustainability; understand how triple bottom line can help a company make a transition towards sustainability; evaluate the tensions between the three pillars of triple bottom line approach; assess the role of circular economy model as opposed to the conventional linear model in the transition of a company towards sustainability; and understand the sustainability challenge in an emerging market context.

Despite the promising growth potential of the plastics industry in India, it is faced with sustainability challenges owing to its detrimental impact on environment. To preserve the environment and human kind, the government made a bold announcement in 2018 to eliminate the use of highly polluting single-use plastics (SUPs) in the country. Amid this growing sustainability threat against plastics and the fall in demand of SUP items, this case illustrates that Sandip Patel, the plant manager of Cello Plastotech, is entrusted by the CEO with the responsibility of adopting a triple bottom line approach encompassing its three pillars, that is, people, planet and profits, as a response to the sustainability challenge. The strategic rethinking towards adopting sustainability required Patel to face the challenge of striking a balance between the three pillars of triple bottom line while also taking some valuable insights for plastic waste management from the circular economy model. While making a transition to sustainability, he needed to evaluate different options like stopping the manufacture of SUPs and look for alternatives, use of biodegradable raw material which was expensive but environment friendly or manufacture such durable plastic products that would replace SUPs.

The case is aimed at teaching the topic Triple Bottom Line approach in the courses of business strategy and sustainability in under-graduate and post-graduate level courses in the discipline of Management. It can also be used as a supplementary reading in courses like Corporate Social Responsibility and Circular Economy. In emerging markets’ context, these topics are generally taught to MBA students in courses like strategic management, sustainable business and business ethics.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

This study aims to examine the young Malaysian consumers’ switching intention from synthetic to biodegradable plastics. This research shows the factors affecting young Malaysian consumers’ switching intention towards biodegradable plastic rather than traditional plastic (synthetic plastics). In this study, there are three factors to be considered whether they influence the young consumers in Malaysia to change their intention towards biodegradable plastic. The three factors are environmental concern, knowledge and the perceived value of biodegradable plastic. However, biodegradable plastic’s switching intention is also affected by biodegradable plastic’s attitude, where the three factors influence this attitude. Thus, all variables are considered in this research to investigate the reasons for switching intention from synthetic to biodegradable plastics among young Malaysian consumers.

In line with the recent economic growth, especially in developing countries, human concern for the environment has increased over time. This paradigm shift has influenced Malaysians to pay more attention to the issues related to synthetic plastics, especially in Malaysia itself. To reduce the use of synthetic plastic in Malaysia, this research is conducted to identify the young consumer’s behaviour in Malaysia towards the use of biodegradable plastics. In this study, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is broadened into three additional factors that potentially enhance the young consumer’s attitude and increase switching intention towards biodegradable plastics: environmental concern, knowledge and perceived value. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire via an online survey method. The structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 3 was used to analyse the data from a total of 162 respondents. The study’s key findings confirmed that switching intention towards biodegradable plastics is significantly influenced by environmental concern, perceived value, and attitude. This study also provided empirical evidence that the attitude acts as a mediator for the relationship between environmental concern and perceived value towards the switching intention. These results could help the government establish a new policy to encourage citizens to use biodegradable plastics while reducing environmental pollution.

The study’s key findings confirmed that switching intention towards biodegradable plastics is significantly influenced by environmental concern, perceived value and attitude. Furthermore, this study extends the TPB to include the intention to switch from synthetic to biodegradable plastics, where attitudes towards the environment, environmental concern and perceived value all have an impact on the intention to switch from synthetic to biodegradable plastics in the first place. As an additional contribution to the existing body of knowledge, this study provides empirical data about the variables influencing decision-makers’ intentions towards the transition from synthetic to biodegradable plastics. The findings of this study may also be useful for future research by academic institutions, the Department of Research and Development and the government. As a result, this research is important for future academics who want to better understand the intentions of young Malaysian consumers when it comes to biodegradable plastics.

This research might provide direction to a firm considering implementing a new business strategy to develop creative and sustainable products that will contribute to the protection of the environment. More importantly, this research contributes to improving government policy and regulation in environmental preservation by integrating environmental knowledge and attitude into Malaysian cultural practices. Also possible are even greater levels of environmental awareness and environmentally friendly activities on the part of the government and the commercial sector, such as various initiatives and events to encourage green and environmentally friendly purchasing habits. As a result, given that sustainability has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing society today, this research is important in that it provides insights for stakeholders (policymakers, marketers and others) to strategise the government’s plan to reduce the use of synthetic plastics and promote the use of biodegradable plastics. As the analysis of consumer behaviour is one of the most important aspects of improving the profitability of businesses, the collaboration between marketing and the research and development department to examine consumer behaviour is extremely important to meet the needs of consumers. This research could serve as a reference for them during the decision-making process, particularly in the plastics industry, which is highly recommended. Aside from that, the findings of the study may be used as a guide for the government in developing new policies to attain the objective of sustainable development in the future. As a result, it can aid in introducing environmentally friendly products and raising public knowledge about them.