The regulation prohibiting retailers and restaurants from offering customers free plastic bags constitutes part of the Second Stage of implementation of the government’s “Restricted Use Policy on Plastic Shopping Bags & Disposable Plastic Tableware” (also known as the “Plastic Bag Reduction Initiative”). How effectively this prohibition can be enforced will be a major determinant of the success or failure of the Restricted Use Policy as a whole. For the purposes of this report, the term “shopping bag” is used to refer to shopping bags made from plastic, paper or other biodegradable materials. A variety of different research methods are used to examine the environmental impact, consumers’ willingness to collaborate with policy implementation, and the impact on the economy. Other countries’ experience with requiring consumers to pay for shopping bags is reviewed, and a range of possible scenarios (with regard to the overall domestic environment, and the willingness of consumers and of the business community to collaborate on implementation) are outlined, providing a basis for the putting forward of conclusions and recommendations regarding the feasibility of achieving effective implementation of the government’s policy of restricting plastic shopping bag usage.

Plastic Shopping Bags Policy