Failure of the Ban on Plastic Shopping Bags: Finding Supportive Policy Measures to Address Excessive Plastic Shopping Bag Consumption. A Case of Thimphu, Bhutan
Abstract: Having implemented a ban on plastic shopping bags with three other reinforcements of the ban over the span of two decades, Bhutan still faces the issue of plastic shopping bag overconsumption and waste, where the ban policy has been proven ineffective. Issues of plastic shopping bag consumption in Bhutan are discussed to understand the plastic shopping waste situation in the country, and different views and perceptions are explored and examined to understand how the nation-wide ban was implemented and what went wrong with the policy to comprehend its inefficiencies. The issue of plastic shopping bag waste is an urgent one in the country where plastic shopping bag waste causes urban floods every year, and discarded plastic shopping bags get piled up in a lone landfill which is running overcapacity. The research questions addressed are 1) How effective are other policy measures that address plastic shopping bag consumption, besides a ban? 2) What is the current development, and status and management of plastic shopping bags in Thimphu, Bhutan? 3) What are the main characteristics of the plastic shopping bag ban notification issued in the country? and 4) What policy instrument or its package could be adopted to resolve the growing plastic shopping bag issue in Thimphu, Bhutan? Different policy instruments that address plastic shopping bag waste are identified and explored using practical examples of global cases to understand the effectiveness of relevant policies. An in-depth contextual analysis of the case in Thimphu, Bhutan is carried out to comprehend the issue of plastic shopping bag waste, causes and attitudes and perceptions on the ban policy. Using the findings from different policy typologies, global cases studies and contextual assessment of Thimphu, Bhutan, a policy mix, other than a ban, that could tackle the plastic shopping bag issue is suggested. The compiled suggestions and information in this thesis can be useful for the wider audience that aims to deal with the issue of plastic shopping bag waste.
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