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Public Perceptions of Legislative Action to Reduce Plastic Pollution: A Case Study of Atlantic Canada
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Researchers examined public perceptions of government legislation to reduce plastic pollution in Canada's four Atlantic provinces, using structured surveys and semi-structured interviews, in the first region of Canada to implement province-wide single-use plastic reduction legislation. The study found that public acceptability of legislative action was influenced by societal attitudes toward government environmental intervention.
Government-led legislation is a key strategy to reduce plastic pollution; however, societal perception can heavily influence government intervention for environmental issues. To understand the public acceptability of government action to reduce plastic pollution, we examine the perception of existing and upcoming legislative action on single-use plastics (SUPs) by means of a structured survey with additional semi-structured interviews. Our focus is on the four Atlantic provinces of Canada, which was the first region in Canada to implement provincial-wide legislation for plastic reduction at the consumer level in 2019. Results show strong public support (77%, n = 838) for bans of SUP bags at the consumer level, and for further plastic pollution reduction legislation. However, the level of support differed between regions and by demographics. Semi-structured interviews show that decision makers should increase efforts in raising consumer awareness and standardizing regulations across jurisdictions for smoother transitions prior to legislative action.
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