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Evaluation of the Introduction of the Single-Use Carrier Bag Charge in Wales: Attitude Change and Behavioural Spillover

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Evaluation of the Introduction of the Single-Use Carrier Bag Charge in Wales: Attitude Change and Behavioural Spillover Evaluation Of The Introduction Of The Single-Use Carrier Bag Charge In Wales: Attitude Change And Behavioural Spillover Prepared by: Wouter Poortinga, Lorraine Whitmarsh and Christine Suffolk Report to the Welsh Government, June 2012 1 This document has been prepared by the Welsh School of Architecture and School of Psychology, Cardiff University who carried out the research on behalf of Welsh Government. Views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and not necessarily those of the Welsh Government. Should you require any further information about this document or the information contained within please contact: Local Environmental Quality Branch Welsh Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ E:mail: [email protected] Tel: 02920 82 5130 Dr. W. Poortinga Welsh School of Architecture and School of Psychology Cardiff University Bute Building, King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3NB United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)29 2087 4755 Fax: +44 (0)29 2087 4623 Email: [email protected] 2 Table of Contents 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Background............................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Aims and Objectives ............................................................................................... 7 2 Method ........................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Procedure and Respondents .................................................................................. 7 2.2 The Questionnaire .................................................................................................. 9 2.3 Statistical Analyses ................................................................................................. 9 3 Results ......................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Before and After Comparisons (Wales only) ......................................................... 10 3.2 Socio-Demographic Differences (Wales only) ....................................................... 20 3.3 Before and After Comparisons (Wales versus England) ....................................... 28 4 Summary of Findings ................................................................................................... 38 4.1 Own Bag Use ........................................................................................................ 38 4.2 Support for and Attitudes to the Single-Use Carrier Bag Charge ........................... 39 4.3 Environmental Behaviours, Identity and Concern .................................................. 40 4.4 Overall Conclusions .............................................................................................. 41 5 References .................................................................................................................. 44 Appendix A: Questionnaire 3 4 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Wales is the first country in the United Kingdom to have introduced a charge for single-use carrier bags. From the 1st of October 2011 onwards, shoppers in Wales have to pay a compulsory 5 pence for each single-use carrier bag at point of sale. The charge aims to reduce the number of carrier bags being used in Wales and is part of the Welsh Government’s strategy to minimise the proportion of waste going to landfill to 5% by 2025; eliminating it altogether by 2050 (Welsh Assembly Government 2010). 1 In this study, commissioned by the Welsh Government, we will examine the attitudinal and behavioural implications of the introduction of the carrier bag charge in Wales. There is some prior evidence that a charge on carrier bags can reduce its use, and that attitudes towards the charge itself may become more positive after the implementation of the policy. It has been estimated that a national plastic bag charge introduced in China in 2008 led to a 49% reduction in the use of new plastic bags (He, 2010). A similar charge introduced in Ireland in 2002 was hailed as an outstanding success.2 Research by Convery et al. (2007) suggests that the charge reduced plastic bag use by more than 90% and raised revenues in the order of €12-14 million for the Environment Fund. Despite Irish consumers being somewhat resistant to the plastic bag charge prior to its introduction (Drury Research, 2000), Convery et al (2007) reported more positive responses after the implementation of the charge. This is in line with observations regarding other environmental and behavioural change policies. Research on the effectiveness of smoking bans has shown that they have become more acceptable after they came into force. Smokers as well as non-smokers have been found to express more support for bans after the benefits of the ban became visible (Borland et al., 1990; Owen et al., 1991; Seo et al., 2011). Similar attitude changes have also been reported following the Stockholm congestion charge trial in 2006 (Schuitema et al. 2010). Respondents believed that the charge had more positive consequences and fewer negative consequences after the trial than they had expected beforehand. Research conducted by Transport for London (2004) found that London residents perceived fewer negative effects from the congestion charge than they had expected prior to its implementation in 2003. Residents were also more likely to recognise the benefits of the scheme after the introduction of the congestion charge. 1 http://www.carrierbagchargewales.gov.uk 2 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2205419.stm 5 These findings raise an interesting question about the attitudinal effect of behavioural change policies, such as the carrier bag charge. Although it can be argued that positive public attitudes are a pre-requisite for behaviour change and the acceptance of policies aimed at motivating such changes (Spence & Pidgeon, 2009), the results suggest that public attitudes also follow behaviour change policies after the public has experienced the benefits of the policy and have changed their behaviour. Attitude change as a result of behaviour change and behaviour change policies can be understood from both cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) and self-perception (Bem, 1967) perspectives. Cognitive dissonance theory posits that people feel discomfort if they hold conflicting attitudes and behaviour, and they have a motivational drive to reduce such dissonance. They will do this by either changing their attitudes or their behaviours. Self- perception theory holds that people derive their attitudes from observing their own behaviour and then concluding what attitudes may have caused them. A possible side effect of cognitive dissonance and self-perception processes may be that the policies and their accompanying attitude and behaviour changes may lead to behavioural spillover – the idea that engagement in a single pro-environmental behaviour may lead to other lifestyle changes (Thøgersen & Crompton, 2009). Engagement in pro-environmental behaviour may encourage changes in environmental values and self-identity as a result of self-perception processes, which may then stimulate further behavioural changes in line with the revised identity (Whitmarsh & O’Neill, 2010). That is, if people reduce the number of single-use carrier bags they are using after the implementation of the charge, they may develop a more waste conscious identity, which then may lead to other waste-conscious decisions and behaviours. Furthermore, it is thought that experience of a particular behaviour results in knowledge and skill gains which may then be applied to other similar behaviours (Thøgersen, 1999). Knowledge and skill gains are therefore thought to contribute to spillover effects to other waste-related environmental behaviours, but not necessarily to other environmental behaviours in unrelated (non-waste) domains. 6 1.2 Aims and Objectives The main aim of the study is to investigate the behavioural and attitudinal effects of the implementation of the single-use carrier bag charge on waste-relevant attitudes and behaviours. More specifically, the research objectives are to: 1) Examine the impacts of the carrier bag charge on the use of single-use carrier bags. It is expected that own bag use will be higher after the introduction of the carrier bag charge than before; 2) Examine changes in support for the carrier bag charge. It is expected that support for the carrier bag charge will be higher after its introduction than before; 3) Find evidence that attitude change may follow environmental policies and accompanying behaviour change. It is expected that people develop more positive attitudes towards the charge after its introduction. It is also expected that those changing their behaviour will develop a more waste-conscious identity; 4) Explore potential behavioural spillover effects of the carrier bag charge. It is expected that the carrier bag charge leads to changes in other waste-related behaviours (e.g. recycling) but not in non-waste related environmental behaviours (e.g. energy use). 2 Method 2.1 Procedure and Respondents A controlled field experiment was conducted to evaluate the attitudinal and behavioural impacts of the carrier bag charge. A telephone survey was conducted in Wales before and after the introduction of the charge. Similar telephone surveys were conducted in England at the same time. The interviews
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