UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF AWARENESS AND CONCERN ON PLASTIC CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR

Abstract

The great invention of plastics brought with it many benefits to the world such that it became the world's number one choice of material in many industries like chemicals, pharmaceuticals, toys, appliances etc. But every coin has two sides the plastics which provide so many benefits come with the problem of pollution too. Pollution from plastic is one of the leading concerns for environmentalists today. Plastic is non-biodegradable stays in the environment for a long and has caused the destruction of natural habitats, danger to wildlife and pollution of resources. The production of plastic despite its harmful effects has increased over years. The world's heavy dependence on plastics comes from the fact that it being cheap has also been able to provide durability to an extent for many usages. Also in case of use and through objects like in case of medical industry and plastics, not conductive nature has led to its adoption as a preferred material in the manufacturing of electronic appliances. The ease of using plastics their ability to be moulded in any shape, and the low weight and transportation benefits it provides. Apart from it, plastics are also a preferred material for packaging other goods. Plastic pollution has exceeded to such a level that now even our food and water have been contaminated by it in the form of micro plastics. Governments and organizations have taken many steps to increase awareness about plastic pollution in the world. Many NGOs have been working alongside the government to help tackle the problem of plastic waste around the world. Many studies have been conducted to show that if plastic consumption does not decrease further deterioration of the environment is inevitable. The problem also arrives from the raw materials used in plastic manufacturing. Petrochemicals used in the 6 manufacturing of plastics are a great contributor to greenhouse gas emissions which are the major leading cause of global warming. To reduce the effect of global warming by 2 degrees Celsius the 2015 Paris agreement to reduce the consumption or use of single used plastics. Although the government has run many campaigns and drives to reduce plastic consumption, lay down laws against manufacturing and banned single-use plastics the plastic production in the world has been seen to grow only. The effect of mass awareness of campaigns on plastic consumption can be seen in people but there is a lack of evidence of the success of these campaigns in changing the consumption behavior of people. This study attempts to understand the relationship between concern, awareness and actions and looks at the interdependence between gender and the above variables. The study builds upon the literature review on how to measure the behavior of people regarding plastic consumption, awareness levels of people, their concern levels towards the environment and the behavior change brought in by concern and awareness in form of actions.